714 



WEST VIRGINIA. 



"We denounce the extortion of monopolies, and any 

 system devised by which the laboring-man is de- 

 prived of his just earnings, by prepayments, in any 

 other medium than the legal currency of the country. 



Finally, the Kepublican party pledges itself to labor 

 for the overthrow of Bourbonism, and the inaugura- 

 tion of a wise, liberal, and progressive policy instate 

 affairs, that shall bring West Virginia into harmony 

 with her sister States, and cause her to share in the 

 prosperity, wealth, and growing power of the great. 

 States of the North and West. 



In conclusion, we heartily approve and endorse the 

 platform of principles adopted by the late National 

 Eepublican Convention at Chicago, and hereby pledge 

 our best efforts to secure the election of the nominees 

 of that Convention, James A. Garfleld, of Ohio, and 

 Chester A. Arthur, of New York. 



The Democratic party assembled in State 

 Convention at Martinsburg, on July 28tb, to 

 nominate their respective candidates for office, 

 with the following results: For Governor, Ja- 

 cob B. Jackson ; for State Treasurer, Thomas 

 O'Brien ; for State Auditor Joseph S. Miller ; 

 for Attorney-General, C. 0. Watts; for State 

 Superintendent of Free Schools, Bernard L. 

 Butcher; for Judge of the Court of Appeals, 

 Thomas C. Green; for Presidential electors, 

 State at large, Elbridge G. Cracraft and Wil- 

 liam L. Wilson. 



The platform adopted was as follows : 



1. The Democratic party, in convention assembled, 

 heartily endorses and approves the platform and prin- 

 ciples adopted by the National Democratic Conven- 

 tion, and reaffirms its allegiance to the time-honored 

 principles of the party^. 



2. We recognize with pleasure the fidelity of the 

 various_ officials of the State in the administration of 

 the duties and trust imposed on them by the law, and 

 with pride point to the peace, quiet, and general pros- 

 perity of the State. The promptness with which the 

 public revenues have been collected and paid into the 

 Treasury, the economy and efficiency with which our 

 public institutions have been managed, are some of 

 the reasons why Democratic rule should be continued 

 in West Virginia. 



3. Mindful of the traditions of the party and the 

 danger to be apprehended from the growing power 

 and influence of monopolies, we declare that the Dem- 

 ocratic party is now, as it has ever been, the friend of 

 the people and the foe of all monopolies ; that we are 

 opposed to any system of legislation that tends to fos- 

 ter the power of such monopolies, and particularly to 

 that species of legislation that discriminates in favor 

 of railroad corporations and against the people. 



4. We recognize the proposed amendments to the 

 Constitution as presenting questions above and out- 

 side of party politics, and therefore remit them to the 

 unbiased judgment of the people. 



The following additional resolutions were 

 also reported by the committee, and adopted 

 by the Convention : 



Resolved, That we regard the practice of accrediting 

 any Democrats who may be present at conventions as 

 delegates j as heretofore, as opening the door to fraud 

 and unfairness, and a method which is corrupt and 

 corrupting, and recommend the State Executive Com- 

 mittee to take steps to prevent the same in the 

 future. 



Resolved, That in the opinion of this Convention, 

 the practice so common in the Stato whereby county 

 delegates to State and district conventions are in- 

 structed to cast the votes of the county for particular 

 candidates, is open to many serious objections, in that 

 it gives rise to fraud and unfair dealing ; to conven- 

 tions packed in the interest of particular parties ; de- 



prives opposing candidates of the representatives to 

 which they would be otherwise entitled ; produces 

 complaint and dissatisfaction ; disorganizes the party, 

 and tends to the defeat of its candidates ; that we con- 

 demn this practice as being at war with the usages, 

 principles, and best interests of the Democratic party, 

 and should be discontinued by all who have its success 

 at heart. 



The Greenback-Labor party, which has a 

 comparatively large number of adherents in 

 West Virginia, nominated their candidates as 

 follows: For Governor, Napoleon B. French; 

 for State Treasurer, Spencer W. Sturm; for 

 State Auditor. George W. Hayes; for Attor- 

 ney-General, Cyrus Hall ; for Superintendent 

 of Free Schools, W. J. Kinney ; for Judge of 

 the Court of Appeals, James A. Thompson ; 

 for Presidential electors at large, Robert Mar- 

 shall and S. H. Davidson. Two amendments 

 to the State Constitution, proposed in two joint 

 resolutions passed by the Legislature, were sub 

 mitted to the people for ratification or rejection 

 at the State election. The first amendment pro- 

 posed to strike out the eighth article of the 

 Constitution and insert in its stead another, re- 

 modeling the whole judiciary system of the 

 State. The second amendment proposed to 

 insert in the third article of the Constitution 

 a substitute for the original thirteenth section, 

 relating to the hearing of "suits at common 

 law where the value in controversy exceeds 

 twenty dollars, exclusive of interest and costs." 

 At the October election, and at that held in 

 November, the Democratic nominees were 

 generally elected. For the office of Governor, 

 Mr. Jackson had a majority of about 15,000 

 over Mr. Sturgis, the vote having stood 5^,- 

 000 and 43,000 respectively. The Greenback 

 candidate received some 14,000 votes. Tl e 

 Democrats elected also their electoral ticket, 

 and all of their nominees for Congressmen. 

 They claimed their majority over the Repub- 

 licans to have been increased by more than 

 3,000 votes since 1876. The House of Repre- 

 sentatives in the Legislature at the next ses- 

 sion will consist of 44 Democrats, 17 Republi- 

 cans, 1 Greenbacker, and 1 Independent. 



The two constitutional amendments were 

 ratified by the people. The vote stood : yeas, 

 57,941, nays, 34,270, on the substitute for 

 Article VIII of the Constitution, and yeas, 

 56,482, nays, 34,073, on the substitute for 

 section 13 of Article III, Both amendments 

 went into effect from the time of their rati- 

 fication. 



The thirteen Judges of the thirteen new 

 circuits, into which the amendment divided 

 the State, were also chosen at the October 

 election. 



The aggregate number of votes cast for Presi- 

 dent, in 1880, in West Virginia, was 112,714, 

 or 12,775 more than in 1876, when it was 

 99,939. 



The annual receipts, from all sources, and 

 the expenditures, for all purposes, in the two 

 fiscal years ended September 30, 1879 and 

 1880, were as follows : 



