436 



KENTUCKY. 



5. Kentucky is unalterably opposed to every form 

 of lawlessness, whether committed under the cover 

 of unconstitutional enactments or organized bands ; 

 and we pledge ourselves, as occasion may arise, to 

 use every legal means to prevent the one, and to 

 have enacted such laws as experience may demon- 

 strate to be necessary to put down and punish the 

 other, and secure to every person ample protection 

 of life, liberty, and property, under laws enacted by 

 our own Legislature, and administered by our own 

 courts. 



The Republican party met in State Conven- 

 tion at Frankfort, on May 17th, and nomi- 

 nated a full ticket ; its candidates were as fol- 

 lows: For Governor, John M. Harlan; for 

 Lieutenant-Goveruor, George M. Thomas ; for 

 Attorney-General, "William Brown ; for Audi- 

 tor, William Krepperstaple ; for Treasurer, 

 Speed S. Fry ; for Registrar of the Land-Office, 

 J. K. McClary ; for Superintendent of Public 

 Instruction, Vr. E. Moberly. They also adopt- 

 ed a series of resolutions as follows : 



The Kepublican party of Kentucky, in convention 

 assembled, submit for the consideration of their fel- 

 low-citizens the following resolutions, as embodying 

 their views of the political principles and some of 

 the measures of legislation that are best calculated 

 to promote the peace and prosperity of all the citi- 

 ' zens of the State : 



I. A State Convention should be called for the 

 purpose of making such amendments- to the con- 

 stitution of Kentucky as experience and events have 

 shown to be necessary. 



II. We are in favor of, and most cordially invite 

 immigration to our State. Kentucky needs immigra- 

 tion, that its vast agricultural, mineral, and manu- 

 facturing resources may be developed. To this end 

 the people of Kentucky should give immigrants a 

 hearty welcome, and by legislation and otherwise as- 

 sure them that they will be secure in their lives, 

 liberty, and property, free to express their political 

 and religious opinions. "We favor the largest indi- 

 vidual liberty, secured by impartial laws efficiently 

 enforced. 



III. We arraign the so-called Democratic party of 

 Kentucky because of its unjust and timid policy 

 through the Legislature, composed almost exclusive- 

 ly of members of that party ; it is culpable alike for 

 its action and non-action : 



1. It persistently refused to pass any efficient law 

 for the suppression of that form of lawlessness 

 known as Ku-kluxism, which notoriously prevailed 

 in many parts of the State ; intimidating and murder- 

 ing peaceful citizens, defying the officers of the law, 

 overawing the courts, and boldly invading the capi- 

 tal while the General Assembly was in session. 



2. No man's life, liberty, or property, is or can be 

 secure without the right to complain and be heard 

 before the public tribunals of the country, and yet 

 the Kentucky Legislature stubbornly refused to pass 

 a law giving equal rights in this regard before and in 

 the courts to our colored fellow-citizens. We de- 

 nounce the denial of this equal right before the law as 

 unchristian, and unworthy the age in which we live. 



3. It has largely increased the public debt and 

 wasted the public money. 



4. It has so shaped the legislation of the State as to 

 turn the tide of immigration and capital from this to 

 other States, and so pandered to the passions inci- 

 dent to the late civil war as to keep alive a spirit of 

 sectionalism, and place the people of Kentucky in an 

 attitude of hostility to the inevitable results of the 

 war. 



* 5. Tt has unjustly discriminated against the colored 

 population by exempting from sale for debt the 

 homesteads of white persons only. 



6. It failed to perform the high and solemn duty 



of a government in not making adequate provision 

 for the education of all the children of the State. 



7. The platform of the late Democratic Convention 

 promises no change of policy by that party. 



IV. We trust that every portion of the State will 

 ere long be traversed by railroads, thereby securing to 

 the people of each locality easy and cheap communi- 

 cation with every part of the country. Enterprise 

 and capital should, by liberal and prudent legisla- 

 tion, be invited to the accomplishment of works of 

 internal improvement ; and all legislation tending 

 to make strong and perpetual existing railroad mo- 

 nopolies ; absorbing the capital of the State and con- 

 trolling its politics^ or a denial to any portion of the 

 State of equal railroad facilities with any other, 

 should not be tolerated, because it is detrimental to 

 the best interests of the State, and unjust. And we 

 condemn the Kentucky Legislature for its persistent 

 refusal to adopt and act upon this principle. 



V. Acquiescence in the thirteenth, fourteenth, and 

 fifteenth amendments to the Constitution of the 

 United States, and their enforcement by equal, just, 

 and impartial laws in all parts of the country, ia 

 essential to our peace and prosperity, and to the per- 

 petuity of republican institutions. The attempt of 

 the so-called Democracy of Kentucky to prevent the 

 enforcement of the provisions of those amendments 

 is revolutionary in character, hostile to the peace of 

 the State and nation, and perilous to republican in- 

 stitutions. 



VI. With charity for all; with malice toward 

 none ; with a firm determination to pursue the right, 

 as God gives us to see the right, we are in favor of 

 complete amnesty to all of our fellow-citizens, of 

 every State, who are laboring nnder disabilities by 

 reason of their participation in the late rebellion. 

 We earnestly desire the restoration of friendly rela- 

 tions with the people of our sister States lately in 

 arms against the national authority, and earnestly 

 wish for them all the blessings and prosperity to be 

 enjoyed under a republican form of government. 



A statement of the Auditor on June 12th, in 

 regard to the State debt, is as follows : 



When the present administration took charge of 

 the State government in 1867, the bonded indebted- 

 ness of the Commonwealth was as follows : 



Total debt $4,611,199 46 



The amount of debt paid since October 10, 



1867, to May 20, 1571 1,767,50800 



Balance $2,843,691 46 



To this balance should be added $19,789.27, unex- 

 pended school surplus, transferred to the sinking 

 fund, and bonds issued therefor as required by 

 amended school laws. 

 So that the debt has been diminished $1,767,508. 



RECAPITULATION. 



Amount of debt owing by the State, October 



10,1867 $4, 61 1 , 1 99 46 



Amount of accumulated school surplus from 



October 10, 1867, to May 20, 1871 19,789 27 



$4,630,888 73 



Deduct amount of bonds redeemed from Oc- 

 tober 10, 1867, to May 20, 1871 1,767,508 00 



Total State debt, May 20, 1871 $2,863,480 73 



Of this amount of indebtedness, $1,652,086.73 is 

 due to the school fund as a permanent loan, and 

 therefore not redeemable ; and the balance, to wit, 

 $1.211,394, constitutes the State debt proper, and has 

 to be paid at maturity of bonds. 



To meet this liability, the commissioners of the 

 sinking fund hold resources amounting in the ag- 

 gregate to the sum of $2,589,345.02, leaving a balance 

 of resources over indebtedness of $1,377,951.02, to say 

 nothing of nearly $1,200.000 of "war claims," due 

 and owing the State by the Federal Government for 

 advances made during the war, which is in process 

 of collection. D. HOWAKD SMITH, Auditor. 



