KEW HAMPSHIRE. 



543 



the true interests of labor, and will continue so to 

 do. 



Resolved, That the wealth of the nation should 

 pay its debt, and hence we are opposed to abolishing 

 the income-tax, or taxes upon those luxuries that 

 wealth only can afford, Avhile we favor the reduction 

 of all taxes upon the necessaries of life. 



Resolved, That the Republican party of New Hamp- 

 shire looks with alarm upon the efforts made to 

 squander the public lands in the interest of schemes 

 backed by railroad speculators, lobbyists, and stock- 

 gamblers, and is oppdsed to each and every one of 

 them ; and, while it opposes them, looks with favor 



rti any act that may give a homestead to each dis- 

 d soldier who perilled his life to put down the 

 slaveholders' rebellion, and save this nation to equal- 

 ity of labor, religious toleration, and liberty. 



The Democratic Convention met at Con- 

 cord, on the llth of January, and nominated 

 James A. Weston, of Manchester, for Governor, 

 and David Gilchrist, of Franklin, for Railroad 

 Commissioner. The platform adopted declared 

 in favor of recognizing the paramount author- 

 ity of the Federal Constitution ; denounced 

 interference by the military power with the 

 exercise of the suffrage \ expressed hostility to 

 all privileged classes ; denounced thieves and 

 plunderers of the public Treasury ; favored a 

 revenue tariff for the support of the Govern- 

 ment, but opposed all taxation for protection ; 

 opposed the importation of laborers from 

 China, as degrading to the dignity of American 

 labor ; protested against the leading measures 

 of the national Government under Republican 

 administration as unjust ; demanded a reduc- 

 tion in public expenses and the rate of taxa- 

 tion, and called for a protection of the public 

 domain from speculators and the exorbitant 

 demands of corporations. 



On the 12th, a convention was held, com- 

 posed of delegates in favor of a prohibition of 

 the sale of intoxicating liquors. The majority, 

 however, were satisfied with the action of the 

 Republican Convention and the character of 

 its nominees, and no independent ticket was 

 agreed upon. A portion of the delegates, not 

 satisfied with the proceedings, held a conven- 

 tion of their own, and nominated Rev. M. S. 

 Cummings for Governor. There was also a 

 Labor Reform Convention, which named Lemu- 

 el N". Cooper, of Croydon, as its candidate for 

 Governor; but it was generally understood 

 that the party of Labor Reform, which was 

 not very strong, would act with the Demo- 

 crats. 



The election took place on the second Tues- 

 day in March, and resulted in no choice of 

 Governor by the people. The whole vote was 

 69,729, of which Weston received 34,700, and 

 Pike 33,892. Two Democrats and two Re- 

 publicans were elected to the Executive Coun- 

 cil, and in the first district there was no choice. 

 In the twelve senatorial districts, six Demo- 

 crats and five Republicans were chosen, the 

 canvass in the first district showing that no 

 choice had been made. To the Lower House 

 of the Legislature 168 Democrats were elected, 

 and 162 Republicans, four Labor Reform Repre- 

 sentatives being classed as Democrats. Dem- 



ocratic Congressmen were chosen from all 

 three districts, as follows : Ellery A. Hibbard 

 from the first, Samuel N. Bell from the second, 

 and Hosea W. Parker from the third. 



The Legislature assembled at the capitol on 

 the 7th of June. Besides the vacancy in the 

 Senate resulting from lack of a choice in the 

 first district, another had been occasioned by 

 the death of Mr. Thrasher, of the tenth. Ac- 

 cording to the constitution, these vacancies 

 were to be filled by a vote of the House of Rep- 

 resentatives, and those members of the Sen- 

 ate who had been declared elected, upon the 

 two names receiving the highest number of 

 votes in each of the vacant districts. The 

 nearly equal division of the Legislature be- 

 tween the two parties caused the elections to 

 attract an unusual amount of attention, though 

 the preponderance in a full session of the two 

 branches appeared to be Democratic. There 

 was, however, some uncertainty regarding the 

 course of the Labor Reformers. Several days 

 were occupied in the election. A Democrat 

 was chosen to the vacancy in the Council, and 

 also for Senator from the first district. Both 

 constitutional candidates for the Senate in the 

 tenth district were understood to be Republi- 

 cans ; but Judge Alvah Smith, it was said, was 

 a Labor Reformer, and had promised to act 

 with the Democrats, and he was accordingly 

 chosen. The election of Governor was then 

 proceeded with, and 326 votes were cast, of 

 which James Pike received 159, and James A. 

 Weston, 167. The inauguration of Governor 

 Weston, with the usual ceremonies, took place 

 on the 14th of June, and the Legislature then 

 proceeded with its regular business, having for 

 the first time in sixteen years a Democratic 

 majority. In the early part of the proceed- 

 ings, a Railroad Commissioner, Secretary of 

 State, Treasurer, and Commissary-General, 

 were elected, all Democrats. 



Several sheriffs and other county officers 

 were removed by the form of proceeding 

 called an " Address " to the Governor, which 

 was usually adopted by a strict party-vote, 

 the object apparently being to give an oppor- 

 tunity for a new election where the majority 

 of voters had become Democratic. Proceedings 

 of this kind were, however, checked by the op- 

 position of Judge Smith, who generally voted 

 with the Republicans. A scheme was much 

 talked of for ousting him from his seat, but 

 was never put in operation. 



The Republican Senators acknowledged his 

 services to their party by adopting the follow- 

 ing resolution : 



Resolved, That the thanks of the Republicans of 

 the Senate and of the Republicans of New Hamp- 

 shire are due to Senator Alvah Smith for the fearless- 

 ness and patriotism with which he has performed 

 his official duties. Having been during a long and 

 honorable life a consistent antislavery man and Re- 

 publican, he refused to vote, on the pretext of Labor 

 Reform, for unwise partisan and revolutionary legis- 

 lation, designed solely to bring into political power in 

 State and nation the Democratic party, which he had 

 always opposed. For this action, in accordance with 



