Democratic Sentinel, Volume 6, Number 31, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 September 1882 — THE POLITICAL FIELD. [ARTICLE]

THE POLITICAL FIELD.

Party State Conventions, and What They Did. List of the Nominees, Platforms, Etc. DELAWARE DEMOCRATS. The Delaware Democratic State Convention met at Dover on the 22d of August J. Wilkins Coach was made Chairman. The Committee on Besolutions reported a platform commend Ing the economical administration of the State Government by the Democrats, and also commending the common-school system, favoring reform in the judiciary, indorsing the assessment laws, condemning the tendency of the Republican party to mixed schools,favoring tariff revision, condemning the starroute frauds, national extravagance, and Hubbell’s political assessments ; arraigning the Bcpublicans for supporting “ Dorsey and other plunderers,” for countenancing Mahone and similar coalitions, and for creating stud maintaining an army of office-holders. Charles 0. Stockley was nominated for Governor on the first ballot, and Charles B. Lore was nominated for Congress by acclamation. THE MAINE INDEPENDENTS. A meeting of the independent Bepublicans of Maine was held at Portland, at which the following nominations were made: Governor, Warren N. Vinton, of Gray; Congressmen, First district, James M. Stone, of Kennebunk Second, Nelson Dinkley, Jr., of Lewiston; Third, Charles Nash, of Augusta; Fourth, Daniel Stickney, of Presque Isle. The following platform was adopted: L Thorough and systematic reform in all branches of the civil service. 2. Faithful execution of the laws in all parts of the State, including the Liquor law and laws for the observance of the Sabbath, having temperance without hypocrisy and prohibition without drunkenness. 3. Strict economy in the expenditure of public money, and consequent reduction of taxes. 4. Opposition to machine politics, boss rule, political assessments, bribery and fraud in controlling elections and conventions. ARIZONA REPUBLICANS. The Bepublican Territorial Convention of Arizona met at Tucson and nominated Judge De Forest Porter a delegate to Congress, and A. E. Davis, of Mahone county, Superintendent of Public Instruction. The following is a synopsis of the platform adopted: It declares allegiance to the national Bepublican platform of -1880; holds that all railroads and corporations should be subject to the people through the Legislature; declares in favor of maintaining free public instruction; holds that the appropriation for the support of hostile Indians is too great, and that hostile tribes should not be kept, fed and supported by the public treasury, and is in favor of disarming them; declares against Chinese immigration and the free system of public offices; claims that a reorganization of the judicial .system is necessary; demands that Territorial and Federal legislation should be had to discourage mining litigation and to render mining titles more secure; declares in favor of free and unlimited coinage of silver upon the same terms and under the same regulations as gold. MICHIGAN DEMOCRATS. The Democratic State Convention of Michigan assembled in Jackson on the 23d of August, with full delegations from every district The following platform was unanimously adopted: The Democrats of Michigan, in convention assembled, recognizing the people as the source of political power, ana the constitution as the fundamental law of the land, do solemnly declare : 1. That home rule is the essence of free government, that the line bounding State and national authority is clearly defined, and needs only to be strictly followed to conserve the broadest liberty to the people. 2. Earnestly believing that a real civil-service reform is needed to purify every department of our Federal Government, we therefore demand, as an initial but important. step m this direction, au amendment to the Federal constitution which Will give to the peonle of the several cities, villages, and such other postal distric s as may be authorized by law, the right to elect Postmasters. We also demand that Federal subordinate officers shall not be appointed or removed for political belief, nor aj>pointed until their ability and merit have been proven by open public examination and competition, and that political assessment or forced coniributions from public officers should be made felony by law. 3. We are unalterably opposed to the unjust, unequal and iniquitous system of taxation called a protective tariff, which oppresses the farmer and laborer, destroys our merchant marine, breeds and enriches monopolies, and impoverishes the poor. The traditional policy and principles of the Democratic party are on the side of complete commercial freedom, and we demand an immediate and aggressive revenue reform in the direction of free trade, subject to a tariff only sufficient to raise the necessary revenue for governmental expenditures economically administered. 4. That the right of Congress to make apEropriations for the improvement of rivers and arbors should be restricted to such as are of national importance ; that the people of Michigan cannot be bribed with a share of the theft to sanction the waste of $30,000,000 in two years, and we denounce without distinction of party all who voted in Congress for the iniquitous Biver and Harbor bilk

