rMTKD STATES <>F AMKKICA. 





depends the continuance of the telephone monop- 

 oly iii the I'nited States: the Smith Carolina dispen- 

 sary ease-*, involving the validity of -tune features of 

 the South Carolina liquor law: and Franee /.->. I'nited 

 States, involving the constitutionality and con- 

 struetion of tlie anti-lottery act of March '.2. 1. *!.". 



Presidential Election. The presidential can- 

 vass of Is'.Mi began with eight nominees for eaeli of 

 the two highest oflices within the gift of the people. 

 The -everal political conventions assembled on va- 

 rious dates, the earliest being those of the Prohibi- 

 tion party. Then followed, in the order named, the 

 Republican, Democratic. Socialist-Labor. Populist. 

 Silver Party and National Democratic conventions. 

 To accord with the general plan of the "Annual." the 

 proceedings and platforms will be dealt with in this 

 article according to the dates on which they occurred 

 or were promulgated. The following is a complete 

 list of the nominees : 



Prohibition (Regular). Joshua Levering, of 

 Maryland : Hale Johnson, of Illinois. 



Prohibition (National Party). Charles E. Bent- 

 ley, of Nebraska ; James Haywood Southgate, of 

 North Carolina. 



Republican. William McKinley, of Ohio; Gar- 

 ret Augustus Hobart, of New Jersey. 



Democratic (Free Silver). William Jennings 

 Bryan, of Nebraska: Arthur Sewall, of Maine. 



Socialist-Labor. Charles II. Matchett, of New- 

 York; Matthew Maguire, of NewJer 



Populist. William Jennings Bryan, of Nebraska : 

 Thomas E. Watson, of Georgia. 



Silver Party.- William Jennings Bryan, of Ne- 

 braska ; Arthur Sewall. of Maine. 



Democrat ii' (National). John McAuley Palmer, 

 of Illinois; Simon Bolivar Buckner, of Kentucky. 



Prohibition Convention. Nearly three weeks 

 before the opening of the Republican Convention the 

 leaders and State delegates of the Prohibition party 

 met at Pittsburg, Pa., on May 28,1896. From their 

 camp were fired the first shots of the presidential 

 campaign. 



Shortly after the convention assembled differ- 

 ences of opinion arose as to the nature of the plat- 

 form to be adopted. The majority or " narrow- 

 gauge" report, as amended, declared for prohibition 

 as the sole party issue. On this platform Joshua 

 Levering, of Baltimore, Md., was nominated for 

 President, and Hale Johnson, of Illinois, for Vice- 

 President. The following is the platform : 



The Prohibition party, in national convention assem- 

 bled, declares its conviction that the manufacture, expor- 

 tation, importation, and sale of alcoholic beverages has 

 produced such social, commercial, industrial, and political 

 wrongs, and is now so threatening the perpetuity of all 

 our social and political institutions that the suppression 

 of the same by a national party, organized therefor, is the 

 greatest object to be accomplished by the voters of our 

 country, and is of such importance as that it. of right, ought 

 to control the political action of all our patriotic citizens 

 until such suppression is accomplished. 



The urgency of this cause demands the union without 

 further delay of all citizens who desire the prohibition of 

 the liquor traffic ; therefore, 



/,'. x,, I ,:,!, That we favor the legal prohibition by - 

 and national legislation of the manufacture, importation, 

 exportation, and interstate transportation and sale of alco- 

 holic beverages; that we declare our purpose to organize 

 and unite all the friends of prohibition into one party : 

 and in order to accomplish this end we deem it but right 

 to leave every Prohibitionist the freedom of his own con- 

 victions upon all other political questions, and trust our 

 representatives to take such action upon other political 

 questions as the change occasioned by prohibition and 

 the welfare of the whole people shall demand. 



The signers of the minority report, headed by ex- 

 Gov. St. John, called for planks in the platform in 

 favor of free coinage, government control of rail- 

 roads and telegraphs, an income tax, etc. 



