CONNECTICUT. 



CORNING, ERASTUS. 



223 



On September 11, 1872, the Democratic and 

 Liberal Republican parties in the State met 

 at Hartford, and adopted the following resolu- 

 tions : 



Whereas, The issues upon which for twenty years 

 parties in this countiy have divided are closed and 

 settled forever, and the demoralizing tendencies and 

 abuses of power of the party now dominant in the 

 Government have brought us to confront the vital 

 question whether the republic shall live and reach 

 forward toward a new career, or shall sink in the 

 hands of blind guides to the level of their own cor- 

 ruption ; and 



Whereas, In the face of this new issue, we the 

 representatives in convention of a popular desire for 

 reform, reconciliation, and peace, have assembled to 

 assert the purpose of the future : therefore 



Resolved, That we reaffirm the address to the peo- 

 ple and the platform adopted by the National Con- 

 ventions held at Cincinnati and Baltimore as the ex- 

 pression of our opinions and views. That address 

 and pledge being as follows : 



[Here follow Cincinnati platform and address.] 



Resolved, That, to this arraignment of the wicked- 

 ness and weakness of the Administration and party 

 in power, we add our most earnest protest against the^ 

 intolerant despotism of party which, in a republic of 

 free thought and in a State that boasts the largest 

 libsrty of political action, undertakes, by all the ap- 

 pliances known to corrupt and unscrupulous politi- 

 cians, to bind the freemen of Connecticut to the action 

 of a convention which in no sense represented them ; 

 that we demand for ourselves and all others such ab- 

 solute freedom of opinion and liberty of choice be- 

 tween parties as will relieve the voter from the strain 

 of partisan allegiance and free him from the press- 

 ure, in the canvass and at the polls, of the post- 

 master, the tide-waiter, and the assessor ; that while 

 we enter upon this contest with a profound convic- 

 tion that the interests of morality and purity demand 

 a change in the national Administration, that the in- 

 terests of good government demand a change of pol- 

 icy that shall substitute reconciliation and equal 

 rights for hatred and organized oppression the 

 reign of law and the establishment of order for tho 

 rule of the carpet-bagger and the thief and while 

 we unite with all good men in demanding reforms in. 

 the Administration and in the civil service we are 

 still more earnestly impressed with the necessity of 

 asserting, against party bigotry, narrowness, and 

 intolerance, the God-given right of free thought and 

 free opinion. Against the party that intimidates the 

 weak and hesitating, and bribes the venal, while it 

 uses its power to crush the opposing voter, no 

 matter what its record of the past or its promise for 

 the future, we make uncompromising war. 



Resolved, That we commend to the voters of 

 Connecticut the ticket for presidential electors this 

 day nominated in support of Horace Greeley for 

 President and B. Gratz Brown for Vice-President 

 of the United States. 



According to the Federal census of 1870, 

 the total number of manufacturing establish- 

 ments in the State was 5,128, using 711 steam- 

 engines of 25,979 horse-power, and 1,988 wa- 

 ter-wheels of 54,395 horse-power, and employ- 

 ing 89,523 hands, of whom 61,684 were males 

 above 16, 20,810 females above 15, and 7,029 

 youth. The total amount of capital employed 

 was $95,281,278; wages, $38,987,187; mate- 

 rials, $86,419,579 ; . products, $161,065,474. 

 There were 826 religious organizations ; edi- 

 fices, 902 ; sittings, 338,735 ; value of property, 

 $13^,428,109. The leading denominations were 

 as follows : 



The total number of libraries in the State 

 was 63, with an aggregate of 285,937 volumes. 

 The number of newspapers was 71, with an ag- 

 gregate circulation of 203,725 ; copies annually 

 issued, 17,454,740. Of these there were 16 

 daily, circulation 35,730 ; 1 semi-weekly, circu- 

 lation 800 ; 43 weekly, circulation 107,395 ; 2 

 semi-monthly , circulation 900 ; 7 monthly, cir- 

 culation 56,400 ; 1 bi-monthly, circulation 

 1,150 ; and 1 quarterly, circulation 1,350. 



CORNING, EEASTUS, a distinguished citi- 

 zen, manufacturer, railroad manager, and poli- 

 tician of New York, born in Norwich, Ct., 

 December 14, 1794; died in Albany, N. Y., 

 April 9, 1872. During his childhood his father 

 removed, with his family, to Chatham, Colum- 

 bia County, N.Y., and engaged in farming there. 

 At the age of thirteen, Erastus left home, and 

 entered the hardware-store of his uncle Benja- 

 min Smith, at Troy. Seven years later he re- 

 moved to Albany, where he became first the 

 clerk, and afterward the partner, of James 

 Spencer. He inherited part of his uncle's 

 property, and soon became the head of an ex- 

 tensive firm in the hardware-trade. His en- 

 terprising spirit led him into other pursuits. 

 He acquired the principal interest in the Al- 

 hany Iron Works, which, under his manage- 

 ment, became one of the great industrial estab- 

 lishments of the country. He next engaged in 

 banking, and was eminently successful. The 

 development of the railroad system of the 

 State, however, was his greatest work, and 

 attended with the most generous reward. He 

 became president of the pioneer Albany & 

 Schenectady line ; he contributed to its exten- 

 sion, and was the master-spirit of the consoli- 

 dation which made the great New York Cen- 

 tral. He presided over that corporation twelve 

 years, and to the day of his death was asso- 

 ciated as director with other great lines of 

 communication. Mr. Corning had little taste 

 for politics, but was influential in the councils 

 of the Democratic party. His practical talents 

 and extensive interest in public affairs natu- 

 rally suggested him for public positions. He 

 was first chosen Alderman, and then Mayor, 

 of Albany. In 1841, he was elected to the 

 State Senate, and served four successive years. 

 In 1856 he was elected to Congress in the 

 Fourteenth District, defeating the Whig and 

 American- candidates. In 1860 and in 1862 

 he was again sent to Congress, from the same 

 district, and thus served in the councils of the 

 nation through almost the entire duration of 

 the war. He supported the war measures of 

 the Administration, and was, at onetime, on the 



