538 



NEW HAMPSHIRE. 



almost entirely oblivious to these evils; -which dere- 

 liction is owing chiefly to the management of the 

 leaders of both political parties in the State : there- 

 fore 



Resolved, That parties are valuable so far as they 

 subserve valuable principles, and. when they cease to 

 do that, they cease to have any claim upon the name 

 of true principle. 



Resolved, That a party can peril nothing by stand- 

 ing by laws made to subserve the best interests of 

 the State and the people ; it perils everv thing when it 

 does not arraign the transgressors and violators of law. 



Resolved, That, while we have the strongest con- 

 fidence in the integrity and patriotic devotion of the 

 masses of both these parties, the entire silence of one 

 of their conventions concerning the evils of intem- 

 perance, and the execution of the criminal laws of 

 the State, and the temperance reforms, and the 

 doubtful support awarded to any decided measures 

 of reform by the other, confirm the fact that, under 

 their present management, the temperance cause has 

 nothing to hope from either of them, but much to 

 fear, and that, though they may honor us with their 

 lips, their hearts are far from us. 



Resolved, That, while we acknowledge that in other 

 days, days of comparative purity, many of these 

 leaders, and large portions of these parties, met well 

 their obligations to enact wholesome laws on this 

 subject, yet we are disheartened, under the painful 

 proof that they are both too far fallen to respect their 

 own legislation, as shown in the late defeat of our 

 constabulary laws, under the combined action of 

 their leaders and papers. 



Resolved, That so long as our own chosen parties, 

 with whom we have acted formerly, give such sorrow- 

 ful demonstration of corruption, in giving place to 

 the uncounted and unmeasured evils of intemper- 

 ance, and most of all other crimes growing out of it, 

 for the sake of holding or gaining the control of the 

 State government, we can no longer act with them, 

 even when they put up for office our most tried and 

 worthy temperance men, since we see such men and 

 their principles are slaughtered on the altar of the 

 "whiskey-ring," when they are brought under the 

 dictatorship of the leaders. So their power is wholly 

 lost to pur cause, and really given in the end to the 

 opposition. 



Resolved, That while we desire to pay all needful 

 taxation to support our State and national govern- 

 ments, and their indebtedness, we are convinced 

 there should be a reduction of salaries, fees, and other 

 governmental expenses, in proportion as the price of 

 gold and labor falls. 



Resolved, That legislation in behalf of private and 

 corporation interests often becomes in our State con- 

 ducive to the general welfare, yet we protest against 

 the superabundance of this kind of legislation, to the 

 comparative neglect of the more general industry 

 and producing employments of the State. 



PLATFOKM. 



1. "We hold, with the framers of the Constitution 

 of the United States, that the purposes of govern- 

 ment are : " To establish justice ; to insure domestic 

 tranquillity ; to provide for the common defence ; to 

 promote the general welfare," and thereby secure 

 the equality of men before God and the law. 



2. We also hold that, when a government, national 

 or State, no longer secures these ends, it is not only 

 the right but the duty of the people to institute 

 better laws and administration in- behalf of the people, 

 rather than in behalf of corporations, rings, cliques, 

 office-holders, and office-seekers. 



3. It is also the duty of the people, with whom is 

 the power, to hold the legislative and administrative 

 departments of the government to a strict faithful- 

 ness to these, their sworn duties, to enact and exe- 

 cute law in a sacred preservation of the rights of the 

 people and funds of the government, an honest and 

 prompt payment of all national debts, and observance 

 of national treaties. 



4. It is equally apparent that, when these noble 

 purposes of government are lost sight of by political 

 parties in their struggle to hold or gain ascendency, 

 as is now so much the case in this State, leaving our 

 criminal laws comparatively a dead letter on the 

 statute-book, it reveals a state of political corruption 

 alarming to Christian patriots, and portending the 

 speedy destruction of all wholesome government. 



5. It is cardinal with us that in our State thou- 

 sands and tens of thousands of innocent victims are 

 suffering, unprotected by law, from an illegal rum- 

 traffic, gambling, and licentiousness, comparatively 

 unrebuked by the officers of the law, because these 

 corrupt politicians prefer to have it so rather than 

 run the risk of losing their chances of party and per- 

 sonal success. 



6. These, and kindred considerations, leave us, as 

 true patriots, no alternative but to separate ourselves 

 from these corrupt party alliances, until they are 

 thoroughly reformed ; first, that we may free our- 

 selves from all participation in their guilt, and, 

 second, that we may unite ourselves and our political 

 strength to reform the fearful state of things under 

 which the humanity of our State literally groans. 



At subsequent meetings the same party 

 nominated the above-mentioned Mr. Pierce 

 for Eailroad Commissioner, and other persons 

 for almost all State and county offices. 



The Labor-Keform party held its State Con- 

 vention on January 28, 1870. This meeting 

 the first of the kind for that party was at- 

 tended by one hundred and ninety-five dele- 

 gates, representing fifty-one towns and cities 

 in the State. Their credentials were carefully 

 examined. Besides, the Committee on Cre- 

 dentials allowed no delegates to take part in 

 the proceedings unless they signed the follow- 

 ing pledge : 



We, the undersigned, pledge ourselves on our honor 

 as men and citizens, that we take seats in this con- 

 vention for the purpose of nominating candidates for 

 the support of an independent political party, to be 

 known as the Labor-Reform party of New Hampshire. 

 In doing this we disconnect ourselves from all politi- 

 cal parties with which we have heretofore acted, and 

 pledge ourselves to support, on the second Tuesday 

 of March, the candidates nominated by this conven- 

 tion. 



The nature and object of the meeting were 

 thus declared by the chairman of the Central 

 Committee: "After reading the call, Mr. Palmer 

 briefly stated that the delegates had come to- 

 gether actuated by one common purpose, and 

 that was to form an independent political party. 

 The object of that party would be the better- 

 ment of the condition of the laboring-men of 

 New Hampshire." 



Candidates of the party for State offices 

 were nominated by ballot, to wit : Samuel 

 Flint for Governor, and II. E. Roberts for 

 Eailroad Commissioner. A platform was 

 unanimously adopted, as follows: 



Whereas, Labor is the sole creator of wealth, and 

 money produces nothing, and as every laborer is 

 justly entitled to the full proceeds of his own labor 

 and skill, it follows, as a simple act of justice, that 

 the fruits of his labor shall not be taken from him 

 without his own consent ; and, whenever this is done, 

 either by force, by custom, or under forms of law, it 

 is a violation of right, and the laborer is justified in 

 resisting it by all legal and peaceable means in his 

 power ; 



And whereas, It is impossible to enrich one class in 