The vole in favor of the majority report Wt 

 to ;510. After the nomination of Bentley ami John- 

 son, the minority rep i and their adhen 



about 'JOO in number, including all active adv. 

 of woman sullr::. .vcr. and populism, with- 



drew from the convention. They then held a : 

 ing in a separate hall and organi/ed the " National 

 Pally." with "Home Uule" a- a motto. They took 

 as a basis for their platform the minority or " broad 

 gauge " reports to the regular convention. 



.\ nf i,,, ml J'tirty. Tin 1 platform of this party 

 was as follows : 



Prohibit inn.- The suppn-s.~ii.il of the manufacture and 

 sale, importation, exportation, and transportation of in- 

 toxicatinir liquors for 'A'e utterly 



reject all plans for regulating or compromising ith this 

 traffic, whether such plans be called local ojiti<>n, tax- 

 ation, license, or public control. The sale of liquors for 

 medicinal and other legitimate uses should be conducted 

 by the State, without profit, and \\ith such regulations 

 as will prevent fraud or evasion. 



Wiiiniiit - \<> citizen should be denied the 



right to vote on account of sex. 



.'/c/;/p. All money should be issued by the. 

 <;< -iii-nil Government only, and without the intervention 

 of any private citizen, corporation, or banking institu- 

 tion. It should be based upon the wealth. staMlity, and 

 integrity of the nation. It should be a full legal tender 

 for all "debts, public and private, and should be of full 

 volume to meet the demands of the legitimate business 

 interests of the country. For the purpose of honestly 

 liquidating our outstanding coin obligations, we favor 

 the free and unlimited coinage of both" silver and gold, 

 at a ratio of 16 to 1. without consulting any other nation. 



Public Land*. Land is the common heritage of the 

 people and should be preserved from monopoly and 

 speculation. All unearned grants of land, subject to for- 

 feiture, should be reclaimed bv the Government, and no 

 portion of the public domain should hereafter be granted 

 except to actual settlers, continuous use being essential 

 to tenure. 



:,trol of Railroads. Railroads, telegraphs, and other 

 natural monopolies should be owned and operated by the 

 niment, giving to the people the benefit of the serv- 

 ice at actual cost. 



I/n'ome Tax. The National Constitution should be so 

 amended as to allow the National revenues to be raised 

 by equitable adjustment of taxation on the properties 

 aiid incomes of the people : and import duties should be 

 levied as a imans of securing equitable commercial rela- 

 tions with other nations. 



<.'< rict Labor. The contract convict labor system, 

 through which speculators are enriched at the expense 

 of the State, should be abolished. 



Sunday. All citizens should be protected by law in 

 their right to one day of rest in seven, without op; 

 ing any who conscientiously observe any other than the 

 tirst day of the week. 



PvbUe .s'<-A''/.<. The American public schools, taught 

 in the English language, should be maintained, and no 

 public funds should be appropriated for sectarian insti- 

 tutions. 



//-/// '_,f ]'i-'*id>iit and >' nntnrs by the People. The 

 President. Vk-e-President. and United States Senators 

 should be elected by direct vote of the people. 



Pensions. Ex-soldiers and sailors of the I'nited States 

 Armv and Navy, their widows and minor children, 

 should receive liberal pensions, graded on disability and 

 term of service, not merely as a debt of gratitude, but lor 

 service rendered in the preservation of the Union. 



Imnuiirntion und Alien Snfrage.O\a: immigration 

 laws should be so revised as to exclude paupers and 

 criminals. None but citizens of the United States should 

 be allowed to vote in any State, and naturalized citizens 

 should not vote until one year after naturalization papers 

 have been issued. 



The Referendum. The initiative and referendum, and 

 proportional representation, should be adopted. 



Having herein presented our principles and pur: 

 we invite the co-operation and support of all citizens 

 who are with us substantially agreed. 



On this platform. Charles E. Bentley. of Nebraska, 

 and James Haywood Southgate, of North Carolina, 

 were nominated for President and Vice-President. 



