Democratic Sentinel, Volume 6, Number 28, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 August 1882 — THE FIELD OF POLITICS. [ARTICLE]

THE FIELD OF POLITICS.

lOWA REPUBLICANS. The lowa Republican Convention convened at Des Moines on Wednesday, Aug. X William Larrabee, of Fayette county, presided, and J. L. Burdette, of Des Moines, acted as Secretary. James Hull, present incumbent, was nominated for Secretary of State by acclamation. For Anditor, J. L. Brown, of Lucas, received 513 5-6, and R. L. Chase, of Butler, 251 1-6. For Attorney General, Smith McPherson, of Montgomery, was unanimously chosen. For Judge of the Supreme Court, Judge Beevers was nominated by acclamation. For State Treasurer, E. H. Conger, present incumbent, was nominated by acclamation. Before the conclusion of the first formal ballot Pray’s nomination for Supremo Court Clerk was made unanimous. For Supreme Court Reporter E. C. Ebersole, of Tama, was nominated on the second ballot. The resolutions reaffirm the Republican platform of 1830; commend Congress for its action in the contested seats before it as “in vindication of an honest ballot and a fair count ;” characterize the administration of President Arthur as “ worthy all respect and commendation ;'* favor the creation of a department of industry; ask prompt measures to protect Western cattle from contagious diseases; favor an equitable revision of the tariff ; favor legislation to control inter-State commerce and pooling arrangements between parallel and competing railroad lines; advocate renewed efforts looking to practical and judicious improvement of internal water ways. INDIANA DEMOCRATS. The Democratic State Convention of Indiana met at Indianapolis Aug. 2, and was called to order by W. H. English, Chairman of the Central Committee. John R. Coffroth, of Lafayette, was made Chairman, and J. R. Simpson, of Orange county, Secretary. The following ticket was nominated: For Secretary of State, the Hon. W. R. Myers, of Madison county ; for Attorney General, Francis T. Hord, of Bartholomew county; Clerk of the Supreme Court, Simon P. Sherin, of Cass county; Superintendent of Public Instruction, John W. Holcomb, of Porter county; Judges of the Supreme Court, First judicial distriot, the Hon. W. E. Niblack, of Knox county; Second district, Judge G. W. Hawk, of Floyd county; Fourth district, Judge Allen Zoller, of Allen county. Ex-Gov. Hendricks, from the Committee on Resolutions, reported the following platform, which was adopted: The Democratic party of Indiana, in convention assembled, renews its pledge of fidelity to the doctrines and traditions of the party as illustrated by the teachings of Thomas Jefforson, its founder, and exemplified in the administration of the Government under Democratic rule, and we insist upon an honest and economical administration on the principle upon which it rests. Conceding to the Federal Government its just rights and full power as delegated in the Federal constitution, and claiming for the States and the people respectively tho power therein reserved to them, we arraign the Republican party at the bar of public opinion for its long-continued course of usurpation and misrule. It has disregarded the rights of tho people and the States. It has held on to its illgotten power in defiance of the popular will by the corrupt use of money in elections, and it has corrupted the public morals by elevating to high places men who are known to be dishonest. Wo condemn tho Republican party for enacting and enforcing laws designed to place the elections under Federal control, in violation of the rights of the States. We condemn it for the frauds and perjuries of 1876, by which the will of the people was set asido and a usurper placed in the Presidential office for four years. We condemn it for having kept up and maintained in time of peace an onerous and unjust system of taxation, by means of whiph large sums of money have accumulated in tho treasury which ought to have been left in the pockets of the people ; and wo condemn it for its wasteful extravagance in the expenditure of the public money. We condemn it for its shameless disregard of its pledges in favor of civil-service reform, and its corrupt use of the public patronage under the spoils system. We condemn it for the systematic levy of blackmail upon tho clerks and minor officeholders of the United States, in violation of law, to raise a fund for corruption of tho ballot-box, and wo call especially upon tho voters of Indiana to vindicate their honor and to erase the stain that was placed upon them by the Dorseyitcs in 1880. We demand that the present wastefulness and unnecessary expenditure of tho public money shall he stopped and that the surplus revenue shall be faithfully applied to the payment of tho national debt. Wo demand that Federal taxes bo roduccd to tho lowest point consistent with the wants of the Government under an honest aud economical administration of its affairs, and that such tolls bo so adjusted as to secure an equitable distribution of these burdens. We demand that there shall be such reforms in tho civil service as will again result hi the employment in the public service of those only who are honest and capable, and that no assessments or exactions of any kind shall be required of them for political purposes. We demand protection to our citizens, native and adopted, at home aud abroad, and we denounco aud condemn the present Republican administration for its neglect of duty toward those lately imprisoned as suspects in the jails of Ireland by the a rbitary action of the British authorities.

