NEW YORK (STATE). 



609 



were also selected. The resolutions of the 

 convention approve the National and State Ad- 

 ministrations, and strongly condemn trusts. 

 The Saxton electoral-reform bill, which was 

 passed by the Legislature but vetoed by the 

 Governor, was also condemned. The Repub- 

 lican Convention met at Buffalo on May 16, and 

 chose as delegates at large to the Chicago con- 

 vention the four leaders of the party in the 

 State, Senator Hiscock, ex-Senators Platt and 

 Miller, and Chauncey M. Depew. The dele- 

 gation was uninstructed. Resolutions on State 

 and National issues, as well as the nomination 

 of electors at large, were referred to a subse- 

 quent convention for the nomination of State 

 officers. This latter convention was held at 

 Saratoga on August 28. It nominated ex-Sena- 

 tor Warner Miller for Governor by acclamation, 

 and selected as candidates for Lieutenant-Gov- 

 ernor and for Judge of the Court of Appeals, 

 to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Judge 

 Rapallo, S. V. R. Cruger and William Rumsey, 

 respectively. The platform included the fol- 

 lowing: 



The Legislature of 1888 gave proof of the purpose 

 and effort of the Republican party to enact laws for 

 the best interests of the people. The reduction in the 

 rate of State taxation bears witness to the spirit which 

 guided legislation. The investigation into trusts and 

 combinations, by making their evils known, points 

 the way to effectual remedies. The examination into 

 the conduct of affairs in connection with the New 

 York aqueduct, still in progress, has already exposed 

 abuses which call for reparation, and has given warn- 

 ing how the campaign expenses of a Democratic gov- 

 ernor may be met out of contracts paid by the tax- 

 pavers. 



'The Republican party favor the pavment by the 

 State of the legitimate expenses for ballots and their 

 distribution, and the punishment, by distranchise- 

 ment and other severe penalties, of bribery and fraud 

 at election. The efforts of the last Legislature in this 

 direction deserve commendation, wfiile Gov. Hill 

 merits censure and rebuke for his veto of a measure 

 aiming to purify the ballot and to assure absolute in- 

 dependence to Vote at the polls. 



In view of the recent revelations, showing the abuse 

 of our naturalization and immigration laws, we desire 

 and urge a thorough revision of said laws, in order 

 that our country an3 fellow-citizens may be protected 

 from the pauper and criminal classes of other coun- 

 tries. 



The Democratic convention for nominating 

 State officers met at Buffalo on September 12, 

 and renominated Gov. Hill and Lieut.-Gov. 

 Jones by acclamation. For Judge of the Court 

 of Appeals John Clinton Gray was nominated. 

 The platform contained the following : 



We oppose all sumptuary laws, needlessly interfer- 

 in'_' with the personal liberties and reasonable habits 

 and customs of any part of our citizens. We believe 

 in the regulation and restriction of the liquor-traffic 

 by just and equitable excise laws rigorously enforced, 

 w'ithout unjust discrimination, throughout the State. 

 Local excise revenues raised by State law, like other 

 proper local revenue laws, should be applied in 

 inn the burdens of local taxation. We tavor a revision 

 of the excise laws and approve the recommendation 

 of a Democratic governor to that effect, made to the 

 last Legislature, and adopted by it, whereby a com- 

 mission was appointed to make such revision, and we 

 trust that the work of the commission will be such as 

 VOL. xxvui. 39 A 



to merit the approval of the people of the State. We 

 denounce the variable ? detective, and hypocritical leg- 

 islation of the Republican Legislature upon the liquor 

 question in the last few years, much of which was 

 clearly inconsistent, not honestly designed or calcu- 

 lated to aid the cause of temperance, but intended 

 onlv to mislead the people and for political effect. 



"The Democratic party, now as ever, earnestly favors 

 the presentation ot the purity of elections, the protec- 

 tion of the ballot, and of honest returns. It believes 

 that these conditions arc the safeguards of our free in- 

 stitutions, and that all good citizens should cordially 

 unite in promoting such conditions and injmmiotini' 

 all adverse and fraudulent influences. \\ e favor all 

 reasonable and practical measures which may conduce 

 to these ends, and of all changes in our election laws 

 which will then more effectually preserve to every citi- 

 zen the right of free ballot, fairly counted and honestly 

 returned." We favor any practical and properly framed 

 measure, however stringent and severe, winch will 

 more surely prevent and punish bribery and fraud, 

 as well as intimidation and coercion at elections. We 

 approve the veto of the so-called Saxton electoral bill, 

 because it contained provisions which were unconsti- 

 tutional, grossly defective, clearly impracticable, and 

 otherwise objectionable, and which would, therefore, 

 have foiled to accomplish the reforms desired. 



The Prohibitionists, at their State conven- 

 tion held in Syracuse, June 27, nominated W. 

 Martin Jones for Governor, George F. Powell 

 for Lieutenant - Governor, and Charles W. 

 Stephens for Judge of the Court of Appeals. 

 The United Labor party, at their convention 

 in New York city, September 20, accepted 

 Warner Miller, the Republican nominee, as its 

 c-indidate for Governor, and nominated John 

 H. Blakeney for Lieutenant -Governor, and 

 Lawrence J. McParlin for Judge of the Court 

 of Appeals. 



On September 23 the Socialists of New York 

 city, at a public meeting, resolved to nominate 

 candidates for national, State, and municipal 

 offices, and at a subsequent meeting Edward 

 Hall was made a candidate for Governor, Chris- 

 tian Pattberg for Lieutenant-Governor, and 

 Francis Gerau for Judge of the Court of Ap- 

 peals. The canvass was one of great interest, 

 but of no unusual excitement. As in 1884. the 

 decision of the national contest was considered 

 to depend on the vote of New York, and large- 

 ly also upon the vote of New York city. At 

 the election in November, while the Republi- 

 cans carried the State on the national ticket, 

 their candidates on the State ticket were de- 

 feated. For Governor, Hill received 650,464 

 votes ; Miller. 631,293 ; Jones, 30,215 ; and 

 Hall, 3,348. Gray, for Judge of the Court of 

 Appeals, was elected by only 3,425 plurality, 

 receiving 634,878 votes to 631,453 for Rumsey, 

 31.178 for Stephens, 3,841 for McParlin, and 

 3,523 for Gerau. The Republicans elected 20 

 members of the State Senate, and 79 members 

 of the House ; the Democrats securing 1 1 Sena- 

 tors and 49 members of the House. Democrat- 

 ic Congressmen were elected in the first four- 

 teen congressional districts (except the Third), 

 and in the Nineteenth and Thirty-third Dis- 

 tricts; the remaining nineteen districts elected 

 Republicans. At the same election an amend- 

 ment to the State Constitution, providing that 



