ILLINOIS. 



389 



ness was held at Springfield, where there was 

 a spirited discussion, and the following resolu- 

 tions were unanimously adopted : 



Whereas, The Twenty-seventh General Assembly 

 has enacted a so-called temperance law, which in 

 effect is the prohibition of the sale of spii-ituous 

 liquors a law odious in its provisions, and destruc- 

 tive of the rights of persons ; and 



Whereas, When the present Legislature was elect- 

 ed the temperance question was not agitated before 

 the people, and consequently our Kepresentatives 

 did not know the sentiments of the people concern- 

 ing the same ; and 



Whereas, Our Representatives were not instructed 

 to pass such a law, nor was the subject discussed be- 

 fore the people : therefore, we, the people of the 

 State of Illinois, in convention assembled, do hereby 



resolve 



1. That the movements to enforce a sumptuary 

 law, the nature thereof tending to restrict personal 

 liberty and rights, are revolutionary and destructive, 

 and we pledge our efforts to procure their speedy re- 

 peal by all legal and proper means. 



2. That the law is unconstitutional, because it im- 

 pairs the obligations of existing contracts for the 

 leasing of property for the sale of liquors, made be- 

 fore its enactment. 



3. That it is utterly repugnant to every principle 

 of common law and right, because it subjects the 

 property of a person to sale by legal proceedings, and 

 in which he is not a party, 'and of which he had no 

 notice. 



4. That a law which makes original judgments of 

 justices of the peace a lien upon real estate is both 

 impolitic and unsafe. 



5. That we oppose the so-called temperance law, 

 because, while it hypocritically affects to be in the 

 interests of an advanced morality, it is only a species 

 of class legislation in behalf of the wealthy and 

 against the poorer but equally worthy citizen, giv- 

 ing the former power to poison (as alleged), while 

 the same is refused to the latter. 



6. That the attempt to substitute the personal lia- 

 bility of one person for the acts of another is an in- 

 novation monstrous and odious, and subversive of 

 common law and right and personal liberty. 



7. That it obstructs the production of spirit and 

 wine-producing grain and fruits, thereby circum- 

 scribing our agricultural interests, the great source 

 of wealth in our State. 



8. That, while we abhor habitual drunkenness 

 and the habitual drunkard as much as any so-called 

 temperance men, we would, as law-abiding citizens, 

 readily submit to the rational Regulation of the 

 liquor-traffic, and would make it a felony to sell 

 adulterated and unwholesome liquor of any kind, 

 and as such we would require the keeping of respect- 

 able establishments, and especially such as would 

 hold a common drunkard responsible for his own acts. 



9. That the General Assembly be respectfully and 

 earnestly requested to repeal the law or submit the 

 question to a vote of the people. 



10. That, upon the basis of the above-expressed 

 principles, we will form associations for the preser- 

 vation of the personal liberty granted us by the Con- 

 stitution of the United States, and that we will agi- 

 tate the formation of kindred associations in all the 

 cities and towns in Illinois, and endeavor to perfect 

 a great central union of all these associations. 



11. That we will not give our support to any po- 

 litical organization that will not declare its opposi- 

 tion to all sumptuary laws. 



12. That our thanks are due to all members of the 

 Legislature who so manfully battled against the pas- 

 sage of the infamous and unjust temperance law, and 

 we hereby tender to them our united indorsement. 



The State Convention of the Republican 

 party was held at Springfield, on the 22d of 



May. Some time before this date, several Re- 

 publican members of the Legislature had ad- 

 dressed a letter to ex-Governor Richard J. 

 Oglesby, asking if he would accept the nomi- 

 nation for Governor, if it were tendered him. 

 He signified his willingness to do so, in a let- 

 ter, in which he took occasion to laud the 

 character and achievements of the party. He 

 was accordingly nominated by acclamation. 

 The rest of the State ticket was as follows : 

 For Lieutenant-Governor, John L. Beveridge ; 

 for Secretary of State, George H. Harlow ; for 

 Auditor of Public Accounts, Charles L. Lippin- 

 cott: for State Treasurer, Edward Rutz ; for 

 Attorney-General, James K. Edsall. Twenty- 

 one presidential electors were also nominated, 

 and delegates appointed to the National Con- 

 vention, of the party, to be held in Philadelphia. 

 The following resolutions were adopted by the 

 Convention : 



Resolved, That the past acts of the Republican 

 party are a better guarantee for the future than the 

 mere resolutions of a new party. It is the only 

 party in the United States that, while in power, de- 

 stroyed, or ever tried to destroy, that infamous 

 "sum of all villanies," chattel slavery the only 

 party that questioned the dogma that " to the victors 

 belong the spoils of the vanquished ; " and endeav- 

 ored to introduce reforms into the civil service, so 

 that honesty, capacity, faithful attention to official 

 duties, might be a better recommendation to office 

 than partisan services ; and whose President has 

 proclaimed this new rule of action to the nation. It 

 is the only party that introduced the eight-hour 

 labor-system in the public service. It is the only 

 party that has made treaties with other governments 

 fully protecting our naturalized citizens from foreign 

 claims of allegiance. It has shown unusual ener- 

 gy in guarding our frontier settlers from Indian 

 raids ; and the Indians from frauds and plunder 

 of Government agents. Under its patriotic, resolute, 

 and statesmanlike administration, a deeply-plotted 

 and long-matured rebellion, that Avas declared by 

 the enemies of our country, both domestic and for- 

 eign, as unconquerable, has been effectually sup- 

 pressed, and peace and union, law and order, in a 

 great measure, restored. With a magnanimity un- 

 paralleled in the history of nations, no one, for rebel- 

 lion, perjury, or treason in the late conflict, has been 

 deprived of even the right of suffrage, and few of the 

 right to hold office. And, with " charity for all and 

 malice toward none," universal amnesty will be pro- 

 claimed as soon as it can be done consistently with 

 the public safety. 



Resolved, That the national taxes and the national 

 debt have both been reduced. The public revenue 

 has been faithfully collected, and defaulting officers 

 promptly removed and prosecuted for their defalca- 

 tions. The credit of the nation was never in a better 

 condition, and the people have been furnished with 

 a good national currency, that will soou be made 

 better, and equal to gold and silver. And, above 

 all, the humblest citizens have been defended in 

 their constitutional rights at home and abroad. 



Resolved, That the principles of the Declaration of 

 Independence, and of the recent amendments to the 

 Constitution of the United States, to secure the en- 

 joyment of natural and civil liberty, adopted by the 

 influence of the Republican party, will not execute or 

 enforce themselves ; and no party that does not cor- 

 dially sympathize with those principles, or ^ that is 

 chiefly composed of men hostile to those principles 

 and to those amendments, is entitled to the confi- 

 dence or support of patriots and freemen, or can be 

 safely intrusted with the national Government. 



