looking towards repudiation, direct or indi- 3. That the Constitution, as formed by the rect; but, in justice to the laboring and pro- free voice of the State, is the foundation of the ducing classes, the rate of interest thereon powers of the Government. should be reduced at the earliest practicable date. 7. That the Democratic party is opposed to the existing system of Federal taxation and finance, ruinous as it is in its effects upon the laboring, producing, mining, and manufacturing interests of the people, and the fruitful source of "hard times," personal indebtedness, and individual bankruptcy. 8. That labor and capital have no just cause of antagonism; that we deprecate strife between these two great forces, and earnestly seek to place the laborer and capitalist on such a platform as will enable both to amicably adjust their differences; and we are unalterably opposed to the importation of a servile race for the purpose of degrading the standard and lowering the position of the laboring men of the nation. 4. That the powers of the General Government are restricted to the express grants of the Constitution, and all powers not granted are reserved to the States and the people thereof. 5. That the regulation of suffrage and elections belongs to the respective States, and any interference by the General Government, with intent to control either, is a gross usurpation of power; and the use of the military at elections, to overawe the people and prevent a full and fair expression of their political sentiments, is utterly subversive of free government, and should be restricted by all proper means until the evil is abolished and an honest and untrammeled ballot restored. 6. That abolition of slavery, as a result of the war, is accepted as a fixed fact, and it becomes our duty, by State legislation, to provide for the security and well being of all classes of men, native or foreign, white or black. 9. That we recognize the binding obligation of all the provisions of the Constitution of the United States as they now exist, and we 7. That the immigration of the white races deprecate the discussion of issues which have from all quarters of the world should be enbeen settled in the manner and by the author-couraged, and there should be no unreasonity constitutionally appointed. able impediments or delay to naturalization and citizenship, the Democratic party having been uniformly in favor of a liberal policy towards persons of foreign birth who in good faith seek a home among us. 10. That we are for a Government rigorously frugal and simple, applying all the possible saving of the public revenue to the discharge of the national debt, and opposed to a multiplication of officers and salaries merely to make place for partisans and for increasing by every device the public debt. 11. That the continuance by a Republican Congress of the income tax, when the same is at least of doubtful constitutionality, and the necessity therefor has long since ceased to exist, is an exercise of a power oppressive to the people and a gross violation of their rights and interests. 12. That the present tariff is in many of its features oppressive, and should be revised, and that we herewith request our Represent-, atives in Congress, when the tariff shall be the subject of readjustment, to see that the immeuse products of the State and its industries are properly cared for. 8. That we will yield obedience to the Constitution and laws. 9. That we, the Democratic party of Texas, are in favor of a judicious, liberal, and uniform system of internal improvements. 10. Attacks at great length the State Republican administration. VIRGINIA. Republican, Septem ber 21, 1871. 1. The Republican party of Virginia in convention assembled reaffirm their devotion to the principles of the national Republican party of the United States, as enunciated in the Chicago platform at the last national con18. Demands equalization of bounties, invention. We are in favor of and support as lands and money, for Pennsylvania soldiers national principlesand sailors. 14. Indorses the State nominees. TEXAS. * Democratic, August 15, 1871. Resolved, That the Democracy of Texas have an abiding confidence in the devotion of the national Democratic party to the correct principles of government, and we pledge ourselves to cooperate with it, as an integral part thereof, in its future efforts to restore the Government in its administration to the principles on which it was founded. 2. That we rely upon the honesty and capacity of the people for self-government. 2. A tariff which, while securing the neces sary revenue, shall give incidental protection to American industry. 8. A national banking system that shall give us safe, uniform currency, and absolute security to bill-holders. 4. The policy of extending Government aid to the States in improving their rivers and harbors. 5. The absolute payment of all obligations of the Government, and a sufficient yearly reduction of the national debt to convince the world of our determination to ultimately extinguish it; while at the same time we carefully avoid burdening the people with onerous and unnecessary taxation. 