not fail in just treatment of surviving veterans and of the widows and orphans of those who sacrificed their lives that the Nation might live.

NICARAGUA CANAL.-That we approve the speedy construction of the Nicaragua Canal under American charter, by American enterprise, and with American capital, as essential to National defence and to the interests of interstate commerce and the trade of the continent.

RIGHTS OF LABOR.-We recognize the dignity of labor and the necessity of proper legislation to protect its interests. We deprecate any attempt to lessen the fruits of toil, or to place honest workmen in competition with paupers and convicts, domestic or foreign. The rigid enforcement of the Alien Labor Contract Law is commended. We indorse the laws enacted by the late Republican Congress to protect our people against the influx of the vicious pauper and criminal classes of foreign nations ant! we emphatically approve the rigid enforcement of these laws. We indorse the provisions of the act known as the Fassett Law, and we condemn the evasion of the provisions of that act by the present State Administration.

ELECTIVE FRANCHISE.-We reassert the expressed determination of the Republican party to maintain the right of franchise to its fullest extent, and to give all citizens the amplest protection to which they are entitled under the Constitution.

SUPPRESSION OF TRUSTS.-We favor such legislation as will prevent all illegal combinations and unjust exactions by aggregated capital and corporate powers. We insist upon the suppression of all trusts, combines and schemes designed artificially to increase the price of the necessaries of life.

PERSECUTION OF THE JEWS.-The cruelties and persecutions practised upon the Jews in Russia are abhorrent to the sense of justice of this people; and the intervention of our Government by all proper means to secure to the oppressed of all foreign nations equal rights under their laws is commended.

CIVIL SERVICE-We reaffirm the Republican party's favor to thorough genuinc reform in the Civil Service, and commend the National Administration for giving ef fect thereto under existing law. And the flagrant and persistent abuses in the State Civil Service by the Democratic Administration are held up to condemnation.

REFORM IN STATE ADMINISTRATION-Appeal is taken to the people of the State to redeem its Government from discredit brought upon it by Democratic maladministration, the result of a personal despotism in the Executive cffice, which has tolerated and fostered corruption and debauchery of the State departments, prostituted the canals, State prisons and public institutions, and all avenues to legislation, to the ambition of an audacious and selfish Executive. Thanks are given faithful Republican legislators who have combatted these conditions and, so far as was in their power, rendered them inoperative.

LOCAL OPTION.-We favor comprehensive and efficient excise legislation for giving local option by counties, towns and cities, and restriction by taxation in such localities as do not by option exclude the liquor traffic.

REDUCTION OF STATE TAX.-That there is this year no State tax for "general purposes," and a consequent reduction of the tax levy which fixes the lowest rate of State tax in thirty-six years, is the result of wise and far-seeing Republican legislation, under which already direct taxation has been lessened more than $20,000.000, directly benefiting real estate and personal property, and at the same time establishing the State and municipal credit at the highest level. This work of equalizing and relieving the burden of taxation should be continued to completion on the same lines.

INVESTIGATION OF CANAL EXPENDITURES.-The refusal of the Democratic Assembly to allow investigations of the State canals and the large expenditures annually made thereon was confession of the jobbery and dishonesty in the Democracy's perversion of the public property to base partisan uses. The effort of the Republican members of the late Legislature to enforce economy on the public works, thwarted by Democratic opposition, is heartily commended.

RIGHT OF PETITION.-The denial by a Democratic Speaker of the Legislature of the right of petition, in the instance of the memorial of clergymen of all denominations and many other citizens, was a flagrant, and inexcusable violation of the rights of the people, and has our reprobation.

"BLANKET" OFFICIAL BALLOT.-We favor the amendment of the Ballot law by the substitution for the unofficial "paster" ballot of the "blanket" official ballot, upon which the names of candidates shall be compactly grouped, rendering the voter's duty easy, treating candidates with equal justice, lessening opportunities for fraud, bribery and corruption, and largely reducing expenses of elections.