We demand a revision of the present unjust tariff. The constitution of the United States confers upon Congress the power to establish a tariff for revenue, and, as a just and proper oxerciso of that Dower, we favor such an adjustment of its provisions within the revenue standard as will promote the industries of tho country and the interests of labor without creating monopolies. The Democratic party is now, as it has always been, opposed to all sumptuary legislation, and it is especially opposod to the proposed amendment to the constitution of Indiana known as the Prohibitory amendment, and we are in favor of the submission of said proposed amendment, as well as all other proposed amendments, to the people, according to the provisions of the constitution for its own amendment, and the people have the right to oppose or favor the adoption of any or all the amendments at all stages of their consideration, and any submission of a constitutional amendment to a vote of the people should be at a time and under circumstances most favorable to a full vote, and therefore should be at a general election. That we fully indorse and approve the laws passed pursuant to the demands of former Democratic conventions, making provisions for the safety and protection of laborers and miners, and providing for the collection of wages, and are in favor of all other enactments to that end which may be necessary and proper. The free schools of Indiana are the pride and glory bf the State, and we will' see to it that they are not poisoned by the breath of sectarianism or destroyed by waste or extravagance in their management In the relations between capital and labor we favor such policies as will promote harmony between them, and will adequately protect the rights and interests of labor. We esteem (he Hon. D. W. Yoorhees as an able and faithful representative of our State in the Senate, and specially commond him for his active sympathy in behalf of the soldiers. ILLINOIS GBEENBACKERS. The Greenback State Convention of Illinois wag held at Peoria on the 2d insL Temporary organization was effected by selecting C. G. Dixon, of Chicago, as Chairman, and Norman H. Moss, of Jackson county, as Secretary. The Committee on Permanent Organization reported Hon. A. J. Streeter, of Mercer, for permanent Chairman; Norman BL Moss, of Jackson, for Secretary: W. F. Carroll, of Chicago, and W. F. Wallace, of Knox, for Assistant Secretaries; and 8. F. Norton, of Cook, H. M. Miller of Morgan, Dr. A. J. Graham of Stephenson. B. W. Dean of Bo Kalb, and C. G. Dixon of Cook, as members at large of the State Central Committee. The report was adopted. Upon taking the chair Mr. Streeter made a brief address, in which he denied most emphatically that the Greenback party was dead or even slumbering. They would yet show, not oniy that there is a Greenback party, bat a party of the industrial people, of temperance, of progress. He was followed by Gen. Weaver, who spoke briefly of the advancement the party was making, and predicted that in his State (Iowa) they would elect at least six Congressmen this falL The following persons were then named for State Treasurer : Daniel McLaughlin, Mayor of Braidwood, and Hon. A. J. Streeter. Mr. Streeter declined the honor, and Mr. Mo Laughlin was nominated by acclamation. For Superintendent of Public Instruction Frank H. Hall, of Kane oonnty, and Miss Frances E. Willard, of Chicago, were named. A delegate stated that he had received a telegram from Miss Willard stating that she would not serve, whereupon her name was withdrawn, and Mr. Bali was nominated by aoolamation.