6. That we heartily indorse the Adminis This platform was not adopted by a Convention, tration of President Grant, and are unani. but was officially issued in the address of the Demo-mously in favor of his renomination. cratic State Committee of Texas. WISCONSIN. disabilities imposed for participation in rebellion may be removed without danger to the rights of those who have remained faithful to the Union. 4. That we believe that the prosperity of the country and the stability of its monetary system, as well as its credit and influence in the family of nations, depend upon the maintenance of the public faith. To that end we favor the continued reduction of the national debt, so steadily as to prevent depreciation of our bonds and currency, so gradually as not to burden too heavily the present industries of the country. that such duties should be so laid as, first, to make sure of the amount required; second, to fairly distribute the burdens of the nation upon all sections of the country, all classes of people; and third, so as never to burden one interest that another may thrive. Republican, August 31, 1871. Resolved, That we refer with pride to the history of the Republican party of the United States. By its early resistance to the encroachments of slavery; by its patriotic devotion to the cause of the Union during the late civil war; by its emancipation, at the proper time, of an oppressed people from bondage; by its signal overthrow of disloyalty and treason; by its justice, firmness, and magnanimity in guarding and securing the results of the war, aud giving and assuring to all citizens liberty and equality before the law; by its 5. That in our judgment the most efficient grateful care and just provision for the nation's and satisfactory means of raising the larger defenders; by its honor and good faith toward portion of revenue to meet the obligations of the nation's creditors; by its wise and liberal the Government is from duties on imports; policy in granting homesteads to settlers, and in aiding the development of the western States and Territories; by its successful advocacy of humane principles of international law, not hitherto recognized by the civilized world; by its peaceful settlement of our controversies with Great Britain on terms honorable, advantageous, and tending to secure permanent peace and concord between the two nations; by its judicious direction of our financial system, whereby the nation was enabled to meet the emergencies of a great war, to furnish a sound and uniform currency, and to prevent the commercial depression, revolution, and disaster usually attendant upon civil strife; and generally, by its succesful administration of national affairs during ten eventful years, it has proved, on all occasions, its fidelity to the highest interests of the country. A party, whose career has thus been signalized at every step by great triumphs of human freedom and progress, needs not to depart from the path of honor and duty in which its victories have been won, and we believe that upon its continued ascendency and a steadfast adherence to its cardinal principles, the peace, prosperity, and honor of the country depend. 2. That we regard the recent amendments to the Constitution of the United States as just and wise articles of organic law, essential at the present time to secure constitutional liberty, and ever to be zealously upheld and enforced; that under the Constitution thus amended the Federal Government posseses, and ought to exercise, whenever and wherever necessary, sufficient power to protect every citizen under our flag in the free expression of his sentiments, the free exercise of the ballot, the full enjoyment of his property, and the absolute safety of his person. 6. That we commend the policy of the Government in abolishing the most burdensome taxes of the internal revenue system; that we favor a further reduction as the exigencies of the country will permit. 7. Urges the early completion of the Fox and Wisconsin rivers improvement. 8. Asks Congress to renew the Lake St. Croix and Lake Superior railroad land grant. 9. That in view of the present rapid settlement of the country the residue of the public domain should be kept mainly for actual settlers. The homestead law should be so modified that when honorably discharged Union soldiers and sailors claim the benefits of the same the period of their service shall be deemed a part of the time of occupancy necessary to acquire title. Grants of land to aid in the building of railroads should be made only where necessary to open the country up to settlement, and under such restrictions as will facilitate the occupation of the public lands. 10. That we favor every practicable reform in the public service, State or National, in the direction of greater purity, simplicity, efficiency, and economy of administration. 11. Eulogizes the State administration. 12. Eulogizes the national Administration. 13. That we know no duty more urgent than to mature and enforce new safeguards of the purity of elections, and to effect a thorough reform of the civil service. Democratic, August 23, 1871. 1. Attacks the State administration. 