GENUINE HOME RULE.-We approve the principle that the Government of cities is primarily a matter of business administration, and the enactment of laws to secure for all the cities of the State genuine home rule, the enactment of a law to require a general and uniform system of municipal accounting and the adoption of an amendment to the constitution requiring the passage of a general bill for the government of cities.

"DIRECT TAX” REFUNDING.-The passage of the Direct Tax Refunding bill by a Republican Congress and its approval by the Republican President returned to this State $2,213,000, which would have been distributed to the several counties as their just due, but for Democratic opposition in the Legislature.

NEW-YORK AT WORLD'S FAIR.-We denounce the unpatriotic effort of Governor Hill, through the last Democratic Assembly, to place this State in an unfriendly attitude

toward the World's Columbian Exposition to be held in Chicago in 1893; that we recognize the necessity for an exhibition by the State in keeping with its commercial and industrial supremacy in the Nation; and that we favor early action by the next Legislature providing for a proper exhibit from this State.

AMENDMENT OF CONSTITUTION.-It is a fundamental principle of Republican policy to reduce taxation and to retrench the expenditure of the public money whenever it can be done; therefore, in the promotion of that policy the next Legislature is requested to adopt an amendment to Section 13 of Article 6 of the Constitution of this State, expunging therefrom the provision made for the payment of the salary of any judicial officer after the expiration of his term of office.

SHIPPING.-Resolved, That the Republican party of the State recognize the supremacy in shipping and commercial matters of the beautiful metropolis of the Nation at the mouth of the Hudson, and will encourage the American spirit that is determined to carry that supremacy still higher, and to build American ships manned by American seamen, both for carrying all American trade, and, as far as possible, that between other countries.

NEW-YORK DEMOCRATIC, September 16, 1891.

The Democratic party of the State of New-York in convention assembled renews the pledges of its fidelity to Democratic faith, and, as regards National issues, affirms the doctrine of the National platform of 1884 and 1888, indorsed by the popular votes in those years and so overwhelmingly ratified by the popular verdict in the Congressional elections of 1890.

We

SILVER-We now, as then, steadfastly adhere to principles of sound finance. are against the coinage of any dollar which is not of the intrinsic value of every other dollar of the U. S. We therefore denounce the new Sherman Silver law, under which one-tenth of our gold stock has been exported and all our silver output is dammed up at home, as a false pretence but artful hindrance of return to free bimetallic coinage and as tending only to produce a change from one kind of monometallism to another. We therefore unite with the friends of honest money everywhere in stigmatizing the Sherman Progressive Silver Basis law as no solution of the gold and silver question, and as a fit appendix to the subsidy and bounty swindle, the McKinley worse-than-war tariff, the Blaine reciprocity humbug, the squandered surplus, the advancing deficit, the defective census, the falsified representation, and the revolutionary procedures of the Billion Congress-all justly condemned by the people's great uprising last Novembera verdiet which, renewed next year, will empower Democratic statesmen to guide the people's councils and to execute the people's will.

ACTS OF THE DEMOCRATIC ASSEMBLY.-We congratulate the people of the State upon the beneficent results which followed the election of a Democratic_Assembly last autumn. That victory secured the election of a Democrat to the U. S. Senatea representative in full sympathy with the popular majority on great questions of Federal policy. It gave the State the lowest tax-rate in thirty-six years and for the first time in a generation freedom from taxation for the general purposes of government. It gave New-York City the means of securing rapid-transit-a boon which Republican legislators had for years denied. It gave the people the shortest legislative session in seventeen years-a tribute to the faithful industry of the Democratic Assembly, by whom this result was achieved in the interest of economy and good legislation. Our pledges to the people contained in the Democratic platform of 1887, 1888 and 1889 were promptly redeemed by the Democratic Assembly in the passage of the following measures: 1. A bill to enumerate the inhabitants of the State preparatory to a reapportionment of Senate and Assembly districts. 2. A bill to reapportion the Congress districts, in pursuance of the Federal statute and upon the basis of the recent Federal Census. 3. A bill to provide for a constitutional convention in accordance with the wish of the people as declared by a large majority at the polls in 1888. 4. A bito revise and consolidate the excise laws a measure intelligently and equitably framed carefully regulating the sale of intoxicating liquors, prescribing just fees for licenses and preserving all needed restrictions for the maintenance of order and the good of society. 5. Several bills to ameliorate the condition of agriculture and labor and to lessen the burden of direct taxation.

