CONNECTICUT. 



241 



.and 2,179 pounds of whalebone secured. The 

 total receipts were $53,299.50, and total ex- 

 penses $22,000. 



Lobster fishing shows a total capital of $69,462, 

 with $95,175 as the value of the catch. Thirty- 

 two vessels are employed and 257 men, all but 

 33 classed as owners. The wages of the 33 ag- 

 gregate $9,900. 



The shad-fishing statistics for 1889 show a 

 total of 53 traps, with a catch for pound fisheries 

 of 31,000, valued at $7,750, and of 31,900 for 

 river fisheries with a value of $7,975. The total 

 catch was 62,900, valued at $15,725, a consider- 

 able decrease from 1888. The capital is $41,- 

 736 ; the vessels employed, 89 ; the men employed, 

 174; and the wages paid, $4,699. 



The shad fishery in Connecticut river is steadi- 

 ly declining, largely on account of the wholesale 

 capture of the fish in pounds near the mouth of 

 the river. 



Local Option. At the town elections held 

 throughout the State early in October, 83 towns 

 voted for license under the local-option law 

 and 85 towns for no license. There were a few 

 changes from one column to the other, but the 

 totals were unchanged from last year. 



Political. On Aug.. 13 the Prohibitionists 

 met in State convention at Hartford and nomi- 

 nated the following ticket : For Governor, Phin- 

 <eas M. Augur ; for Lieutenant-Go verner, De 

 Witt C. Pond; for Secretary of State, Henry 

 R. Palmer; for Treasurer, John B. Smith; for 

 Comptroller, Frederick M. Hawley. The resolu- 

 tions reiterate the demand of the party for 

 prohibition, and incidentally favor a low tariff, 

 woman suffrage, legislation for the farmers, and 

 numerous other reforms. 



The Democratic State Convention assembled 

 <it Hartford on Sept. 16. Its nominees were 

 Luzon B. Morris for Governor, Joseph W. Al- 

 sop for Lieutenant-Governor, John J. Phelan 

 for Secretary of State, Marvin H. Sanger for 

 Treasurer, and Nicholas Staub for Comptroller. 

 The platform demands such revision of the tariff 

 as shall admit crude materials of manufacture 

 free, and lighten the burdens upon the neces- 

 saries of life. On State issues the following 

 declarations were made : 



We declare for an amendment to the State Consti- 

 tution providing for the election of all State officers 

 by a plurality of votes. 



All unnecessary and vexatious interference with 

 personal liberty, by means of sumptuary enactments, 

 we oppose as contrary to the spirit of our free insti- 

 tutions; and we demand that county commissioners 

 be elected by the people and the present unjust, arbi- 

 trary, partisan, and undemocratic method of appoint- 

 ment be repealed. 



We regard the secret ballot law, enacted by the last 

 beneral Assembly in response to the repeated de- 

 mands of the Democratic party, as a step in the 

 right direction, and we favor such amendments there- 

 to us will render its compulsory secrecy absolute, for 

 ie suppression of bribery and intimidation, and will 

 prevent such attempted evasions of the same as were 

 practiced by high authority at the last election in the 

 city of Hartfor3. 



We favor legislation to protect the people from 

 alliterated food products, and we demand that such 

 laws shall be executed by officials who are in sympa- 

 thy with them and not by political beneficiaries. 



On Sept. 17 the Republican convention met 

 at New Haven, and nominated Lieut.-Gov. 

 VOL. xxx. 16 A 



Samuel E. Merwin as its candidate for Governor 

 by a vote of 398 to 51 for Gov. Bulkeley. George 

 A. Bowen was nominated for Lieutenant-Gover- 

 nor, George P. McLean for Secretary of State, 

 E. Stevens Henry for Treasurer, and Lyman S. 

 Catlin for Comptroller. The platform makes 

 the following comments on local questions : 



We invite attention to the various laws enacted by 

 Kepublican General Assemblies in the interest of 

 public health and against adulterations ; and we de- 

 clare that it is the duty of the next General Assembly 

 to adopt further measures to protect the market for 

 the honest producer and to prevent the manufacture 

 and sale of fraudulent and injurious adulterations and 

 imitations of foods. 



We point with pride to the fact that the Kepublican 

 party has adopted in this State restrictive measures 

 over the expenditure of the moneys of the State, and 

 has increased the revenue derived from corporations 

 and from personal estate. With conspicuous economy 

 and ability the State finances have been so managed 

 that while liberal expenditures have been made for 

 every interest in the State, the revenues have been so 

 increased that a direct State tax was abolished. 



We demand such economy in appropriations by the 

 next General Assembly and such continuance of the 



Kesent policy of taxation that towns may continue to 

 relieved from the payment of a State tax. 

 The Agricultural College fund should be devoted to 

 the purposes intended by the creative act. The Gen- 

 eral Assembly should, if found necessary, take ap- 

 propriate action to insure the benefits of that fund to 

 the farmers and farming interests of the State. 



The candidates for Lieutenant-Governor on 

 both the Republican and Democratic tickets 

 were direct representatives of the farmers, who, 

 through their granges, were also instrumental in 

 securing from the convention of each party dec- 

 larations in favor of " anti-oleo" laws and other 

 legislation for their interest. There was also a 

 Labor ticket in the field, headed by Henry C. 

 Baldwin for Governor. Discussion during "the 

 canvass was almost entirely devoted to national 

 issues. At the election in November the Demo- 

 cratic ticket received a considerable plurality 

 over the Republican ticket ; but a majority be- 

 ing necessary to elect, there was some doubt 

 whether there had been a choice by the people 

 for Governor or Treasurer. For determining 

 the result of an election the State Constitution 

 provides as follows : 



A fair list of the persons and number of votes given 

 for each, together with the returns of presiding offi- 

 cers of [election in each town], shall be, oy the Treas- 

 urer, Secretary, and Comptroller, made and laid before 

 the General Assembly, then next to be holden, on the 

 first day of the session thereof ; and said Assembly 

 shall, after examination of the same, declare the per- 

 son whom they shall find to be legally chosen and 

 give him notice accordingly. If no person shall have 

 a majority of the whole number of said votes, or if 

 two or more shall have an equal and the greatest num- 

 ber of said votes, then said Assembly on the second 

 day of their session, by joint ballot of both Houses 

 shall proceed, without debate, to choose a Govern- 

 or from a list of the names of the two persons having 

 the greatest number of votes, or of the names of the 

 persons having an equal and highest number of votes 

 so returned, as aforesaid. The General Assembly shall 

 by law prescribe the manner in which all questions 

 concerning the election of a Governor, or Lieutenant- 

 governor, shall be determined. 



Pursuant to these provisions, the returns made 

 to the Secretary of State by the presiding of- 

 ficers of election were examined on Nov. 26 