The Committee on Resolutions reported in favor of the platform adopted at the Chicago Convention held Jane 9. 1880, to which were added clauses in favor of submitting the prohibition and woman-suffrage questions to a vote of the people, against supporting or voting for any candidate who will not pledge himself in advance not to accept railroad passes or the equivalent therefor, and that no title to public or railroad lands shall rest in any alien until he shall havo declared an intention to become a citizen. The report was adopted, after a lengthy and heated discussion. A resolution offered by A. J. Grover, of Chicago, denouncing in strong terms England’s echemo to subjugate Egypt, and expressing hearty sympathy for Arabi Bey, yras unanimously adopted, and the convention then adjourned. The following State Committee was chosen : First district, L. L. Page, of Chicago ; Socond, James Donnelly, of Chicago; Third, R. "S. Heath, of Chicago ; Fourth, C. G. Whipple, of Chicago ; Fifth, E. F. Reed, of Elgin ; Sixth, Andrew Ashton, of Ro -kford; Seventh, M. B. Lloyd, of Orion; E ghth, F. Plumb, of Streator; Ninth, R. T. Wiley, of Gibson City; Tenth, A. H. McKeighlan, of Yates City ; Eleventh. J. P. Dunsworth, of Rock Island ; Twelfth, F. M. Grimes, of Milton - Thirteenth, T. S. Knowles, of Petersburg; Fourteenth, James Freeman, of Bloomington : Fifteenth, C. R. Fentou, of Danville ; Sixteenth, H. B. Lutes, of Robinson ; Seventeenth, J. 11. White, of Shelbvville ; Nineteenth, John R. of Mount Vernou ; Twentieth, R. J. Staples, of Murphysboro. SOUTH CAROLINA DEMOCRATS. The Democrats of South Carolina held a State Convention at Columbia and nominated Hugh S. Thompson for Governor, J. P. Richardson for Treasurer, Ellison Capers for Superintendent of Public Instruction, and A. M. M nigault for Adjutant and Inspector Gonoral. The resolutions adopted treat at length of the poliev pursued by tho Republican party in the South, and charge it with the responsibility for various outrages on justice and decency. CIVIL SERVICE REFORMERS. The National Civil Service Reform Association mot at Newport, R. I. George William Curtis delivered an address severely criticising the President. Resolutions embodying the views of those present were adopted. Thoy condemn the political assessment now in progms under tho auspices of the Republican Congressional Committee, and instruct tho President of the League to bring the legality of tho Hubbell circular to a judicial test. Measures were taken for the prosecution of active work among tho people. Carl Schurz, Dorman B. Eaton, John Jay, Josiah Quiucy and other Civil Service Reformers participated in the proceedings. WOMAN SUFFRAGISTS OF OHIO. The State Convention of the Woman Suffragists of Ohio was held at Columbus, Gideon T. Stewart, of Norwalk, prosiding. The constitution and by-laws of 1861 were adoptod, and a series of resolutions setting forth that suffrage follows taxation, and an invitation to co-opera-tion by all, irrespective of party. It was decided to organize the Stato by counties and townships, the same as tho other parties. A letter was read from Lucy Stoue, of Boston, giving tho progress of tho work in different States. GEORGIA REPUBLICANS. Two State Conventions of Georgia Republicans were held at Atlanta. Both indorsed L. J. Gartrell for Governor. The Blaine faction nominated R. D. Locke for Congressman-at-Large; George S. Thomas for Attorney General; R. R. Wight for Secretary of Stato; Wm. A. Pledger for Controller, and Gen. F. F. Pitney for Treasurer. The opposing element, or Arthur faction, placed the following ticket in tho field : Congressman-at-Large, Gen. Jas. Longstreet; Secretary of State, William J. White; Attorney General, John D. Cunningham ; Controller, Floyd Snellson ; Treasurer, W. F. Bowen. Two of the candidates on each ticket are colored politicians of prominence in Georgia. OHIO PROHIBITIONISTS. A State Convention of the frionds of prohibition convened at Columbus, Ohio. The attendance was unusually large. The following ticket was nominated : Secretary of State, Fordinand Schumacher, of Akron ; Supreme Judge, John Rosen borrough, of Fulton county; member of Board of Public Works, Car mi Alderman, of Lawrence county. The following resolutions were adopted: That the manufacture and sale of liquor is a crime ; demanding total prohibition and denouncing as wrong any license or taxation; that the policy of taxation is a perverrion of the principles of our Government; repeating and reaffirming the principles of the party; prohibition of gambling in every form ; probil idou of all speculation; prohibition of class legislation and prison contract labor; prohibition of star-route swindles; demanding a reduction of salaries; asking frequent investiga'ion of Government affairs ; opposing adopting candidates ‘from other parlicH ; favoring woman suffrage; approving the Woman’s State Temperanco Union; congratulating the people of lowa on the adoption of the prohibition amendment ; approving tho Smith law as a stop in the right direction, and promising to assist its enforcement.