NEW YORK. 



489 



charged his executive duties, has not only com- 

 manded the hearty approval of the Democracy of 

 New York, but secured the confidence and respect 

 of a large class of our political opponents who hold 

 the honor of the Empire State dearer than partisan 

 success. Our citizens owe it to themselves, as well 

 as to Governor Hoffman, to elect a Legislature that 

 will aid rather than thwart him in carrying into 

 effect measures of administrative and legislative re- 

 form. 



Resolved, That the State officers this day renomi- 

 nated command the confidence of the Democratic 

 masses as cordially and as unanimously as they have 

 that of this convention, and that to them and their 

 colleagues on the ticket we pledge a united and en- 

 thusiastic and triumphant support. 



The Republican Convention met at Syracuse 

 on the 29th of September, and made its nomi- 

 nations as follows : Secretary of State, George 

 William Curtis, of Richmond; Comptroller, 

 Thomas Hillhouse, Albany; Engineer and 

 Surveyor, General John C. Robinson, Broome ; 

 Canal Commissioner, Stephen T. Hayt, Steu- 

 ben; Treasurer, Thomas I. Chatfield, Tioga; 

 Attorney-General, Martin I. Townsend, Rens- 

 selaer ; State Prison Inspector, Daniel D. Con- 

 over, New York. For the Court of Appeals, 

 Judges Woodruff and Mason were renomi- 

 nated. 



Subsequently Mr. Curtis and Mr. Hillhouse 

 declined to stand as candidates for the offices 

 to which they had been nominated, and the 

 Central Committee placed the name of General 

 Franz Sigel on the ticket for Secretary of 

 State, and that of Horace Greeley for Comp- 

 troller. The platform of the party was embodied 

 in the following resolutions : 



Resolved, That the public debt, by principal and 

 interest, shall be paid in coin as the same matures ; 

 and that repudiation of any part thereof, either di- 

 rectly or ^indirectly, or by any device or subterfuge, 

 would bring dishonor upon the nation and demorali- 

 zation and disaster upon the people. 



Resolved, That taxation ought to be equal and 

 simple, and rendered as little burdensome to the 

 citizens as the nature of the case will possibly allow. 



Resolved, That the Government is bound by the 

 most sacred obligations to protect its citizens, 

 whether native or foreign born, wherever they may 



' 



Resolved, That every American citizen, whether 

 naturalized or native, should have an equal right to 

 the suffrage without regard to nation, race, or re- 

 ligion. 



Resolved, That the fifteenth amendment to the 

 Constitution of the United States, as proposed, ought 

 to be adopted. 



Resolved, That we deeply sympathize with all peo- 

 ple everywhere who are down-trodden and oppressed 

 by a privileged class or by unjust rule. 



Resolved, That the great success and prosperity of 

 pur Government, under the guidance of Divine Prov- 

 idence, imposes upon us duties toward our Cuban 

 neighbors, who, imitating the example of our fathers, 

 are struggling for liberty against an arbitrary and 

 oppressive government in which they are allowed no 

 representation, and in whose administration they 

 have no share ; that whenever the facts in possession 

 of our Government will justify the recognition of 

 Cuban belligerency, we shall heartily approve such 

 recognition, and pledge our cordial support to any 

 action on the part of the Government tending to the 

 final annexation of Cuba, whenever she shall have 

 achieved her independence, and her people desire such 

 action. 



Resolved, That we heartily congratulate our coun- 

 trymen of all parties on the peace, order, and securi- 

 ty, almost universally realized under the wise, firm, 

 moderate, and frugal rule of President Grant and his 

 chosen councillors, and we point with pride to the 

 activity and prosperity of our national industry, to 

 our abundant revenue, restored credit, and rapidly- 

 diminishing public debt, as a demonstration of the 

 patriotic wisdom the people evinced in their latest 

 choice of President and Vice-President. 



Resolved, That the maintenance of our system of 

 public education and of common schools is essential 

 to the preservation of a republican government, 

 and to the advancement of intelligence and civiliza- 

 tion, and that we are opposed to every attempt on the 

 part of our State Legislature to appropriate any 

 money of the people to the support of sectarian 

 schools, or the diversion of the scnool funds to the 

 maintenance of any sectarian institution. 



Resolved, That the Republican party is now, as it 

 ever has been, the true friend of the canals of the 

 State, and we believe that it is the true policy so to 

 increase the facilities for the navigation thereof as to 

 insure to all connected therewith a sure and speedy 

 transmission of property, and, with a consequent in- 

 creased business, warrant a reduction of tolls to a 

 point which shall simply secure their safe navigation, 

 defray the cost of their proper maintenance, and 

 insure the speedy extinguishment of the canal debt. 



Resolved, That we request our next Legislature to 

 pass laws which will secure the right of every legal 

 voter, whether native or naturalized, against invasion 

 and overthrow by such frauds as deprived Grant and 

 Colfax of the electoral vote of the State, and John A. 

 Griswold, and those upon the same State ticket, of 

 the offices to which they were fairly elected. 



An attempt was made to have the following 

 resolution inserted in the platform, but with- 

 out success: 



Resolved, That as the sale of intoxicating liquors 

 is recognized by the laws of civilized countries, as 

 well as by both political parties in this State, as a 

 proper subject of legislative restraint ; and, as there 

 is a diversity of opinion in the Republican party as 

 to the extent to which legal restraint ought to be 

 carried, and, as the present State law outside of New 

 York City requires the petition of twenty-five free- 

 holders as a condition of license whenever a 

 majority of legal voters of any town shall remon- 

 strate against such sale, no license ought to be 

 granted until a similar majority petition theVefbr, 

 and that this is in harmony with the great doctrine 

 of the right of the majority to rule. 



This was laid on the table by a vote of 223 

 to 153. 



One of the issues involved in the State 

 election in November was the adoption of the 

 new constitution, framed by the Convention 

 of 186T. The Legislature had provided for its 

 submission to the suffrages of the people, a 

 separate vote being taken on the provision re- 

 lating to suffrages, taxation, and the judiciary. 



The principal change proposed on the sub- 

 ject of the elective franchise was a removal of 

 the restriction upon the right of negroes to 

 vote, which is contained in the old constitution. 

 The section respecting taxation, which was 

 to be separately voted on, was in these words : 

 " Real and personal property shall be subject 

 to a uniform rule of assessment and taxation." 

 The amended judiciary article introduced some 

 important changes in the organization of the 

 Court of Appeals, and provided for submitting 

 to a vote of the people the question of having the 