5. That the letting of the printing of the annual tax sales to party favorites, without competitive bidding, and the keeping in the State treasury of from $1,000,000 to $2,000,000 of State funds for the benefit of partisan officeholders, while the people are heavily taxed, are demoralizing to the public service, and demand immediate reform. We cordially invite the voters of Michigan, without regard to previous party affiliations, to join us in our earnest efforts to correct these abuses by withdrawing the administration of State affairs from those who have been already too long in power, and confiding it to those who come freshly from the people untrammeled by the tyranny of political rings and of party machinery. After quite a long debate, a proposition for fusion with the Greenbackers was adopted by a large majority. A telegram was thereupon sent to the Greenback State Convention, in session at Grand Rapids, offering Governor, Commissioner, State Land Office, and Superintendent of Public Instruction or the balance of ticket. An answer was received accepting the former, and announcing the nomination of J. W. Begole for Governor. The acceptance was received with uproarious applause. The convention then nominated the Hon. Eugene Pringle, of Jackson, for Lieutenant Governor; William Skakespeare, of Kalamazoo, for Secretary of State ; James Blair, of Grand Rapids, Auditor; Gen. Edward Kanter, of Detroit, State Treasurer ; Timothy E. Tarsney, of East Saginaw, Attorney General. G. Ouase Goodwin, of Grand Rapids, was Chairman of the convention; L. E. Rowley, of lonia; H. D. Pugh, of Lansing, and A. J. Shakespeare, of Kalamazoo, Secretaries.

MICHIGAN GREENBACKERS. The State Convention of the National Greenback party of Michigan was held at Grand Rapids Aug. 23. By agreement with the Democratic State Convention, held at the same time at Jackson, a fusion ticket was nominated,* the Greenbackers getting the following officers: Governor, J. W. Begole, of Flint; State Land Commissioner, John F. Vandeventer, of St Joseph ; Superintendent of Public Instruction, David Parsons, of Wayne; member of the Board of Education, Clark B. Hall, of Barry county. The ultra-Greenbackers strenuously opposed the proposition for coslit.on, and when the vote was taken it stood for fusion 251 to 189. The opponents of coalition to the number of nearly 100 withdrew from the held a separate convention, nominating an entire State ticket as follows : Governor, O. G. Pennell; Lieutenant Governor, Isaiah Mains; Secretary of State, JofinE. Simonsom ; Treasurer, George Upton; Auditor General, W. W. Kelley; Commissioner of Land Office, C. C. Miller ; Attorney General, J. Nichols ; Superintendent of Public Instruction, F. L. Ford. The bolters also appointed a State Central Committee, with Ben Colvin, of Saginaw, as Chairman. TEXAS REPUBLICANS. The Texas Republican State Convention met at Austin, and effected a permanent organisation by the election of J. G. Tracy, one of the 806, Chairman, ’ without a dassenting vote. A platform was adopted pledging the support of the party in Texas at the approaching election to the candidates who come before the people for suffrage purely as Independents, free from party nominations or other for'ms of caucus dictation, and who agree to support a broad,

liberal and generous policy, embracing free school education ten months in the year, a free ballot and fair count, a revision of the jury laws, so that jurors shall be drawn impartially, the sale of school lands to actual settlers only and in parcels not exceeding 640 acres, and provisions for working convicts within the walls. Besolutions were adopted of confidence in exGov. J. E. Davis, indorsing the administration of President Arthur and the platform adopted by the last Bepublican National ConvenUrt- A resolution was adopted -that the convention make no nomination, but support the Liberal movement, giving its entire aid and vote to the Hon. G. W. Jones tor Governor. The last proposition drew forth rounds of applause.

KANSAS GBEENBACKKBS. The Greenback State Convention convened at Topeka and organized by the election of P. H. Elder President, and W. J., A. Montgomery Secretary. A series* of resolutions, reaffirming the National platform at Chicago of 1883 was adopted, adding thereto the platform in the same or similar shape as adopted by the National Executive Committee at St Louis last spring. This declaration as it stands embraces, beside the above platforms, the following : Jiesolved, That we pledge the vote of the National Greenback-Labor party to the enforcement of all laws upon the statute books of Kansas. .Resolved, That we favor the reduction of the rate of interest in the State so that the maximum rate for the use of money will not exceed the average profits of labor. Ex-Gov. Chase Robinson, the first Governor of Kansas, was nominated for Governor, and the remainder of the ticket was made up as follows: Lieutenant Governor, J. G. Boyne; Secretary of State, A. P. Elder; Auditor, W. F. Girrison; Treasurer, J. H. Ludlow; Attorney General, J. D. Mcßrian; Superintendent of Public Instruction, J. 8. Whitemin; Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, L. 0. Uhl. The following were nominated for Congressmen-at-Large: H. L. Phillips, John Davis, Allen Williams (colored), J. N. Wood.