ACTS OF REPUBLICAN SENATE.-All these measures passed by the Democratic Assembly in obedience to the demand of the popular majority were defeated in the Republican Senate by the representatives of the minority of the people. Thus has the Republican party continued to betray the people's interests. It defies the Constitution and denies fair representation in the Legislature to 1,300,000 new inhabitants of the State by refusing to pass an Enumeration bill-the preliminary step to the abolition of the present antiquated apportionment of Senate and Assembly districts, which is based on the census of sixteen years ago. It not only conspired with the Federal Census Bureau to deprive the State of an additional Representative in Congress and in the Electoral College by a fraudulent count of the inhabitants in New-York, but it refuses to comply with the command of its own Federal Congress to rearrange the thirty-four Congress Districts of the State so that each shall contain "as nearly as practicable an equal number of inhabitants." It ignores the emphatic declaration of the people, who, by a plurality of 328,000 votes, recorded themselves in favor of a constitutional convention. It insists upon the passage of sumptuary laws which needlessly interfere with the personal liberty of law-abiding citizens. It demonstrates the hypocrisy of its professions by twice recording itself in the Legislature in favor of a Prohibition amendment, and then refusing to make provision for its submission to the people, except at a special elec

tion, not desired by Prohibitionists, and at an unnecessary expense of over $500,000 to the taxpayers. It refuses to ameliorate the conditions of wage-earners by enacting just and conservative laws in their interest. It shows its subserviency to moneyed interests by ignoring the demands of the agricultural and working classes for reforms in methods of taxation. It covertly lends its influence to the restriction of manhood suffrage. It indicates its hostility to home rule by its effort at meddlesome legislative interference with the affairs of large cities. It encourages expensive legislative investigating committees, whose investigations degenerate into strikes for political patronage upon the official authorities of Democratic municipalities. It inflicted a hostile blow upon the best welfare and prosperity of the State by depriving New-York of the World's Fair because the Republican leader could not control its Board of Directors. By that act New-York was deprived of the benefit of the expenditure of hundreds of millions of dollars within her borders. By that act the interests of every wage-earner, every merchant, every farmer, every manufacturer, every householder, every artisan, every railroad and transportation company were cruelly sacrificed. The people will not forget that the most conspicuous agent in this partisan crime is now the candidate of his party for Governor. Against that record of misrepresentation and betrayal the Democratic party most earnestly protests.

