RHODE ISLAND. 



055 



with us in resisting this great wrong, which has im- 

 posed upon us an oligarchy as oppressive and merci- 

 less as the meanest despotism of Asia. 



depressing industry and enterprise, and will* rob the 

 Btate of one representative in Congress. 



Resolved, That we recognize a tendency toward the 

 eame prescriptive system in our Federal Government, 

 which, b;y the employment of United States marshals 

 and soldiers at the poll!, has already stitied the voice 

 of the majority in more than one State, making our 

 boasted right of suffrage a mockery and by-word, 

 and bringing contempt upon republican institutions in 

 all nations which boast the supremacy of their " strong 

 Governments." That man must be blind indeed who 

 does not see in this crushing out of suffrage a posi- 

 tive and rapid tendency toward monarchy and abso- 

 lutism. 



Resolved, That the time has not yet come for the 

 Democracy to be forgetful of the stupendous fraud of 

 1876-'77, when the President and Vice-Presidcnt of 

 the United States, elected by an overwhelming ma- 

 jority of the people, and by a decisive vote in the elec- 

 toral college, were deprived of their offices by an in- 

 famous conspiracy concocted by men now high in of- 

 ficial position and the confidence of the Administration ; 

 and we do hereby denounce and condemn, and hold 

 up to the execration of the world the foul crime against 

 our institutions by which the right of the people to 

 choose their rulers was denied for the first time in the 

 history of the republic. 



Resolved, That we refer with pride to the forbear- 

 ance of the Democracy in submitting to this great 

 wrong, and ask the people of the United States to con- 

 trast with it the boast of the Republican party that the 

 man whom they nominate at Chicago is to be inaugu- 

 rated, even if lie calls 500,000 soldiers to his aid. 



Resolved, That the men who are elected to the of- 

 fices of President and Vice-President of the United 

 States in November, 1880, shall be inaugurated. 



Resolved, That we regard the recent developments 

 of dishonesty in high official circles in this State as the 

 legitimate fruit of that condition of irresponsibility in 

 politics fostered by the ring which holds the majority 

 of voters with a grip of iron ; and we unhesitatingly 

 declare that our only security from further disgrace is 

 in the ascendancy of Democratic principles, by which 

 these Augean stables of Republican rule shall be 

 cleansed. 



Resolved, That the Republican ring of this State has 

 shown itself the enemy of the soldier, as exhibited in 

 the preference for office of civilians, whose only claim 

 is party service. We denounce this as a breach of 

 faith, and the most glaring hypocrisy on the part of a 

 party which claims an exclusive patent upon every- 

 thing " truly loyal," and assumes to be the soldier's 

 only friend. 



Resolved, That the policy of a large proportion of 

 the Republican party, of electing to the Presidency 

 fora third term the man whose administration was con- 

 spicuous chiefly for its failures and the numerous 

 scandals arising from the employment of dishonest and 

 incompetent men in office, should be condemned, not 

 only as in violation of a tradition that has been held 

 sacred for a century both by the people and the most 

 eminent of Presidents and statesmen, but as_ perilous 

 to the permanence of the Go vemment itself and the 

 liberties of the people under it ; and we appeal to the 

 people of the United States to rise up as one man 

 against this contemplated plot to overthrow a prece- 

 dent as firmly established as the Constitution itself, 

 and the possible results of which no patriot can con- 

 template without horror. 



Resolved, That for a general avowal of the great 

 principles which underlie the Democratic party, and 

 which shall receive our support in the coming contest, 

 we hereby solemnly declare : 



1. Fidelity to all the provisions of the Constitution, 

 retrenchment and economy in Federal and State ad- 



ministration, and the lessening of the burden- im- 

 posed upon labor by the reduction of offices uud taxa- 

 tion. 



2. The strict accountability of nil officials and the 

 reduction of the Democratic toeta i h'.nc-ty, fidelity, 

 and capacity as essential qualifications for all public 

 officers. 



3. The honest payment of the public debts in such 

 currency as its terms imply, and the preservation of 

 the public faith. 



4. Home rule, no centralization of State or Federal 

 powers; no Federal interference in municipal, State, 

 or Federal elections. 



5. A just and equitable revenue tariff. 



6. Manhood suffrage. To vote is a duty the citizen 

 owes his State. The provision for a pecuniary con- 

 sideration in the case of the registered voter should be 

 annulled. Tax the citizen, not the citizen's vote. 



Resolved, That the Democracy of Rhode I>hmd will 

 earnestly labor for purer and more economical admin- 

 istration ; that the State ticket nominated to-day shall 

 receive our united and hearty support, and that we 

 hail with satisfaction the evidence of a growing doire 

 on the part of the people to emancipate themselves 

 from the party of political bigotry, intolerance, and 

 ring-rule which has for years controlled this State. 

 Convinced that the Republican party, made infamous 

 by the most gigantic crimes, can not always prosper or 

 maintain its ascendancy over a free people, \\e call 

 upon all who believe in honest government and doire 

 the perpetuity; of our institutions, to aid in >tren<rt hen- 

 ing our organization, which must be the ultimate hope 

 of the State and the Union when political crime shall 

 become exposed in all its hideousness and the people 

 are thoroughly aroused to the danger that threatens 

 them from those who would abridge their li I >erties, 

 who have turned the Government into a refuge or 

 thieves, and who to-day are prospering in crime. 



The election took place on April 7th. When 

 the new Legislature, which consisted of twen- 

 ty-seven Republicans and seven Democrats in 

 the Senate, &nd fifty-nine Republicans and 

 twelve Democrats in the House of Representa- 

 tives, came together at Newport on the 25th 

 of May, and the votes were canvassed in the 

 "Grand Committee,' 1 it was found that the 

 whole number cast for Governor was 22,809, 

 making 11,405 necessary to a choice. Alfred 

 H. Littlefield received 10,224, Horace A. Kim- 

 ball 7,440, Albert C. Howard 5,047, and 98 

 were " scattering/' There was, therefore, no 

 choice of Governor by the popular vote. The 

 same was the case in regard to the Lieutenant- 

 Governor. The whole number of votes for Sec- 

 retary of State was 22,585, of which Joshua M. 

 Addeman received 15,097, William B. W. Ilal- 

 lett 7,406, and 82 were scattering. Wfllard 

 Sayles was elected Attorney-General, and Sam- 

 uel Clark General Treasurer, by a similar vote. 

 The Governor and Lieutenant-Governor were 

 chosen by a joint ballot of the two branches 

 of the Legislature, the choice being confined 

 to the two candidates receiving the highest 

 vote at the election. In a total vote of 102, 

 Littlefield for Governor had 82, and Kimball 

 20; and Fay for Lieutenant-Governor 81, and 

 Slocum 21. The inauguration of Littlefield 

 followed immediately on the first day of the 

 " May session " of the Legislature. . This ses- 

 sion was brief, continuing only from May 25th 

 to 28th, inclusive, with an adjourned sitting on 

 the 8th and 9th of June for the election of 

 United States Senator in accordance with the 