3. That we rejoice in the recuperation of the southern States under the benign influence of free labor; that we urge upon those lately 2. That the wise restrictions enacted in the in rebellion not to retard the prosperity of the tenth amendment to the national Constitution, South by permitting lawlessness and violence reserving to the States respectively and to the therein. We entreat them to take a bold people all powers not delegated to the United stand for law and order, to accept the results States, is one of the strongest safeguards of of the war, and to coöperate with us in efforts popular freedom; that the acts of Congress to advance the prosperity of the whole coun- and of the Federal Administration in usurptry; and we hope that the time may speedily ing powers not delegated by the Constitution, come when persecution and outrage of loyal and the breaking down of the distinctions men shall wholly cease, and when political between the powers of State governments and those of the General Government, are destructive to constitutional liberty, and threaten an overthrow of our existing form of local and Federal Government, and tend to the establishment of a permanent centralized despotism in Congress and the national Executive; and that we denounce as a vicious offshoot of the centralizing tendencies of the General Govern ment the frequent attempts of the agents of the Federal Administration to interfere in local political affairs. 3. That we are in favor of a tariff for revenue; that under the pretext of raising a revenue within the past ten years the national Congress has established and continues that enormous robbery of the masses for the enrichment of the few known as the protection tariff system, which has swept our commerce from the seas and fettered and oppressed every agricultural pursuit, a system of which the conventions of the Republican party equivocally and haltingly speak in their platform, but which that party perpetuates in Congress, and from which the people may hope for no relief but by the restoration of Democratic rule. 4. That by corruption and profligacy the present Administration have squandered a large portion of the national domain and enormous sums from the national Treasury; that it is no answer to this complaint that they have reduced the proportions of the national debt, as a wise and economical use of the immense revenue, which is raised by an unprecedented tax, would have produced a much greater reduction of the debt, and should have been accomplished; but the Democratic party opposes oppressive taxation for the mere sake of a speedy payment of the debt, believing that by wisdom and justice in the adjustment of taxes and economy in expenditure the national debt may be paid with sufficient rapidity, with but a light burden upon the industry and resources of the people; and that we are opposed to all forms of national repudiation, either of the debt or the pensions and bounties of the soldiers. 5. That as the late amendments to the Constitution have been declared by the properly constituted authority to be a part of the fundamental law of the land, they are binding on the people, and that the Democratic party now, as in the past, know no higher law than the Constitution; that the time-honored principle of the strict construction of the Constitution, applied by its powers and accepted by the wisest statesmen and jurists of the country, should be observed in all legislation by Congress relative to the Constitution and its amendments; that the Democratic party is opposed to the withdrawal of civil or political rights from any class of the people, and that we demand the removal of all political disqualifications. 6. That the defalcations, embezzlements, and corruptions of the national Administration, and the prostitution of legislation to the demands of unscrupulous lobbyists and greedy monopolists, are a national scandal and disgrace, and the most dangerous blow to the public credit, and an intolerable outrage on the tax payers of the country. 7. That, as the representatives of a Consti. tution-loving, law-abiding party, we deprecate and denounce every outbreak of lawlessness and violence, whether committed at the North or South, and that the acts of Congress which authorize the employment of the standing Army to garrison the places where elections are to be held, and to constitute a local police in the States, and which empowers the officers of the Federal Administration to interpose military force for the purpose of overawing political conventions of the people, are subversive of free government and a perpetual menace to public liberty. 8. That while the people of this country hope they may extend the blessings of our form of government over the entire continent, the course pursued by the national Administration in its efforts to annex San Domingo was an unjustifiable usurpation, and a wicked attempt to lay hold of the faith of this people in their high destiny for unworthy purposes of personal gain. 9. Favors the Fox and Wisconsin rivers improvement. 10. Asks for support of the people. a hearty sympathy in the assaults which the enemies of the Republican party have made upon him in the United States Senate and elsewhere, and express unshaken confidence in his honesty, ability, patriotism, and fidelity to the great Republican party. 2. Declares that to him more than to any other man in the State are we indebted for the peace and tranquillity we now enjoy. 