DEMOCRATIC PLEDGES RENEWED.-We reaffirm the principles and pledges contained in our State platforms of 1889 and preceding years. We oppose needless special legislation. We favor home rule for counties and municipalities. We believe in low taxes and in economical administration. We demand a revision of the various confused statutes regulating the sale of intoxicating liquors and the enactment of a just, equitable and comprehensive excise law framed in accordance with public sentiment, as repeatedly manifested. We believe that all revenues, whether called license fees or taxes, should belong to the treasuries of the localities under whose authority licenses are issued, to be applied in reducing the burden of local taxation. We are opposed to all sumptuary legislation that needlessly interferes with the personal liberty or reasonable customs of the people. We favor the largest liberty for the individual citizen consistent with the public welfare. We demand an extension of electoral reform, with a view to preventing the profuse expenditure of money by candidates and political committees, but we resolutely oppose any effort to hamper or restrict the constitutional privilege of manhood suffrage. And we congratulate the people of the State that by the persistent efforts of a Democratic Governor sustained by the Democrats in the Legislature in defence of this principle, there has been at last wrested from a Republican Legislature by force of public sentiment a genuine electoral reform law which guarantees an absolutely secret ballot, which prevents intimidation and corruption, which reserves for workingmen the right to two hours on election day in which to vote without loss of pay for time consumed, which largely diminishes the opportunities of candidates to expend money illegitimately, which prescribes a careful system of registration of electors, which imposes heavy penalties for corrupt practices in elections, and which preserves inviolable to every citizen, however humble or unlettered he may be, the right to cast his ballot for whomsoever he may choose for any office within the gift of the people. We favor a revision of the tax laws whereby personal and corporate property shall be made to bear its full and just burdens. favor a continuance of the policy which seeks to improve the canal system of the State and maintain its efficiency. The interests of labor should be fostered by proper and necessary legislation. Honest working men and working women should be protected from competition with convict labor. The Republican party, having had control of the Legislature almost continuously for many years, has withheld the necessary legislation required adequately to accomplish such purposes; and in this connection we denounce the failure of the Republicans last winter to enact the so-called Riley bill, desired by the workingmen of the State, which had passed the Democratic Assembly, and had for its object the further restriction of convict-labor competition. We favor legislative provision for a proper exhibit from this State at the World's Columbian Exposition to be held in Chicago in '93, and we especially commend the measure to secure that object which was passed by the Democratic Assembly last spring, but which a Republican Senate, with surprising reluctance after its successful efforts to locate the Fair in Chicago, refused to enact. This country has always been the refuge of the oppressed from every land-exiles for conscience sake-and in the spirit of the founders of our Government we condemn the oppression and expatriation practised by the Russian Government upon its Jewish citizens, and we call upon our National Government, in the interests of justice and humanity, by all just and proper means, to use its prompt and best efforts to bring about a cessation of these cruel persecutions in the dominions of the Czar and to secure to the oppressed equal rights.

We

THE HILL ADMINISTRATION.-We heartily indorse the able and statesmanlike administration of Governor D. B. Hill during his seven years as Chief Executive of the State. He has resolutely maintained the principles of the Democratic party and has faithfully contended for the interests of the people. He has ably resisted the aggressions of successive Republican Legislatures, whose object has been only partisan advantage, and he has been a firm and unrelenting foe to vicious and corrupt legislation. In his administration of State affairs he has received the intelligent and conscientious co-operation of his Democratic associates in the State departments. Their joint efforts have put the State practically out of debt and left a generous surplus in the Treasury. Efficiency and economy have marked their official records. We respectfully submit that this faithful discharge of responsibility justifies a continuance of the trust imposed in the Democratic party, of which they have been rue representatives.

A resolution offered in Convention welcoming the colored fellow-citizen to the ranks

of Democracy, and viewing with gratification his growing friendly attitude toward the party, was adopted unanimously

NEW YORK PROHIBITION, SEPTEMBER 3, 1891.

TARIFF. "That the interests of the Nation demand that, so long as the tariff shall exist, the adjustment of its details shall be removed from the arena of partisan politics and placed in the hands of a non-partisan commission. Such a commission should so adjust details of the schedule that the sum total of import duties shall not exceed the revenue requirements of the Government, and the duties levied on imported articles of manufacture shall be no higher than are necessary to restore to the home manufacturer whatever equality of conditions he may have lost by reason of the payment of a higher scale of wages in their production.

CURRENCY.-"That the issuing of a National currency belongs to the sovereign power alone, and should not be delegated to private individuals or Corporations. Ve favor the issue of legal-tender Treasury notes, redeemable in gold or silver, and the maintenance of a metal reserve sufficient for that purpose."

