CALIFORNIA. 



93 



American protective system, and condemning the 

 policy of the Democratic pnrty as carried out within 

 the past four years: commending the course of the 

 State representatives in Coiii:iv-< in opposing the 

 proposed funding schemes <>{ the Pacific Railroad 

 companies: and declaring "that those companies 

 should be compelled to settle their indebtedness in 

 some reasonable and businesslike way, or that the 

 Government should foreclose its liens upon and take 

 -<ion of the properties.*' The delegates to the 

 national convention were instructed to work and 

 vote for the nomination of William McKinley. 



John C. Lynch was nominated for the office of 

 Lieutenant Governor, left vacant by the death of 

 Spencer G. Millard and temporarily filled by the 

 Governor's appointee. William T. Jeter. 



The People's party began its convention May 12 

 at Sacramento. The resolutions reaffirmed the 

 principles of the Omaha platform, and demanded 

 direct legislation by the initiative and referendum 

 and proportional representation ; demanded the 

 free and unlimited coinage of silver at the ratio of 

 16 to 1, and that it be made a full legal tender 

 without reference to the attitude of any other na- 

 tion : denounced the issue of bonds, in reference to 

 which they said: "We condemn the hypocrisy of 

 the Republican party for denouncing Grover Cleve- 

 land for so issuing bonds, while it has. by its repre- 

 sentatives in Congress, upheld that policy and has 

 refused to vote for bills presented by Populist Sen- 

 ators to restrain the issue of such bonds without 

 the consent of Congress"; demanding the creation 

 of a national, nonpartisan, tariff tribunal of experts 

 for the purpose of having tariff schedules so ad- 

 justed that the benefit should fall to labor and not 

 to trusts ; condemning the failure of Congress to 

 restrict properly the immigration of foreign labor ; 

 demanding " that whenever a monopoly becomes 

 oppressive it shall be taken possession of and owned 

 and operated in the interests of the people, just 

 remuneration being first made for the property 

 taken " : favoring woman suffrage and good roads : 

 opposing the funding of the Pacific Railroad debts, 

 and demanding that, unless these debts are paid in 

 full at maturity, the Government take possession 

 of the roads by virtue of its mortgage and operate 

 them as national enterprises ; condemning the ac- 

 tion of the Federal Judiciary in the recent contempt 

 and income-tax cases, and favoring an amendment 

 to the national Constitution " prohibiting those tri- 

 bunals or any other courts from annulling any 

 congressional acts without the concurrence of the 

 people by a referendum vote " ; condemning asses- 

 sors for habitually and corruptly underestimating 

 the property of the banks, corporations, and wealthy 

 classes, and protesting against the collection of the 

 taxes on personal property in the State by force, 

 levy, and sale without process of court ; declaring 

 the poll tax to be a wrong ; opposing the use of 

 public money for sectarian schools: demanding 

 " that all public work shall be carried on under 

 skilled superintendents without the intervention of 

 contractors, and that preference be given in all 

 such work to our unemployed citizens " ; favoring 

 an amendment to the Constitution exempting from 

 taxation all property of each head of a family in 

 the State to the extent of $500, and % 'a graduated 

 tax upon land, whereby the ratio of tax shall increase 

 as the value of the land becomes greater, to the end 

 that great estates in land may be broken up. and 

 that land monopoly may be destroyed " : demanding 

 a reduction of expenses, and promising, if placed in 

 power, to conduct the State government efficiently 

 upon a tax of 50 cents on the $100 : and. finally. 

 favoring a union of reform forces, provided it could 

 be effected without sacrifice of principle. J. L. 

 Gilbert was nominated for Lieutenant Governor. 



The convention of the Prohibition party met at 

 Stockton May 13. There was a difference of opin- 

 ion as to whether the platform should be limited to 

 declarations in favor of prohibition and woman 

 suffrage or should include planks on other is>ue-. 

 The report of the Committee on Resolutions pre- 

 sented a platform declaring on all the main i- 

 mentioned by other parties, mid was adopted by a 

 vote of 45 to 34. Two national committeemeii, a 

 State central committee, and delegates to the na- 

 tional convention were chosen, and presidential 

 electors were nominated. J. E. McComas was made 

 the candidate for the office of Lieutenant Governor. 



The Democrats met in State convention at Sacra- 

 mento June 16. They approved all the official acts 

 of the President except those connected with finance, 

 and declared in favor of free coinage of gold and 

 silver at the rate of 16 to 1, demanding the use 

 of silver as well as of gold as full legal tender. 

 The resolutions also opposed the funding bill, praised 

 the action of the two United States Senators, called 

 for the construction of the Nicaragua Canal, de- 

 nounced the A. P. A., praised Senator Morgan for 

 his opposition to the funding bill and the State 

 Railroad Commissioners for their efforts to equalize 

 and reduce fares and freights, denounced the Re- 

 publican party for having raised the "false issue of 

 the possibility of State aid being granted to secta- 

 rian schools," declared in favor of the mineral-land 

 bill passed by the last Congress, and denounced the 

 conduct of those whose action prevented it from be- 

 coming a law ; declared in favor of the tariff plat- 

 form of the Democratic Convention of 1892, reduc- 

 tion of public expenditures, an income tax. a system 

 of good roads, and measures to prevent adultera- 

 tions of food : condemned the amendment to the 

 law of contempt enacted by the Legislature of 1895 

 and the poll tax : and called for the "rehabilitation 

 of hydraulic mining" where other industries would 

 not be injured by it ; urged the importance of se- 

 curing government aid for river and harbor im- 

 provements : pledged itself to advance the interests 

 of labor; and declared that "the Democratic party 

 of the State of California resents the interference in 

 the politics of this State of the Southern Pacific 

 Company of Kentucky." 



A resolution in favor of woman suffrage was pre- 

 sented, but was lost by a vote of 420 to 149. 



Delegates to the national convention were in- 

 structed " to present the name of Hon. Stephen M. 

 White, should a favorable opportunity arise, as the 

 choice of the people of the State for the office of 

 President of the United States." They were also 

 instructed to vote as a unit upon all questions. 



Proposed amendments to the Constitution were 

 before the people for decision at the November 

 election one granting the suffrage to women ; one 

 repealing section 5. Article XIII. of the Constitution, 

 which reads as follows : " Every contract hereafter 

 made by which a debtor is obligated to pay any tax 

 or assessment on money loaned, or on any mort- 

 gage, deed of trust, or other lien, shall, as to any 

 interest specified therein, and as to such tax or as- 

 sessment, be null and void " ; one to permit the use 

 of voting machines at all elections; and one limit- 

 ing the liability of stockholders of corporations or 

 joint-stock associations, and making directors or 

 trustees liable to stockholders and creditors for all 

 money embezzled and misappropriated by officers 

 of the corporation. Two other amendments related 

 to putting the proposed new charter of San Fran- 

 cisco into effect. 



The only one of these amendments that was car- 

 ried was that relating to voting-machines. 



The vote on the suffrage amendment to the Con- 

 stitution in 24 counties, including San Francisco, 

 was 82,080 against, and 57,542 for the amendment. 



