694 



UNITED STATES. 



1. In pursuance of the demand, and representing 

 the convictions of what we believe to be a majority of 

 the Bepublican party throughout the Union, this Con- 

 vention of Bepu iblicans has assembled for the purpose 

 of declaring those convictions with reference to the 

 present aspect of political affairs. This action is nec- 

 essary in view of the determined efforts to force upon 

 the party the nomination of a candidate for the Presi- 

 dency for a third term, in defiance not only of the 

 traditions of the Government, but also of the solemn 

 declarations of the Eepublican party through its con- 

 ventions in the largest and controlling Eepublican 

 States, reaffirmed by its representatives in the popular 

 branch of Congress, and adopted by the entire party 

 in the declarations of its latest Presidential candidate. 



2. We reaffirm our adhesion to the principles of 

 the Republican party as heretofore set forth by its 

 authorized representatives, especially the declarations 

 of the State Eepublican Convention of New York in 

 1875, opposing a third term for the President; of 

 Pennsylvania in 1875, and reaffirmed in 1876, to the 

 same effect ; of Ohio in 1875 ; Massachusetts the same 

 year ; and of Minnesota and other Eepublican States, 

 all to the same effect ; also by the House of Repre- 

 sentatives, in December, 1875, by an overwhelming 

 majority. 



8. We declare that the nomination of a third- 

 term candidate will put the party on the defensive by 

 reviving the memory of the public scandals and offi- 

 cial corruptions which brought the party to the verge 

 of ruin. We believe the questions now at issue- 

 finance, tariff, etc. require a trained statesman for 

 President ; and we find additional objection to a third- 

 term candidate in that it would substitute a danger- 

 ous tendency to personal government for an unwearied 

 effort for the true reform of civil service, which is 

 vital to the welfare and safety of the republic. 



4. As Eepublicans, we can not be hero-worship- 

 ers, and we demand from a party without a master 

 the nomination of a candidate without a stain. 



5. liesolved, That a National Committee of One 

 Hundred be appointed and instructed, in the event of 

 the nomination of General Grant, to meet in the city 

 of New York, at the call of the chairman of this com- 

 mittee, and there to act in such a manner as they shall 

 then deem best to carry out the spirit and purpose of 

 these resolutions, the said committee to be selected by 

 a committee of thirteen, and published at its earliest 

 convenience. 



The prominent candidates for the Eepubli- 

 can nomination, besides General Grant, were 

 Senator James G. Elaine, of Maine, and John 

 Sherman, of Ohio, Secretary of the Treasury; 

 and there was some talk among the anti-third- 

 term and independent Republicans of Senator 

 George F. Edmunds, of Vermont. 



The Eepublican National Convention gath- 

 ered at Chicago, in accordance with the terms 

 of the call, on Wednesday, the 2d of June, 

 and was called to order by J. D. Cameron, 

 chairman of the Executive Committee, at one 

 o'clock. Senator George F. Hoar, of Massa- 

 chusetts, was chosen temporary chairman, and 

 the committees were constituted, after which 

 an adjournment was taken until the next day. 

 On the second day a permanent organization 

 was effected, Mr. Hoar being continued in the 

 chair, but the time was taken up by the con- 

 sideration of contested cases by the Committee 

 on Credentials. The main source of contro- 

 versy was the question of the power of State 

 Conventions to name delegates from Congres- 

 sional districts, and to bind their action by 

 instructions. The third and fourth days of the 



Convention were spent mainly in settling con- 

 tests, but the platform was adopted on the 

 fourth day, Saturday, June 5th. At the begin- 

 ning of the discussion on Friday, Mr. Conk- 

 ling, of New York, offered a resolution in 

 these terms : 



Resolved, As the sense of this Convention, that 

 every member of it is bound in honor to support its 

 nominee, whoever that nominee may be, and no man 

 should hold a seat here who is not ready to so agree. 



This was carried by a vote of 719 to 3, the 

 latter being cast by delegates from West Vir- 

 ginia. Mr. Conkling then offered a resolution 

 "that the delegates who, on this roll-call, have 

 voted No on this resolution, do not deserve to 

 have, and have forfeited their votes in this 

 Convention." After some warm discussion, 

 in which General Garfield, of Ohio, took a con- 

 ciliatory part, this resolution was withdrawn. 

 The contested cases were settled in accordance 

 with the principle that Congressional districts 

 have the right to choose their own delegates, 

 and that instructions of State Conventions for 

 united action are not binding. The platform, 

 as reported, was as follows : 



The Eepublican party, in National Convention as- 

 sembled, at the end of twenty years since the Federal 

 Government was first committed to its charge, sub- 

 mits to the people of the United States this brief re- 

 port of its administration. 



It suppressed a rebellion which had armed nearly 

 a million of men to subvert the national authority. It 

 reconstructed the Union of the States with freedom in- 

 stead of slavery as its corner-stone. It transformed 

 4,000,000 human beings from the likeness of things 

 to the rank of citizens. It relieved Congress from the 

 infamous work of hunting fugitive slaves, and charged 

 it to see that slavery does nof exist. It has raised the 

 value of our paper currency from 38 per cent, to the 

 par of gold. It has restored upon a solid basis pay- 

 ment in coin for all the national obligations, and has 

 given us a currency absolutely good and equal in every 

 part of our extended country. It has lifted the credit 

 of the nation from the point where 6 per cent, bonds 

 sold at 86 to that where 4 per cent, bonds are eagerly 

 sought at a premium. Under its administration ^rail- 

 ways have increased from 31,000 miles in 1860, to 

 more than 82,000 miles in 1879. Our foreign trade has 

 increased from $700,000,000 to $1,150,000,000 in the 

 same time, and our exports, which were $20,000,000 

 less than our imports in 1860, were $264,000,000 more 

 than our imports in 1879. Without resorting to loans, 

 it has, since the war closed, defrayed the ordinary ex- 

 penses of Government, besides the accruing interest 

 on the public debt, and has annually disbursed more 

 than $30,000,000 for soldiers' pensions. It has paid 

 $888,000,000 of the public debt, and by refunding the 

 balance at lower rates, has reduced the annual interest- 

 charge from nearly $151,000,000 to less than $89,000,- 

 000. All the industries of the country have revived : 

 labor is in demand ; wages have increased, and 

 throughout the entire country there is evidence of a 

 coming prosperity greater than we have ever enjoyed. 



Upon this record the Eepublican party asks for the 

 continued confidence and support of the people, and 

 this Convention submits for their approval the follow- 

 ing statements of the principles and purposes which 

 will continue to guide and inspire its efforts : 



1. We affirm that the work of the last twenty-one 

 years has been such as to commend itself to the favor 

 of the nation, and that the fruits of the costly victories 

 which we have achieved through immense difficulties 

 should be preserved ; that the peace regained should 

 be cherished ; that the dissevered Union, now happily 

 restored, should be perpetuated ; and that the liber- 



