KKN'ITCKY. 



377 



raisin? revenue to pay the deficit for tlie fiscal year 

 ending June :!<>. l^'.Ki." l.ut tin- S.-naU 4 refused to 

 take action on them. 



Am<>nir the more important of tlie measu 

 were the following: 



To create a more speedy remedy for the setting 

 f fraudulent eonvey;mees. 



Appropriating $10,000' to er-ct monuments in 

 Chickamatiga and Chattanooga National Parks, and 

 providing for a commission to serve without pay 

 except for defraying necessary expei - 



To prevent fraud in canning fruit and vegeta- 



K-tablishing two houses of reform, one for boys 

 and one for 



Providing for the reorganization of railroad and 

 bridge companies. 



Amending the law in regard to the issuing of 

 bonds for common-school purp 



Making it a felony to engage in a prize fight or a 

 fight for a bet. wager, or stakes, and prescribing a 

 penalty of imprisonment in the Penitentiary one to 

 five years. 



To enable the commissioners of the sinking fund 

 to sell and transfer the State's interest in turnpike 

 roads. 



To prohibit the wearing of society badges by other 

 than memi 



For the protection of purchasers, lessees, and in- 

 cumbrances of real estate, providing for the filing 

 of notices of actions, liens, etc., affecting titles. 



Amending the law concerning liens, so that a 

 lien may be held when contract has been made with 

 a contractor, architect, subcontractor, or authorized 

 agent, as well as with the owner. 



Amending one section of the law for the creation 

 and regulation of private corporations. 



To provide free turnpike and graved roads. On 

 petition of 15 per cent, of the voters of any county. 

 the county judge shall appoint an election to de- 

 termine whether a majority is in favor of issuing 

 bonds for the purchase and maintenance of the 

 turnpike roads of the county free of toll to the 

 traveling public : and the act prescribes the method 

 of procedure in case the vote is in favor of such 

 purchase. 



Prohibiting private brands on stamp heads of 

 whisky barrels. 



Providing for compulsory education by requiring 

 that every child of school age shall attend school 

 not less than twelve weeks in each year, and for- 

 bidding the employment of children who have not 

 so attended. 



The following amendment to the Constitution 

 was agreed upon, and will be submitted to the 

 voters : 



" The General Assembly may. by general laws, 

 provide for taxation by municipalities, of property 

 other than lands and improvements thereon, based 

 on income, licenses, or franchises, which may be 

 either in addition to, or in lieu of, ad valorem taxes 

 thereon.' 1 



Political. The Republican State Convention 

 met at Louisville. April 15-16. T. L. Morrow was 

 temporary and C. R. Blanford permanent chairman. 

 Both were so-called " Bradley men.'' The " McKin- 

 ley men " had 742 votes to' 834 of the " Bradley 

 men." Delegates to the national convention wen' 

 instructed to support Gov. Bradley as presidential 

 nominee, and to vote for him so long as his name 

 should remain before the convention : but if it 

 should be withdrawn, they were then to vote for 

 Mr. McKinley. Three of the four delegates at 

 large were the" men preferred by the friends of the 

 Governor. 



The resolutions favored protective tariff and reci- 

 procity ; declared for the Monroe doctrine ; ex- 



d sympathy for Cuba: declared in favor of 

 maintaining and extending the 1ree-school >\>tem; 

 and on the currency <jue>tion >aid : 



" We are opposed to the free and unlimited coin- 

 age of silver, believing that it would involv. 

 country in financial ruin. The gold dollar it 



dollar and tlie le liaMe to fluctuation, and 

 for these reasons and in order to conform ourstand- 

 ard to that of other great commercial natioi - 

 favor it as the standard money of the Tniied Stati-s 

 and the maintaining on a parity with it every other 

 dollar, whether of silver or paper." 



Following is the only resolution on State affairs: 



We indorse the Republican majority in the 

 1 1 -use of Representatives for its prompt and 

 adequate measures for the relief of the State i 

 tiry and the payment of the large deficit left by 

 the late Democratic administration, and condemn 

 the Democratic majority in the State Senate for 

 its refusal to assist the House in preserving the 

 honor and maintaining the credit of the Common- 

 wealth." 



At the Democratic county conventions a large 

 majority of the delegates chosen to the State con- 

 vention were in favor of free silver. Both factions 

 had made a vigorous canvass. The State conven- 

 tion was held in Lexington, June 3. C. J. Bron- 

 stan. candidate of the silver delegates, was elected 

 temporary chairman by a vote of 691 to 206. All 

 the delegates chosen to the national convention 

 were free-silver men. They were instructed to cast 

 the vote of the State in the convention as a unit for 

 Plon. J. C. S. Blackburn for President, and to use 

 all honorable means to secure his nomination. 



The resolutions expressed opposition to the na- 

 tional bank system and the retirement of green- 

 backs declared in favor of tariff for revenue only ; 

 condemned the A. P. A. : condemned the calling 

 out of the State militia by the Governor ; and said 

 of the currency : 



" We are in favor of an honest dollar, a dollar 

 worth neither more nor less than one hundred 

 cents. We favor bimetallism, and to that end we 

 demand free and unlimited coinage of both gold 

 and silver at the ratio of 16 to 1 as standard money, 

 with equal legal-tender power, independent of the 

 advice of any other nation. 



" We hold that the Secretary of the Treasury 

 should exercise his legal right to redeem all coin 

 obligations in gold or silver, as may be more con- 

 venient, and are opposed to the issue of bonds in 

 time of peace for the maintenance of the gold re- 

 serve or for any other purpose." 



At the State convention of the People's party, in 

 Paducah. July 20. a platform strongly opposed to 

 the plan for the adoption by the national conven- 

 tion of the Chicago ticket and platform was carried 

 by a vote of 240 to 170. A plan of fusion with the 

 silver Democrats was arranged Sept. 22. by which 

 2 of the Populist electors were to be placed upon 

 the ticket and the others withdrawn. 



The National Democrats held a convention at 

 Louisville, Aug. 20, with about 300 delegates. J. 

 R. Hindman was elected temporary and J. Q. 

 Ward permanent chairman. The report of the 

 Committee on Resolutions was adopted unanimously. 

 After approving the teachings of Jefferson. Jack- 

 son, Benton. Ti'lden, and Cleveland, the report de- 

 manded a currency measured by the existing gold 

 standard, to consist of gold with a bank currency 

 well secured and redeemable in gold, with the use 

 of silver and other metals within the reasonable 

 limits prescribed by convenience and safety and to 

 be kept at par with irold. A tariff for revenue only 

 was demanded. The platform and candidates of 

 the Chicago convention were declared undemo- 

 cratic, and 12 reasons were given for pronouncing 



