MINNESOTA. 



453 



Resolved, That we are in favor of equal rights to all 

 men, exclusive privileges to none ; the bondholding 

 wealth of the country to be taxed equally with the 

 poor man's property. 



Resolved, That, while we entertain a due respect for 

 the opinions of those who differ with us, we are op- 

 posed to the enactment of sumptuary laws, as a viola- 

 tion of the personal liberty of the citizen. 



Resolved, That the proper accountability of public 

 officers to the people is inconsistent with extremely 

 long terms in office by any individual ; that the office' 

 of State Auditor should frequently receive a new, 

 faithful, and competent incumbent, as the best pro- 

 tection of the State Treasury from spoliation; that 

 transactions in school and other public lands by the 

 State Auditor, or his agents and partners, are incom- 

 patible with the honest discharge of duty. 



Resolved, That the long possession of power by any 

 party or faction begets corruption, and is apt to trans- 

 form a free republic into an oligarchy of office-hold- 

 ers, unless prevented by frequent changes in office : 

 that it is the duty of the people in the towns and 

 country, as well as in the State, to defeat the too fre- 

 quent reelection of office-holders, and thereby secure 

 purity in the management of town and county affairs, 

 prevent speculation in public funds, and defeat the 

 formation of corrupt rings and cliques at the county 

 seats and the State capital, to which end the Legisla- 

 ture should reduce the fees of office to the lowest rate 

 that can secure the services of competent officers. 



On motion to embody in their platform a 

 resolution expressing the views of the party in 

 regard to the proposed fifteenth amendment 

 to the Constitution of the United States, after 

 some debate, it was resolved to make no men- 

 tion of the said amendment, but ignore it alto- 

 gether. As candidates for State officers the 

 Democrats nominated Hon. George L. Otis, for 

 Governor; J. A. Wiswell, for Lieutenant-Gov- 

 ernor; T. G. Fladeland, for Secretary of State; 

 Hon. Seagrave Smith, for Attorney-General; 

 L. A. Evans, for State Auditor; Casper Babe- 

 rich, for State Treasurer; Hon. Charles E. 

 Flandreau, for Chief Justice of the Supreme 

 Court; and W. T. Bonnivell, for Clerk of the 

 Supreme Court. 



A third party sprang up in Minnesota last 

 year, under the title of " State Temperance " 

 party, which, for earnestness and determination 

 of purpose, and the means intended to be used 

 for accomplishing it, would seem to bid fair to 

 become a powerful engine in controlling the 

 government of the State, even in civil matters. 

 In its first organization its members had no 

 intention to engage in the political arena as a 

 separate body. Assuming a strictly neutral at- 

 titude, they resolved to stand by that one of the 

 two existing parties which should support the 

 cause of temperance, and to give each of them 

 an official notice of their views. 



This appeal was made to both Republicans 

 and Democrats at the time they were assem- 

 bled in State Convention respectively, but 

 was made in vain. After hearing the pro- 

 posal and considering the matter, each of these 

 parties adopted an appropriate resolution, ex- 

 pressing its dissent from the views of the 

 Good Templars on principle, and declining to 

 cooperate in carrying them out. Hereupon the 

 temperance men assumed a new position, by 

 erecting their association into a political party, 



and, as such, held a State Convention at St. 

 Paul on the 6th of October, when they pro- 

 claimed their purpose and policy in the follow- 

 ing platform : 



Whereas, Protection and allegiance are reciprocal 

 duties, and every citizen who yields obedience to the 

 just commands of his government is entitled to the 

 full, complete, and perfect protection of that govern- 

 ment in the enjoyment of personal security, personal 

 liberty, and private property; and 



Whereas, The traffic in intoxicating drinks greatly 

 impairs the personal security and personal liberty of 

 large masses of citizens, and renders private property 

 insecure ; and 



Whereas, The existing parties are hopelessly un- 

 willing to adopt an adequate policy on this question : 

 Therefore we, in State Convention assembled, citizens 

 of this free Commonwealth, sharing in the duties and 

 responsibilities of its government, in the discharge of 

 a solemn duty we owe to our country and our race, 

 unite in the following declaration of principles : 



Resolved, That we believe fully in the principle of 

 free government, and securing at once the rights of 

 the States severally and their inseparable union, by 

 the Federal Constitution. We would not merely 

 garnish the sepulchres of our republican fathers, but 

 we do renew pur solemn pledges of fealty to the im- 

 perishable principles of civil and religious liberty em- 

 bodied in the Declaration of American Independence 

 and our Federal Constitution. 



2. That the traffic in intoxicating beverages is a dis- 

 honor to Christian civilization, inimical to the best 

 interests of society, a political wrong of unequalled 

 enormity, subversive of the ordinary objects of gov- 

 ernment, not capable of being regulated or restrained 

 by any system of license whatever, but imperatively 

 demanding for its suppression the passage of a prohib- 

 itory law both by State and national Legislature. 



3t That in view of this, and inasmuch as the exist- 

 ing political parties either oppose or ignore this great 

 and paramount question, and insolently refuse to do 

 any thing toward the suppression of the rum-traffic, 

 which is robbing the nation of its brightest intellects, 

 and destroying its natural prosperity, and rapidly 

 undermining its very foundations, we are driven^by 

 an imperative sense of duty to sever our connection 

 with these political parties, and organize ourselves 

 into a State Temperance party, having for its primary 

 object the entire suppression of the traffic in intoxi- 

 cating drinks. 



Resolved, That we regard the sanctity of the Chris- 

 tian Sabbath as lying at the foundation of civil as 

 well as religious liberty, and any infraction of the 

 Sunday laws we hold to be an injury to the body 

 politic. 



Resolved, That we are opposed to any disposition 

 of the 500,000 acres of internal improvement lands 

 for any purpose, except the proposition be first sub- 

 mitted to the people. 



Resolved, That the interest of the masses of the 

 people requires a modification of the present exorbi- 

 tant tariff, and that justice to the agricultural interests 

 of the country demands prompt action, on the part of 

 Congress at the next session, upon the subject. 



Before appointing their State Central Com- 

 mittee, and adjourning, they also nominated 

 their candidates for State officers, namely : Rev. 

 Daniel Cobb, for Governor; John A. Stevens, 

 for Lieutenant-Governor ; J. H. Thompson, for 

 Secretary of State ; J. Ham Davidson, for At- 

 torney-General ; J. C. Randolph, for State 

 Auditor ; Robert Stewart, for State Treasurer ; 

 Hon. Edward O. Hamlin, for Chief Justice of 

 the Supreme Court; and A. P. Connelly, for 

 Clerk of the Supreme Court. 



Minnesota seems unusually prolific in politi- 



