Democratic Sentinel, Volume 6, Number 32, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 September 1882 — THE POLITICAL FIELD. [ARTICLE]

THE POLITICAL FIELD.

Party State Conventions, and What They Did. List of the Nominees, Platforms, Etc. MICHIGAN REPUBLICANS. The Republican State Convention of Michigan convened at Kalamazoo on Wednesday, A ng. 30, and was called to order by William Livingston, Jr., temporary Chairman of the State Central Committee. The Rev. C. O. Brown, of Kilamazoo, invoked the divine blessing on the assemoly. Col. Delo Phillips next read the call for the convention, and the Hou. J. W. French assumed the c air temporarily, and James H. Stone, Secretary. After the usual preliminary business had been transacted, the convention adjourned to moot agiin at 2 o’clock, at which lime the Hon. Tuomas W. Palmer, of Wayne county, assumed tne cha r as Pros dent of the convention. The report of the Committee on Resolutions was next submitted, and the platform presented by the Hon. Austin Blair. The reSolutions were carried unanimously. The nomination of candidates was next in order, and the name of David H. Jerome, the present incumbent, was ably presented by Capt. E. P. Allen, of Washtenaw. As no other nominations were made, the ballot was taken, with the following result : Jerome, 561 ; 8. W. Palmer, 97 : Pitchard, 10 ; F. B. Stockbridge, 14. The reuomination of David H. Jerome was made unanimous. Morean 8. Crosby, of Kent, was unanimously renominated for Lieutenant Governor by acc aniation. For Secretary of State, the names of Joseph Smith, William Jenney, William Crosby and Harvey A. Conant were put in nomination, and after a spirited contest Mr. Conant received the nomination. E. H. Butler, E. P. Stanton and G. H. Starr were the contestants named for State Treasurer, and after a lively contest E. H. Butler, of Wayne county, was nominated. William C. Stevens, of losco, received the noin nation for Auditor General after some little contest, and Minor S. Newell, es Genesee, found no one to oppose him for Auditor General. y J. J. Van Riper, as Attorney General, having served but one term, was also unanimously renonnu.ited. The following is the platform adopted: The Republican party of the State of Michigan, assembled in convention for the first time since the tragic death of James A Garfield, our beloved leader and revered Chief Magistrate, grateful for the inspiring lessons of his life and the example Of his heroic death, record first of all our profound sorrow at his loss and our veneration for bis memory, and next our strengthened, abiding faith in the stability of republican institutions and our fixed resolve that governments of the people, by the people and for the people shall not perish from the earth.

2. Chester A. Arthur, called to the place of power under the most trying and delicate circumstances, has proved himself worthy of the high trust reposed in him. He has given to tne country an administration conservative, patriotic and progres ive. The Republicans of Michigan extend to him their confidence for the future, ba- cd upon the record of the past. 3. The R publicans of Michigan once more declare their devotion to the time-honored and fundamental principles of the National Republican party—liberty for all men, equality before the laws, perpetual union of the States, supremacy of the National Government, and the inalianable right of every citizen on every foot of Atneiican soil to cast his bailot according to his sovereign will, and to have such ballot, and only such, honestly counted and duly returned, to constitute the “voice of the pcoule,” which is the voice of God. 4. From its organizat on until now the Republican party has denounced slavery and polygamy as “twin relics of barbarism.” The first perished at the hands of the Republican party, snot to death on the baitle-fields and buried in amendments to the constitution. The second disgrace of our civilization, and our country must die. We demand that polygamy be destroyed, and we cordially commend the efforts of our Senators and Representatives in Congress to that end. 5. Whatever may be our individual views as to the ultimate ideal system of international trade, we are all agreed that the public must pay the pensions of the nation’s defenders, their widows and orphans be sacredly guarded and the current expenses of the government duly provided for; that revenues necessary for these purposes must in large part bo derived from duties upon itr. ports, and we affirm that in «the adjustment of these duties in any revision of the tariff, care should be’ taken to relieve from taxation, so far as practicable, the necessities of the poor, especially such as do not come into competition with American production, and at the same time to afford incidental protection to American producers, to the end that wages may be maintained at the American standard, and America control American markets. 6. We believe that the time has come when the public debt and the rate of interest upon securities have been so far reduced that our national legislators should consider as an immediate duty a reduction of the burdens of taxation, and as auxiliary thereto a revision of the tariff. 7. We believe in a national civil service which does not create of the official class a separate caste, nor take away from a citizen the inspiration of participating in the administration of government, yet which requires that offices shall be regarded as trusts to be administered with intelligence, fidelity and economy, and not as spoils to be distributed as the perquisites of political managers.

