CONNECTICUT. 



197 



$3,705,405 ; Greenwich, $3,590,067; Windham, 

 $3,505,539. 



The twelve joint-stock fire-insurance com- 

 panies of Connecticut possess assets amount- 

 ing to $18,216,944. The premiums received by 

 these in 1879 amounted to $6,340,940, the losses 

 paid to $3,772,182, or 59'49 per cent, of the 

 receipts; there was a decrease of $282,238 in 

 premiums, and an increase of $338,011 in losses, 

 compared with the preceding year. The six- 

 teen mutual fire-insurance companies of the 

 State cover risks amounting to $80,692,616, 

 wholly on houses and stores; the entire assessed 

 value of these classes of property aggregates 

 only $166,437,696, the valuation of dwellings 

 aggregating $125,021,813, of stores and mills 

 $41,415,883. As the mutual companies do not 

 assume city risks, they probably cover consid- 

 erably more than one half of the country and 

 suburban buildings with their insurance. 



The now extensive cultivation of Havana 

 seed-tobacco in Pennsylvania, New York, and 

 in the Miami River Valley of Ohio, and Rock 

 County in Wisconsin, makes tobacco a less prof- 

 itable crop in Connecticut than formerly. This 

 agricultural specialty was introduced in Con- 

 necticut before 1850. A demand grew up for 

 this kind of tobacco for cigar- wrappers, and as 

 the price advanced to twenty or thirty cents a 

 pound the cultivation was extended, until it 

 reached its highest point in 1874, when about 

 10,000,000 pounds were produced in Connecti- 

 cut and 4,000,000 pounds in the other New 

 England States. In 1879 the total crop of New 

 En-land was not much over 12,000,000 pounds, 

 while in the Middle States and in the Western 

 districts named the culture of seed-leaf had 

 developed within a few years from the first 

 experimental beginnings to a total product in 

 1879 of about 50,000,000 pounds. 



The Republican Convention for the choice 

 of delegates to the National Convention met in 

 New Haven, April 7th. The following single 

 resolution was adopted : 



Resolved, That this Convention pledges itself and the 

 constituency which it represents to the hearty, vig- 

 orous, and loyal support of the nominees of the Re- 

 publican National Convention at Chicago. 



The Democratic State Convention for the 

 same purpose was held in Hartford, April 28th. 

 The platform was as follows : 



Resolved, That the Democratic party of Connecticut 

 steadfastly adhere to the principles of the Constitution, 

 at all times admitting its obligations and respecting its 

 limitations. 



L'csolved, That AVC demand that the administration 

 of our Government shall be restored to its former stand- 

 ard of economy and honesty. 



Resolved, That we denounce the great conspiracy of 

 18T6 by which Samuel J. Tilden and Thomas A. Hen- 

 dricks were deprived of the high offices to which they 

 were elected, as a plot dangerous to free government, 

 and a crime against that public morality upon which 

 our free institutions are dependent. 



Resolved, That as the Democracy of the Union arc 

 about to discharge the high and responsible duty of 

 selecting candidates for President and Vice-President 

 of the United States, we appeal to them to nominate 

 citizens whose devotion to the Constitution and honest 



government is well defined ; whose upright puclib ser- 

 vices and strict personal integrity commend them to the 

 Democratic and conservative voters of the country, 

 who will unite those voters enthusiastically in their 

 support, and lead the Democratic party to a triumph 

 which shall result in the overthrow of corrupt rings 

 and designing schemes to establish a personal govern- 

 ment over that of the Constitution and the people. 



Resolved, That in selecting such candidates the dele- 

 gates who shall represent Connecticut in the National 

 Convention are hereby requested to vote as a unit ; 

 and also to support the well-established two-thirds rule 

 of past Democratic National Conventions. 



The Convention of the Prohibition party was 

 held at Hartford, April 21st. Delegates to the 

 National Convention were chosen, and the fol- 

 lowing State ticket was nominated : Governor, 

 George P. Rogers ; Lieutenant-Governor, Abel 

 S. JBeardsley ; Secretary of State, William S. 

 Williams; Treasurer. Edmund Tuttle; Comp- 

 troller, Dr. E. B. Lyon. 



The Republican Convention for the nomina- 

 tion of State officers met at Hartford, August 

 llth. Hobart B. Bigelow, of New Haven, was 

 nominated for Governor ; William H. Bulkeley, 

 for Lieutenant-Governor; Charles E. Searls, 

 for Secretary of State ; David P. Nichols, for 

 Treasurer ; Wheelock T. Bachellor, for Comp- 

 troller. The following platform was adopted: 



Resolved, That we heartily ratify the nomination of 

 James A. Garfield and Chester A. Arthur for Presi- 

 dent and Vice-President of the United States. 



Resolved, That we endorse the principles affirmed 

 by the last National Republican Convention. 



Resolved, That the election of Republican candidates 

 and the triumph of Republican principles will insure a 

 continuance of that sound financial policy to which we 

 owe our revived prosperity ; will secure the full protec- 

 tion of free American labor from all unjust competition ; 

 will spread free education over every portion of the 

 country ; and place beyond all peril the civil and politi- 

 cal rights of every citizen in every State. 



Resolved, That we present to the electors of Connect- 

 icut our candidates for State officers ; they are worthy 

 the suffrages of every freeman, and we pledge them our 

 hearty support from this day until their election in 

 November. 



ved, That the State Board of Health are request- 

 ed to make such immediate modifications of their rules 

 and regulations under the act of March, 1880, concern- 

 ing color-blindness, as will permit all such employees 

 as are now able to distinguish the colors and signals 

 used by railroad companies in this State at practical dis- 

 tances, to continue in their several places of duty until 

 after the next session of the General Assembly. 



Resolved, That if any legislation is necessary on the 

 subject of color-blindness it be demanded that the next 

 Legislature make such alteration in chapter 95 of the 

 Public Acts of 1880 as will require only the examina- 

 tion of railroad employees by practical tests in the 

 hands of practical men. 



The regular Democratic Convention for State 

 nominations assembled at New Haven, August 

 18th. The following ticket was nominated : 

 Governor, James E. English ; Lieutenant-Gov- 

 ernor, Charles M. Pond; Secretary of State, 

 Stephen S. Blake ; Treasurer, Merrick A. Mar- 

 cy ; Comptroller, Charles R. Fagan. The fol- 

 lowing platform was adopted : 



Resolved, That we reaffirm the principles adopted by 

 the national Democracy at Cincmnatij believing that 

 the success of those principles will bring peace, har- 

 mony, and prosperity to the whole people, and will in- 