MISCELLANEOUS.-Demands total prohibition of liquor traffic; denounces failure of Legislature to submit prohibitory amendment to popular vote, as indicating that both Democratic and Republican legislators are controlled by the liquor interest; denounces alleged effort of Administration, through State Department, to foster American breweries, and views with unutterable shame failure of Senate to ratify Brussels treaty; calls for woman suffrage amendment to State Constitution, and strict enforcement of Civil Service laws, and declares that the suppression of liquor traffic is the dominant political issue.

NEW-YORK WINE, LIQUOR AND BEER
August 31, 1891.

DEALERS' ASSOCIATION,

"The Wine, Liquor and Beer Dealers' Association of the State of New-York, indorsing any and all such regulations as will eliminate as much of the abuse of liquor consumption as is possible to be done by law, do resolve that we are content to pay reasonably for a license, but as business men will resist all attempts to burden us with taxation which will drive us out of business; that we are opposed to that attempt to regulate which seeks by High License to discriminate between the rich and the poor, or against a particular locality; that it is the sense of this convention that craracter and conduct as exhibited in practical management of the liquor business and determined by proof in court, is the only just basis for licensing; that we indorse Section 290 of the Penal Code as amended by Chapter 170 of the laws of 1889 (the minor law) with the exception that in all violations of the law the sender should be liable to the same penalties as the dealer; that we condemn the Civil Damage act as it stands on the statute books of the State, as in its present form it is the groundwork for blackmail by dishonorable and unscrupulous persons; that we believe that all excise reve nues should revert to the treasury of the locality issuing the licenses, and be only applied in reducing the burden of local taxation; that we demand the repeal of the present arbitary and unjust excise laws, and the passage of a new law which will allow the people of the Empire State that personal liberty which is enjoyed in other countries; that we will use our right of suffrage this fall in behalf of only those candidates for legislative offices who will work and vote for an amendment to the excise law which will recognize the fact that when the doors of any place of business are closed during the hours prohibited by the present law for doing business, such place shall be considered lawfully closed; that as we are assured that public sentiment is against the spasmodic raids on Sunday of the police of the cities of the State, especially in New-York City, we demand of the Mayors of the cities that they prohibit the police from forcing their way into business places that are apparently closed and where there is no disturbance of the peace: that we neither favor, protect nor assist financially or otherwise any dealer who is not a member of the association: that we appeal to every dealer in this State to observe all laws, and so conduct his business as to give the least offence to good order and good morals."

NORTH CAROLINA REPUBLICAN, August 28, 1890.* RECIPROCITY.-"We indorse the policy of reciprocity of the Secretary of State as the best means of opening up the markets of the South and Central American States to the farmers, manufacturers and laborers of the United States." The resolutions indorse President Harrison, regret failure of Blair bill, favor a Federal election law, and commend Congress for passing the Silver bill.

NORTH CAROLINA DEMOCRATIC, August 20, 1890.* Reaffirms platform and principles of party, and particularly favors free coinage cf silver and an increase of currency and repeal of internal "evenue system, denounces McKinley Tariff bill as unjust to consumers and promo..ve of trusts and monopolies; demands abolition of National banks and substitution of legal-tender Treasury notes in lieu of National bank notes, issued in sufficient volume to do business of country on a cash system, regulating amount needed on a per capita basis, as business interests of country expand, and that all money issued by Government shall be legal tender, in payment of all debts, both public and private; demands laws against dealing in "futures," prohibiting alien ownership of land, and forfeiting unearned holdings, establishing fractional paper currency and a revenue tariff.

* Printed at length in Tribune Almanac for 1891.

NORTH DAKOTA REPUBLICAN, July 31, 1890.*

Indorses Harrison Administration, pending silver legislation and Federal Elections bill; congratulates Speaker Reed, demands as high protection on woollen industries as on most favored manufactures; favors legislation benefiting agriculture; asks protection for just rights of labor; approves record of Congressman Hansbrough, passage of Dependent Pension bill, Mr. Blaine's reciprocity policy, sugar and agricultural amendment to McKinley bill, vigorous enforcement of existing prohibition law, and passage of Original Package bill; Governor Miller's course lottery question; demands reduction of duty on binding-twine, opposes usury and lotteries, and favors amendment to State Constitution prohibiting licensed lotteries: protests against monopolies; demands State law regulating charges of common carriers; and pledges party to secure free disposition and transportation of State products.

