206 



CONNECTICUT. 



pose of economy in the public expenditures is the 

 best and most certain means of extinguishing the 

 public debt, and leading to a general and safe re- 

 sumption of specie payments j and to this end we de- 

 mand of our representatives in Congress and in the 

 Legislature the sternest opposition to all appropria- 

 tions, that are not absolutely required for the support 

 of the Government, until every creditor of the same 

 is paid his honest dues to the uttermost farthing. 



Resolved, That we view with increasing alarm the 

 progress of the radical policy in the Congress of the 

 United States, by which the division lines between 

 the State and the Federal Government, and the sev- 

 eral departments of the same Government, are near- 

 ly obliterated ; by which the great interests of the 

 country, its revenue laws, its lands, its incorpora- 

 tions, its contracts, are made subservient to the ^ in- 

 terests of unscrupulous politicians, which policy is a 

 continued blight upon our national character, is de- 

 structive of the commercial, agricultural, and manu- 

 facturing interests of the country, and falls ^ with 

 crushing effect upon hard-handed labor, which is the 

 source of all our wealth, while it is the least able to 

 bear the heavy burdens thrown upon it by such reck- 

 less and tyrannical legislation. 



Resolved, That we heartily invite all Conservative 

 men, regardless of their former party associations, to 

 unite with us in our" present efforts to save the State 

 from the malign influences of radicalism, they having 

 a common interest with us in the preservation of the 

 Constitution, and the prosperity of our common 

 country. 



Resolved, That we point with pride and satisfaction 

 to the successful administration of the executive af- 

 fairs of pur State by his Excellency Governor James 

 E. English, and with equal pride and pleasure to the 

 man whose pure character, honest and patriotic pur- 

 poses, unerring judgmentj marked ability and be- 

 nevolent heart, will make him in the future, as he has 

 been in the past t our invincible standard-bearer, 

 under whom we will once more rally, confident of a 

 triumphant victory. 



Resolved, That to the whole State ticket as nomi- 

 nated by us this day we pledge our warmest support, 

 confident that their merits and the interests of our 

 great cause will command for them the success which 

 is due to their character, ability, and devotion to the 

 best welfare of the State and nation. 



The Republicans, on their part, held their 

 State Convention at New Haven on February 

 3, 1869, for the purpose of nominating the 

 Governor and other State officers. Before ad- 

 journing, they adopted the platform reported 

 by their committee on resolutions, as follows : 



Resolved, That, having evinced our devotion to the 

 cause of our common country during the war, we now 

 declare our entire sympathy with the administration 

 of our national Government by the Republican 

 party, as we believe it will be administered by the 

 incoming Chief Magistrate and his associates, and 

 hereby pledge the Republicans of Connecticut to a 

 hearty cooperation with the national party of the 

 Constitution and the Union. 



Resolved^ That we heartily rejoice over the success 

 of the Union Republican party in the presidential 

 election, and its already beneficial effect 'upon peace 

 and order. We look with the highest hopes to the 

 coming Administration of General Grant, the able, 

 patriotic, honest, and inflexible soldier and states- 

 man, believing that our country's honor, at home 

 and abroad, will be safe in his keeping, and we pledge 

 him our enthusiastic support in protecting the equal 

 rights of the people and enforcing the severest super- 

 vision of the revenues and expenditures. And we 

 heartily approve in all respects the declarations of 

 the Republican national platform adopted at Chi- 



ved. That fall freedom and equal citizenship 



COTTON. 



of all citizens, native or adopted, having been estab- 

 lished by constitutional amendment, honor and jus- 

 tice as well as the preservation of our full represen- 

 tation in Congress, require that conditions of suffrage 

 should apply impartially to all men, so that this may 

 be truly a government " deriving its just powers 

 from the consent of the governed." 



Resolved, That we demand that loyal men through- 

 out the republic shall be protected in the right to 

 speak, print, assemble, vote, and petition, and in their 

 rights of person and property. 



Resolved, That we recognize the vast importance of 

 the pending issues concerning debt, currency, and tax- 

 ation. " The best policy to diminish the burden of 

 debt is to so improve our credit that capitalists will 

 seek to lend us money at lower rates than we now 

 pay." "We unreservedly denounce the wickedness 

 and meanness of repudiation in all its forms and dis- 

 guises, and believe it to be the duty of Congress to 



1. Formally, affirm that when the national debt is 

 paid it must be paid in gold, except where it is other- 

 wise distinctly provided for in the original contract. 



2. Introduce the strictest economy into every branch 

 of the Government. 



3. Refuse all subsidies and appropriations to rail- 

 road and other enterprises outside of the indispen- 

 sable machinery of the Government. 



4. See to it that the taxes are impartially levied 

 and energetically and honestly^ collected, and surplus 

 revenues applied to the reduction of the debt. 



5. Make it a constant aim to resume specie pay- 

 ment, and give the people a uniform and steady cur- 

 rency as soon as may be without a violent disturbance 

 of business ; and 



6. To remove taxation from labor and necessaries 

 of life, and to impose it as far as possible upon articles 

 of luxury. 



Resolved, That we denounce as enemies of the peo- 

 ple, and robbers, to be indignantly visited with the full 

 penalties of public opinion and statute law, all offi- 

 cials, State or national, who commit or permit dis- 

 honesty, partiality, or negligence, in the collection or 

 disbursement of the treasure of a greatly-burdened 

 people, and make thieving sport of the taxes that 

 patriotic labor cheerfully pays. No rebels were ever 

 so dangerous to the country we love. 



Resolved. That we point proudly to the fact that un- 

 der Republican legislation the credit of the State has 

 been fully maintained, taxes reduced yearly since the 

 close of the war, State charities liberally conducted, 

 and large payments made annually upon the principal 

 of the State debt. We call for short and industrious 

 sessions of the General Assembly, no expenditures 

 for mileage or other allowances save in the strictest 

 obedience to law and the necessities of the public 

 service, and economy as rigid as the true interests 

 and honor of the State will permit. 



Resolved, We renew our thanks to the soldiers and 

 sailors of the Union engaged in the late civil war, 

 and hereby express our sincere sympathy with those 

 who have suffered bereavement and loss in the cause 

 of the country. 



Resolved, That, in a government of the majority, 

 the absolute purity of the ballot-box is indispensable 

 to the perpetuity of republican institutions. 



Resolved, That we place in nomination to-day capa- 

 ble, faithful, and patriotic citizens, worthy of honor 

 and trust, and, reaffirming our determination to keep 

 the Republican party worthy to lead the destinies of a 

 free nation, we appeal to our fellow-citizens to repeat 

 in April the great triumph of last November. 



The returns of the election were as fol- 

 lows : For Governor, Marshall Jewell received 

 45,493 votes; and James E. English 45,082; 

 Jewell's majority 411. 



COTTON. The cotton crop of the season 

 ending September 1, 1869, shows a falling-off 

 from the amount of that important product 