3. Indorses the administration of Governor Hadley, pledging him the confidence and support of the true Republicans of Arkansas in the execution of the laws and in carrying forward the great works of reform inaugurated by the Republican party. Republican, (Other Wing,) May 23, 1872. Whereas the ring which controls the State government has inflicted on the people the worst government ever tolerated by a people: they have robbed the people of the benefit of the ballot by fraudulent registration, ballotbox stuffing, &c., increased taxation and our State indebtedness to millions, without any corresponding benefit to the State; have prostituted the courts of the State until they have become the engines of oppression, &c.: Therefore be it resolved 1. That we are in favor of universal suffrage, universal amnesty, and honest men for office; in favor of honest elections, reduction of 4. Repudiates and denounces Brooks, Rice, taxes, reform in the courts; opposed to the and Hodges, who are attempting to disrupt enormous appointing power of the Governthe party of the State; denounces the action ment; opposed to the corrupt management of Rice and the minority of the State central of the finances; in favor of civil as against committee on the 6th of April as revolution- military government, and unqualifiedly con ary and done for the purpose of accomplish- demn the use of the military in times of ing the disintegration of the Republican party, peace to carry elections against the choice and indorses the course pursued by the ma- of a majority of the legal electors; oppose jority of the State central committee as wise, the repudiation of any honest debt; but patriotic, and just. equally determined to shield the State against 5. Declares to those Republicans who are all pretended debts imposed upon our peofollowing after the strange gods set up at Cin-ple by fraudulent issues of loan and railcinnati, in the words of Horace Greeley road bonds; reiterate relentless adherence to during the late rebellion: Erring brothers, the republicanism that all men are entitled to depart in peace." equal civil and political equality, and favor the removal of all civil and political disabilities; and 66 6. Republicans of the State who have been led astray by unscrupulous and designing demagogues are cordially invited to return to the Republican ranks. Democratic, June 22, 1872. 1. Declares the necessity of union and harmony among the Opposition. 2. That the chairman of each Democratic Conservative county executive committee be requested to put into operation the amendment of the enforcement act of Congress in regard to the appointment of supervisors of registration in each voting precinct of their respective counties. Whereas a large number of persons indicted in the Federal courts in this State for a most flagrant violation of the election laws, and President Grant, upon the application and in the interests of such indicted criminals and their successors, suspended honest and efficient officers for no other reason than that they would vigorously enforce the law, and allowed and permitted such indicted criminals to designate the name of the marshal to select the jury by which they were to be tried and the attorney to prosecute them for such offenses, whereby the criminals were turned loose with3. That the delegates appointed to the Bal-out punishment, and the law trampled under timore convention, to meet July 9, be instructed to vote for the ratification of the nomination of Greeley and Brown as candidates for President and Vice President of the United States in the ensuing election. 4. That we indorse the Cincinnati platform of political principles, and the platform of principles adopted by the Reform Republican party in their convention of May 22, 1872, at Little Rock. 5. That it would be unwise and inexpedient for the Democratic party to nominate a State ticket at the ensuing election, and we declare against it. foot, and frauds and crime encouraged, and has seen fit to take sides with and support and sustain the corrupt State house ring in their iniquities against the people; and Whereas it is now evident that President Grant will receive the nomination for President by the convention of office holders to be held in Philadelphia: Therefore, be it resolved 2. That we emphatically condemn the course of the President in his intermeddling with Arkansas affairs in the interest of crime and disorder, and decline to send delegates to the Philadelphia convention. Whereas Horace Greeley and Gratz Brown 6. That the State Democratic central exec-are now before the American people as Repubutive committee be, and hereby is, authorized lican candidates for President and Vice Presito act with the Reform committees of all Reform dent, upon a platform which we heartily Republican organizations in this State opposed approve, and that they are men of unquesto the present Administration, in the conduct tioned ability, integrity, and patriotism, and of the ensuing canvass. We pledge ourselves have for many years been the earnest and conto oppose the election of all independent can- sistent advocates and champions of repubdidates for any of said offices, running against licanism and universal freedom: Therefore the regular nominees of the Liberal Republican be it resolved convention. 3. That we cordially indorse the nomina tion of the said Horace Greeley and Gratz millions of laborers, established equal rights, Brown, and the platform upon which they perfected the national Constitution, and jus stand, and pledge ourselves to cooperate with the friends of civil government and reform throughout the land in securing their election. CALIFORNIA. Republican, April 25, 1872. 