NORTH DAKOTA FARMERS' ALLIANCE, 1891.

on

Agrees heartily with platform adopted at National Farmers' Alliance and Indus. trial Union at Ocala, Fla.; favors a third-party movement, believing it will benefit the Alliance; favors prohibitory laws, and demands strict enforcement of present law; favors free and uniform system of public school text-books; urgently demands passage of a bill by Congress placing heavy revenue on all marginal sales and purchases of farm produce; opposes taxation without representation, and demands that propertyowners shall be entitled to privileges of ballot-box without regard to sex.

OHIO REPUBLICAN, June 17, 1891.

TARIFF.-"The Republicans of Ohio in convention assembled reaffirm and express their adhesion to the principles which have guided them heretofore in promoting the prosperity and happiness of the American people. We reaffirm our devotion to the patriotic doctrine of Protection and recognize the McKinley bill as the ablest expression of that principle, enacted in fulfilment of Republican promises, and we pledge ourselves to its support, always having in view its improvement as changed conditions or experience may require. We favor such legislation by Congress and in this State as will in every practicable mode encourage, protect and promote the interests of agriculture in all its departments. Protection of labor and the rights of laborers, such as will grant to toil its full and just rewards, is among the first obligations of government. We demand protection for the wool industry equal to that accorded to the most favored manufacturer of wool, so that in due time American wool-growers will supply all wool of every kind required for consumption in the United States."

COINAGE. "Thoroughly believing that gold and silver should form the basis of all circulating medium, we indorse the amended Coinage act of the last Republican Congress, by which the entire production of the silver mines of the United States is added to the currency of the people."

FREE AND PURE ELECTIONS.-"We demand, and will continue to demand, until finally and absolutely secured, the free exercise by every citizen of the supreme and sovereign right to cast one ballot at lawful elections, and have it honestly counted." IMMIGRATION.-"While inviting to our shores the worthy poor and oppressed of other nations, we demand the enactment of laws that will protect our country and our people against the influx of the vicious and criminal classes of foreign nations, the importation of laborers under contract to compete with our Own citizens; and earnestly approve the rigid enforcement of existing laws by the present National Administration."

and

REPUBLICAN POLICY.-"We favor economy in the administration of National and State affairs; prompt and effective restraint of combinations of capitalists for purposes unlawful or at variance with sound public policy; ample educational facilities for the whole people; the reservation of the public fands of the United States for homesteads for American citizens, and the restoration to the public domain of all unearned railroad grants; and we contemplate with pride the progress of Republican legislation and administration in all of the directions named."

PENSIONS.-"The Republican party, ever mindful of the services of the heroic men who saved the Union, favor liberal pensions to the sailors and soldiers of the Republic, and a generous care of their widows and orphans."

ADMINISTRATION AND LIst CONGRESS.-"The patriotism, wisdom and abil ity of the Administration of President Harrison command our cordial approbation and support, and we especially commend the policy of reciprocity by which our trade may be vastly increased by commercial treaties with other nations, and we also commend the vigorous foreign policy of the Administration, which has commanded the respect of foreign nations for the flag of our country. We commend the patriotic services of our distinguished fellow-citizen, Senator Sherman, and his Republican colleagues in the LIst Congress. We congratulate President Harrison and the country upon the selection of the Hon. Charles Foster as the Secretary of the Treasury, assuring, as it does, an able and efficient administration of that great department of the Government."

LAST OHIO LEGISLATURE.-"We denounce the late so-called "Rinner" Legislature of Ohio as the most corrupt and incompetent and the Administration of James E. Campbell as the most partisan in the history of our State. We de

*Printed at length in Tribune Almanac for 1891.