766 



TEXAS. 



1 capital of $12,045,000; 36 marble-shops, with 

 a capital of $123,360 ; 76 carriage and wagon 

 factories, with a capital of 336,988 ; 136 flour- 

 mills, with a capital of $1,316,110; 8 coal- 

 mines, with a capital of $135,840; the woolen- 

 mills, with a capital of $650.000; and 40 

 foundries and machine-shops, with a capital of 

 $702,760. 



Decision. On October 29 the United States 

 Supreme Court rendered a decision declaring 

 unconstitutional the State law making it a mis- 

 demeanor for any person to do business as a 

 commercial traveler without having first paid 

 an occupation-tax. The law was held to be a 

 regulation of interstate commerce by the State. 



State Capitol. This building was so far com- 

 pleted in May that the government occupied it 

 early in the month, and the closing meetings 

 of the special session were held in it. On May 

 16, the day following the adjournment of the 

 session, exercises in dedication of the building 

 were held. At this time it had been accepted 

 by the construction commission only condition- 

 ally. _ Some further improvements were made, 

 and it was finally accepted by that commission 

 on September 20 and delivered over as com- 

 plete to the receiving commission created at 

 the special session to receive the property in 

 behalf of the State. But, finding manifest de- 

 fects in the roof and elsewhere, this commission 

 refused to accept the report of the construction 

 commission or to receive the building. It was 

 then agreed that an expert be engaged to ex- 

 amine the work; the contractors made such 

 changes as he suggested, and it finally became 

 the property of the State late in the year. 



Political. A Republican State Convention 

 met at Fort Worth on April 24, and selected 

 delegates to the Chicago Convention, and ap- 

 pointed a committee of thirty-three, who should 

 meet at Austin, on August 28, and nominate a 

 State ticket. Among the resolutions were the 

 following : 



We recognize the importance of sheep husbandry in 

 this State, and the danger threatening its future pros- 

 perity, and we therefore repeat the demands of this 

 important agricultural interest for a full and adequate 

 protection of her product. 



We demand of our General Government at Wash- 

 ington to make ample provision for the construction 

 of a first-class deep-water harbor on our Gulf coast, at 

 such point as may be designated by the Government 

 engineers, and that Congress concentrate the appro- 

 criations of money for that purpose. 



On the following day the Prohibitionists 

 met in convention at Waco, selected delegates 

 to their National Convention, and nominated 

 the following ticket : For Governor, Marian 

 Martin ; Lieutennnt-Governor, F. E. Yoakum ; 

 Superintendent of Public Instruction, F. O. 

 McKinzey ; Treasurer, W. D. Jackson; Comp- 

 troller, C. R. King ; Commissioner of the Gen- 

 eral Land-Office, J. C. Rathbnrn ; Attorney- 

 General, J. B. Guff. The resolutions included 

 the following : 



We favor the repeal of the United States internal 

 revenue laws, and the repeal of all revenue laws, State 



and national, by which taxes are collected on the 

 manufacture or sale of intoxicating liquors. 



That such public lands as remain to the State of 

 Texas be reserved as homesteads for citizens, and the 

 school lands be sold only to actual settlers in quanti- 

 ties not exceeding 320 acres. 



That the State convicts should be confined within 

 prison walls, and the contract system abolished. 



On May 15, delegates from the State Alli- 

 ance, Knights of Labor, and Union Labor party 

 met_ at Waco in a semi-political convention. 

 Their common interests were discussed, and a 

 platform adopted which included these para- 

 graphs : 



The national banks should be abolished and their 

 bank-notes retired from circulation, and in lieu thereof 

 we advocate a legal-tender money and a direct loan 

 of the same to the people at a low rate of interest on 

 real-estate security. 



The means of transportation and communication 

 should be owned or controlled by the people, as is the 

 United States Post-Office, and equitable rates every- 

 where established. 



No aliens should be permitted to hold or own real 

 estate in the United States, and that no further grant 

 of public lauds be made to corporations. 



We demand that an amendment be submitted to 

 Congress making the President and Vice-President 

 eligible by a direct vote of the people. 



We demand a free ballot and a fair count, and that 

 tampering with the ballot-box shall constitute one of 

 the greatest of crimes. 



The Democrats selected delegates to their 

 National Convention on May 22, at Fort Worth. 

 At the same place, on July 3, the Independent 

 party, organized at Waco on May 15, held a 

 second State Convention, and nominated a 

 State ticket as follows : Evan Jones for Gov- 

 ernor; H. S. Broiles for Lieutenant-Governor; 

 Ward Taylor for Superintendent of Public In- 

 struction ; C. W. Geers for Comptroller ; J. 

 M. McFadin for Treasurer; J. P. Phi] pot for 

 Land Commissioner ; William Chambers for 

 Attorney-General ; J. C. Kearby for Chief -Jus- 

 tice ; J. T. Nugent and W. K. Homan for As- 

 sociates; Hal. W. Greer and William II. Burk- 

 hardt for Court of Appeals. The resolutions 

 included these : 



We demand the immediate payment of the national 

 debt at its face value. 



We are in favor of free and unlimited coinage of 

 silver. 



We demand a graduated income-tax. 



We favor the passage of compulsory arbitration 

 laws by which a just and speedy settlement of differ- 

 ences can be had between corporations and their em- 

 ployes. 



We demand that all real estate held for speculative 

 purposes be taxed to the full amount at which it is 

 offered to purchasers. 



A committee was appointed to confer with 

 a State Convention distinctively of the Union 

 Labor party, which should meet on the follow- 

 ing day at the same place, and to secure its 

 adoption of the Independent ticket. In this 

 object they were successful, and the two par- 

 ties were practically united. But the ticket 

 was unfortunately constructed. The candidates 

 for Governor, Lieutenant-Governor, Chief-Jus- 

 tice, and one of the Associate Justices, soon 

 sent in their declinations. On August 24 the 