1. That we have a firm and abiding faith in the principles of the Republican party, and point with pride to its achievements, believing that the party which brought order out of chaos, saved and preserved the nation, is alone worthy of administering its affairs in the future. 2. That we fully and heartily indorse the wise, patriotic, just, and economical administration of U. S. Grant as President of the United States, and that our delegates to the national convention are hereby instructed to use all honorable means to secure his renomination, he being the unanimous choice of the Republican party of the State of California. 3. That the delegates from California to the national convention at Philadelphia be instructed to vote as a unit for the candidate for Vice President. tified the Declaration of Independence. By its great reduction of the Army and Navy the party proved that it had neither desire nor expectation of war. Having incurred a great debt for the best reason a nation ever gave, it resolutely began an immediate reduction of that debt. Yet having cut down expenses it has been yearly cutting down taxation. Notwithstanding the marvelous sacrifices of men and money, the nation has steadily grown in wealth and population. 2. During the existing Administration the debt has been reduced nearly three hundred million dollars; peace and order have made great progress in the lately rebellious regions; a new policy toward the Indians has been adopted, marked by firmness, justice, and good faith; the rights of all, especially the poor and friendless of whatever race or where ever found, have been scrupulously protected; a self-respecting yet peaceable policy has been pursued toward all the world, and our controversy with Great Britain has been treated in a manner greatly creditable to both nations. 3. That we have undiminished confidence in the patriotism, integrity, and ability of 4. Indorses the administration of Governor President Grant, and for great and good work Newton Booth. Democratic, June 25, 1872. 1. That the best interests of the nation require a change in the administration of the Government, and all good citizens should disregard the prejudices and differences of the past, and unite in one grand effort to restore the Government to its original purity. done in the country's behalf we heartily thank him and his Cabinet and the two Houses of Congress. 4. The future must be as honorable as the past to deserve and keep its lead of the world. The Republican party must be free to examine and criticise, and utterly without fear, favor, or partiality, in attacking all fraud, dishonor, and corruption, legislative, executive, or judi2. That we earnestly condemn and protest cial, in the nation or State. We demand econagainst the machinations, tyranny, extrava- omy, industry, and honesty in our political gances, and corruptions of the administration affairs, and rejoice at the brightening prospect of U. S. Grant, which, for lobbying schemes of a thorough reform of the civil service. For and building up monopolies, has no parallel in the history of our country. 3. That we fully recognize the patriotism and pure motives of the Liberal Reform Republicans, and trust that such action may be taken at the Baltimore convention as will result in the hearty coöperation of all parties opposed to the present Administration, and that we recommend to the consideration of the National Democratic convention the principles enunciated in the platform of the Cincinnati conven tion. 4 and 5. Pledge support to nominees of Baltimore convention and leave delegates uninstructed. CONNECTICUT. Republican, January 24, 1872. 1. We again express our cordial adherence to the doctrines and principles of the Republican party as manifested in our former statements and in the national platforms, and we reflect with increasing pride upon its wonderful work. It proved that a free Government, based on the will and affection of a free people, is the strongest known form of government. It suppressed a great rebellion, freed the President's efforts and pledges in this matter we tender him our cordial thanks, and therein we pledge him an enthusiastic, unwavering support. 5. In national affairs we urge, first, a large reduction of taxation; second, constant study and labor to bring about a resumption of spe cie payment, that the evil of a depreciated paper currency may be removed and the best possible measure of value furnished us; third, retaining a tariff sufficient to raise the needed revenue, we would have it carefully adjusted to favor American industry, working rather to interests widely extended than to merely local and limited pursuits; fourth, a perfected system of national banks, with abundant security to the bill-holder, and inflexible and peremptory laws for prompt redemption; fifth, the abolition of the franking privilege; sixth, that public lands shall no more be granted to corporations, but given in limited quantities to actual settlers. 6. Adverts to the State Republican record. 7. Commends the General Assembly for correcting election frauds. 8. Denounces lobby abuses. 9. That it is the duty of the State to be vigilant in the protection of the rights and interests of the people against the encroachment of power |