8. In the administration of State and national affairs we demand efficiency, integrity and economy ; that unfaithful officers be removed and punished ; that the public faith and credit be maintained and the people be provided with a circulating medium, safe, uniform and constitutional : that monopolies dangerous to the liberties of the people and purity of the laws be disfavored, and that the purity of the ballot be sacredly protected. 9. It is the fundamental right of the people to alter from time to time the organic law of the State, as new circumstances or growing evils may require, laying its foundations on such principles and organizing its powers in such form as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness. The evils of intemperance have become so great that in the name of patriotism the most efficient measures ought to be taken to reduce those #vils to the minimum, and as the members of no political party are wholly agreed as to whether this can be best done through prohibition or regulation of the traffic in taxing liquors, and as the people are and ought to be the final arbitrators of this question, and as more than 100,000 among the moral and intelligent people of the State have asked by petition that the question be put to the people by submission to them of a prohibitory constitutional amendment, we declare that we believe that it would be wise and patriotic for the next Legislature to submit such amendment to a direct vote of the people, and we demand that it be so submitted. 10. The Republicans of Michigan demand a full legislative investigation of the transportation question, with a vew to securing such legislative enactments as will prevent unjust discriminations in rates by railroad lines operating in the State. 11. During the twenty-eight years in which the affairs of the State have been administered by the Republican party, they have been conducted in a manner to challenge the approval of all citizens. Efficiency, integrity and economy have been the standards of service. The prosperity of the State has been constantly increasing; the population has augmented from 500,000 to 1,700,000 ; wealth and production have increased in a greater ratio ; the unfortunate have been cared for ; education fostered ; the public debt has been substantially canceled; the credit of the State cleansed from the stain of Democratic repudiation and raised to the highest point, while in the great struggle for liberty and union Michigan has been second to none of her sister States. 12. The administration of David H. Jerome has been characterized by the Republican standard of excellence, and has fitly continued the long roll of Republican administrations which have reflected honor upon the State of Michigan. 13. We arraign the Democratic party as the same incapable Bourbon party that it has ever been. Passing over its shameful record before, during, and directly after the civil war, its recent history proves that it has neither repented Dor reformed, During its six years of suprem-

acy in Congress it showed itself incapable of a single great measure of legislation or administrative reform. Neither tariff, currency, revenue. civil service, army, Indian policy, or any other great interest received improvement at its hands. They confined their efforts at reform to turning out Union soldiers to make room for rebels; to usurping executive prerogatives, refusing the necessary appropriations and obstructing the administration of the laws. At the last Congressional election they stole numerous seats in the House of Representatives by fraud of tissue ballots and false counting, and as a party indorsed the fraud by keeping the stolen seats alter the fraud was made clear. They obstructed legislation against polygamy, opposed the Tariff Commission, and to the last refused to 00-operate for a reduction of taxation. By their whole history they prove their incapacity for the leadership of a great people. 14. We denounce the recent amalgamation of the Democrats and Greenbackers as the most shameless political bargain and sale in the history of Michigan politics. It conclusively proves that they have no principles that they are not ready to barter for the spoils of office. We cordially invite all citizens, of whatever fiarty heretofore, who value principle, who obect to being bargained for and sold like sheep, and who are in substantial accord with the foregoing declaration of principles, to co-operate with us in putting the brand of disapproval upon political prostitution.

KANSAS DEMOCRATS. The Kansas Democratic State Convention assembled at Topeka, Aug. 31. Hon. John Martin, of Topeka, was nominated for Governor, but he declined the honor, and George W. Lick, of Atchison, was placed at the head of the ticket, and the remainder of the ticket filled up as follows: Lieutenant Governor, Frank Boem; Treasurer, Charles E. Gifford; Auditor, W. R. Brow; Attorney General, Gen. Hayden; State Superintendent, D. E. Loutz. The following were nominated for Congress-men-at-Large: C. A. Leland, J. O’Flanigan and Martin Van Buren Bennett. The nomination of the fourth man was referred to the State Central Committee. Two.sets of resolutions ware reported from the Committee on Resolutions. The majority report declared in favor of the repeal of the prohibitory liquor law and the constitutional amendment upon which it is based, on the ground that it is an infringement of the personal rights of the citizens, and makes crimes of tilings that are no where regarded as crimes by the common law, and called for the substitution thereof of a well-regulated license law. The minority report, which is printed below, was adopted as the platform of the convention, after a very animated discussion, by- a vote of 177 to 128:

THE PLATFORM. The Democratic party of the State of Kansas in convention assembled, recognizing the people as the source of all political power, and the constitution of the United States and of the State of Kansas as the fundamental laws of the land, and that the chief object and end of government is to protect anil defend its citizens in the enjoyment of life, liberty and property, does declare its political faith and purpose as follows: 1. That we have an abiding faith in the wisdom, patriotism and capacity of the people for self-government, and as our system of government is based on the theory of personal manhood and individual responsibility, that in the administration of public affairs but little should be left to the Government, but much to the people and to the sense of responsibility in the citizens. 2. We will defend and ever maintain the doctrine of equal rights to all, and special privileges to none; the protection of the weak against the strong; equal and just taxation; free speech; free press; free schools, and a free uninterrupted ballot fairly given and honestly counted; freedom for all men and women of every race, creed and color, and a perpetual and absolute separation of church and state. 3. We demand a revision of the present onerous and unjust tariff laws of the United States. No kind of industry should he fostered by the Government to the injury of another. No class of men should be taxed directly or indirectly for the comforts, convenience or interest of another. Every industry should fall or stand on its own merits. And we especially demand that agricultural pursuits and productions be encouraged and made free from all unjust discrimination in favor of gluttonous and selfish corporations. 4. We maintain that the State has and must retain the power to control and regulate the rights and duties of all corporations created by it, and we demand that the Legislature exercise this power so as to protect the people against unjust discriminations and exorbitant charges'for the transportation of freight and passengers by railroad corporations, and we particularly demand the enactment of such laws as will compel all that have received charters by favor of the laws of this State to keep and maintain their general offices within the State. 5. We demand civil and religious liberty, absolute and perfect, for every citizen; and we declare, as we ever have, that our sympathies are with the poor, weak and oppressed of every land, and that the American Union is and shall ever remain the asylum and refuge on terms of honor and equality of every lover of liberty and personal liberty; and we further demand that the sanctity of Americans at home and abroad shall ever have instant and effective protection and defense by the Federal Government, its ministers and agents, regardless of courtly forms or lordly frowns; and we particularly extend to the heroic people of Ireland our hearty sympathy, and bid them Godspeed in their gallant struggle for life and liberty and for the homes of their future.

6. We demand that the Congress of the I Uuited States enact and cause to be enforced such law’s as will secure a thorough, honest and radical civil-service reform by which the subordinate positions of the Government service shall be no longer corrupt and used ■ as rewards for corrupt party service, and which will abolish the evils of the present spoils and patronage system and establish the rule of making honesty and efficiency the essential and only qualifications for pub- | lie positions. We have had shams and false pretenses enough, and now demand something honest and real. 7. We demand that the relations between ' capital and labor be so adjusted by wise and | just legislation as to secure to each his just rights, and at the same time so as to make it impossible for avarice and greed to override and imperil the rights and personal freedom ; and the independence of workingmen; and I we demand that every law, combination and policy that is unjust to and onerous upon ’ those engaged in manual labor be removed and utterly destroyed. 8. We are in favor of judicious appropriations for improvement of our great national waterways, but we denounce the reckless and criminal extravagance of the present Congress in an expenditure of public riloney for useless and fraudulent purposes, and we j especially condemn tne passage of the shameless River and Harbor bill, and we | take thig occasion to thank the President of . the United States for his action in vetoing that iniquitous steal 9. We demand an immediate reduction of taxes, Federal, State and municipal, to the lowest rate sufficient to meet all public clues and obligations. So long as the people are burdened with debt, the industries of the I country suspended by labor strikes, and thousands of men out of employment by means of the tyranny, avarice and cupidity of existing ami oppressive monopolies, it is neither right nor just to collect money from the people to be squandered by an incompetent, reckless and corrupt Congress in the pretended improvement of sham harbors and waterless rivers, and we further demand that the surplus money in the treasury be' applied in the payment of our national debt. 10. We demand that the Congress of the United States propose and submit to the States for their action, such amendments of our Federal constitution as will accomplish the following objects: The election of a President anil Vice President by a direct vote of the people; the extension of the term of office of the President and Vice President to six years and'making the President ineligible to a second term; the election of United States Senators by a direct vote of the people of the United States respectively; fixing the term of office of Senators the same as the Presidential term, and of Representatives in Congress at four years; the election of Postmaster by the direct vote of the people of the city, * town or district in which the office is located; biennial sessions of Congress; the election of all Federal officers to be under the control of the Federal Government, and to be held at a time other than holding State elections. 11. We demand that the fees and compensation paid all public officers, Federal, State and municipal, be so regulated as to give a fair ana just compensation for services performed, but not so great as to tempt the applicants to adopt corrupt methods to obtain office or to impose unjust burdens upon the people,

