MASSA< IICSKTTS. 



Retohetl, That the finance* of the State should bo 

 uilmini-trred with the greatest economy; that all 

 - Mini doubtful expenses Mhould be out off, and 

 th.- i-n-ilit <>t' tlio ('"iiimoiiwciilth only used in tho 

 ,t cases of public necessity. 

 'red, 'Flint tin- Uopuhlioan party, which, in the 

 ten years of its history, has accomplished more for 

 the elevation of tho laborers of America than had 

 been accomplished before since the Government was 

 formci 1, li.-ars with surprise and indignation the claim 

 I't'imy other organization to arrogate in it*clf thotitlo 

 of" lubor party;" that in our judgment tho intcllce- 

 tual and social advancement of the laborers of the 

 country, their improvement in wealth, comfort, and 

 hlPplness, the security of their personal and political 

 rights, arc not only important oojects of public can) 

 iiinl regard, but arc tho very purpose for which the 

 State was created, and are the end and object of all 

 political effort. 



Retolved, That a decent regard to tho honor of the 

 United States requires that measures shall be taken 

 by tho national Administration to vindicate the claim 

 of the country upon Great Britain for proper repara- 

 tion for the hostile action of that nation in prema- 

 turely and unnecessarily recognizing tho rebel States 

 as belligerents, and for permitting the fitting out in 

 her ports of hostile cruisers to prey upon our com- 

 merce. 



Resolved, That the Republican party favor laws 

 wisely calculated to prevent tippling and drunken- 

 ness, and promote temperance ana industry, and 

 are in favor of the suppression of dram-shops, as 

 tending to the destruction of good order and hap- 

 piness of the people and all the material interests of 

 the Commonwealth. 



Resolved, That the administration of William Claflin 

 as Governor of this Commonwealth has been charac- 

 terized by wisdom, integrity, and firmness, and that 

 we cordially recommend him to the voters of the 

 Commonwealth for reelection. 



The last political convention of the year was 

 that of the Democratic party, which was held 

 at Fitchhurg, on the 12th of October, when the 

 following nominations were made : for Gov- 

 ernor, John Quincy Adams ; for Lieutenant- 

 Governor, James Chattaway ; for Secretary of 

 State, Luther Stephenson, Jr. ; for Treasurer, 

 and Receiver-General, Levi Heywood ; for Au- 

 ditor, Phineas Allen ; for Attorney-General, 

 William West Warren. The following plat- 

 form was adopted : 



Resolved, That the country demands from each po- 

 litical party at this time a bold and out-spoken asser- 

 tion or its policy upon the living questions of to-day ; 

 and that the attempt on the part of the radical party 

 to perpetuate its power, by merely boasting of its post 

 achievements, must prove futile. No record, however 

 fair, can atone for its wilful neglect of the industrial 

 interests of the country, for tho loss of our commercial 

 importance, for over five years of peace wasted in at- 

 tempting to govern tho country upon a theory and 

 policy that could only bo excused t>y the necessities 

 of war. 



Resolved, That, in declaring its policy now. the Dem- 

 ocratic party need only to revert to its cardinal prin- 

 ciple of opposition to all consolidation or concentration 

 or power in any hands, and to every unnecessary exer- 

 cise of power, even where the right to exercise it is 

 clearly given ; not the most but the least possible 

 government being best conducive to the happiness of 

 mankind. In conformity with this maxim, the party 

 now t as heretofore, will resist every stretch of power 

 by either Federal or State Government, or by any one 

 or the coordinate branches of either, and every plan 

 of legislation which involves an undue interference 

 with the reserved rights of tho citizen, either in its 



direct purpose, or by requiring for its attainment a 

 resort to arbitrary and inquisitorial practiced. 



Jtaolvtd, That, proceeding upon these established 

 principles, we adopt as our own the resolutions of our 

 party in the great Democratic State of New York, 

 that our tariff of duties, like all taxes, should have the 

 one only lawful purpose of obtaining necessary reve- 

 nue, and that tho prevent system or favoritism, mis- 

 called protection, levying taxes for the special benefit 

 of a few capitalists, is simple robbery of the rest of 

 tho people, and that, except so far as the legitimate 

 expenses of the. Government may require, free trade 

 is the true policy of the country ; that we demand the 

 Bimjilitieation of our system of internal revenue, the 

 abolition of useless and inquisitorial taxes, and the 

 reduction of the whole volume of taxation, now in 

 excess of the wants of the Government and the exi- 

 gencies of public credit. 



Retolved, That grants of land, or money, or credit, 

 either by the Federal, or State Governments, to indi- 

 viduals, or to corporations formed for mere purposes 

 of private gain, ore all in some sort a diversion of 

 public assets from their legitimate uses ; involve the 

 State in unnecessary complications with special inter- 

 ests ; lead to gross corruption, and are inconsistent 

 with a reasonable regard for the safety of popular 

 institutions. 



Retolved, That it is our proud boast that the op- 

 pressed of all nations can find with us a sale asylum, 

 and here enjoy the blessings of a free Government ; 

 that consistency with our professions, not less than 

 the highest welfare of both native and foreign born, 

 requires that all who come to these shores should, as 

 soon as practicable, become citizens, and have their 

 equal influence in political affairs ; and we denounce, 

 as unrepublican and monstrous, the attempt by Con- 

 gress and our Legislature to prevent the naturaliza- 

 tion of the poor by multiplying the expenses and the 

 difficulties of complying with necessary legal for- 

 malities. 



Resolved, That, on the other hand, independently 

 of the question as to the expediency of bringing into 

 intimate political and social relations two adverse 

 races of men, we believe it to be wrong to stimulate 

 by artificial means the irruption into our community 

 of swarms of Mongolians, who have neither the wisu 

 nor the aptitude to assume the duties and responsi- 

 bilities of citizenship, and are brought here by inter- 

 ested capitalists only as so much bone and muscle, to 

 lower the dignity of labor, degrade the condition of 

 our working-men, and create and perpetuate distinct 

 classes in our social system. 



Resolved, That the labor of the country, weak by its 

 necessities, in its defences against the cupidity of 

 capitalists, and its ability to compel a recognition of 

 its just rights, especially needs and merits the pro- 

 tection of just, equal, and adequate laws ; and that^ in 

 view of the fact that the present high cost of living 

 and consequent inadequacy of wages to provide suffi- 

 cient means of support for our poorer people, as 

 mainly due to the unjust currencv system, the arbi- 

 trary and excessive taxation, and the many and great 

 monopolies which have been inflicted upon us by the 

 policy of the Republican party, the claim made by 

 that party at its recent State Convention, that it has 

 any sympathy with labor or the laborer, is prepos- 

 terous and absurd. 



Resolved, That we reaffirm an absolute hostility to 

 every attempt to influence the decision of political 

 questions by the formation of secret prescriptive or- 

 ganizations. 



Retolved, That while wo must regard it as an cxist- 

 iiii,' fact that suffrage is a right and not a privilege, 

 and that any restriction upon its exercise should DO 

 founded in unmistakable public policy, we consider 

 the proposition to extend the suffrage to the women 

 of this Commonwealth as involving too many social 

 considerations to be summarily treated as a mere po- 

 litical question ; but there is a pressing duty upon 

 the people of this State to remove at once and forever 