12. We demand the enactment of additional and more stringent laws, both Federal and State, for the punishment of bribery and corruption in office, and to secure the purity of elections —general, special and primary. 13. We are opposed to monopolies of every kind, believing them to be at war with the best interest of the country, imperiling its power, prosperity and security, and contrary to the genius and spirit of free institutions. 14. We are opposed to the doctrine of woman’s suffrage, but when any respectable number of worthy and intelligent women of this State shall request the right to vote we shall not oppose the submission of an amendment to our constitution to meet this demand, but so far no such request has been made. - 15. We are opposed to national banks, and insist that gold, silver and greenback currency shall be the only money of the country. 16. That fidelity to the constitution and obedience to the laws made in pursuance thereof is the first duty of good citizenship, because of welfare and personal interest. Obedience to the law from aijarchy and protects from lawless violence arid confusion, and upon its honest, just and impartial enforcement depends the safety of liberty and property, and we now recall with just satisfaction the traditional history of our party for its constant and unbending fidelity to the constitution and to the laws of the land, and while now, as heretofore, we have been opposed to all sumptuary laws and are in favor of the widest latitude of personal liberty consistent with the public safety, and view ’with alarm any legislation in effect abridging the natural rights of the citizens, we emphatically announce that we do and shall insist and demand of all public officers a fair, honest and impartial enforcement of every law of the land, not for political purposes or reasons, nor to gratify the clamor and maudlin sentiments of hypocrites, demagogues and shallow pretenders, but because patriotism, good citizenship and self -preservation demand it, and the Safety and happiness of the people require it.

17. We are unqualifiedly in favor of temperance, sobriety, morality and good order, j and we rely largely upon the wisdom, patriotism and honesty of the citizen to so order his life and conduct individually as to accomplish these ends. We are in sympathy with the cause of temperance in truth and ’in faet, not as a political hobby for the per- I sonal benefit of ambitious demagogues, unprincipled adventurers and sham reformers, and we demand the enactment and enforcement of wise and just laws for the purpose of promoting the cause of temperance, and we submit to the impartial judgment of every’ candid man that the existing law on this subject, by reason of its unwise, oppressive and tyrannical provisions, has)not been enforced, and that it now stands as a hindrance and obstruction to the growth of true temperance; that it has been and is still the cause of neighborhood quarrels, conten- * tions and strife, of fraud, corruption, perjury and violence, and because of these facts we demand the enactment of such amendments, changes and modification of the law as will make the law effective and useful for the purpose for which it was designed. 18. It is a cardinal rule in our system of government that the majority shall rule. It is equally fundamental that all just Governments derive their powers from the people, and it is alike a fundamental rule that when any respectable number of the people demand that any great public question once passed upon be again considered, justice, firmness and right requires that it be done, because it would work no injustice to any one. As there exists in the public mind a difference of opinion as to the wisdom and policy of what is known as the prohibitory amendment to our constitution, and because of the uncertainty whether said amendment fairly and honestly reflects the judgment and will of a majority of the people of Kansas on the subject, and it being important that the question be fully and finally settled at the earliest possible moment, therefore That we are in favor of the subm'ssion of the prehibitionary amendment to the constitution of the State of Kansas at the general election of State officers in Novem, her, 1884, believing by that time the people ot the State will be fully advised as to the feasibility of said amendment. 19. This being the first representative meeting of the Democratic party of Kansas since the assassination of the late President, James A. Garfield, we deem it due to the country, to his memory and to the party we represent that we express as we now do our sense of that terrible and melancholy event as a great public calamity, and the events preceding the assassination of the President challenge our thoughtful consideration, in connection with the baneful aud dangerous fanaticism of personal and partisan politics. CALIFORNIA REPUBLICANS. The Republicans of California held their State Convention at Sacramento Aug. 30-31. M. M. Estee was nominated for Governor, A. R. Conklin for Lieutenant Governor, and John Hunt and 8. C. Denison for Justices of the Supreme Court. The platform reaffirms the' platform of the Chicago Convention of 188 ); refers to the financial record of the party; demands'that the present, or similar Sunday law be enforced, providing for the suspension of all unnecessary labor on Sunday without seeking to dictate otherwise how the day shall be spent, simply claiming it as a day of rest and recreation; that railroads are for public use and should be under Government control; discrimination against persons and places should be prohibited, and charges of transportation should be based on cost, cxI pense and repairs, with a reasonable rate of interest on the actual value of the roads, which shall bear the same proportion to the assessed value as other property does. TEXAS GREENBACKERS. A State Convention of the Grcenbackers of Texas was held at Corsicana Aug. 31. Resolutions were adopted affirming the platform of the : Greenbackers’ Convention held at Fort Worth, June 29; urging the Greenback party of Texas to support in the coming election independent candidates who favor the prin- ' ciples enunciated in said platform. G. Wash Jones was indorsed for Governor. A resoln- ; tion complimentary to Gen. J. B. Weaver and other prominent Greenbackers, and requesting them to visit the State, was passed.