KANSAS. 



423 



characterized our State and national politics." 

 They condemn the proceedings of the Repub- 

 lican Convention which had just adjourned, 

 and set forth several acts of the Republican 

 party for some time past in detail, character- 

 izing them as public wrongs. 



In accordance with this address, a distinct 

 party was organized, under the appellation of 

 " Liberal," and a State Convention was held by 

 them at Topeka, on the 10th of April, 1872, for 

 the purpose of declaring their sentiments, and 

 nominating delegates to the Liberal Republican 

 Convention to assemble at Cincinnati on the 

 1st of May. The meeting was largely at- 

 tended. A committee on resolutions reported 

 the following, which was adopted : 



Jlesolved, That we, Liberal Kepublicans of Kansas, 

 mindful of the early record of our State, so closely 

 interwoven with the history of the Eepublican party, 

 and the struggle for national existence, still steadfast 

 and true to the vital principles which called that p^arty 

 into existence, would ever maintain, as a part of our 

 birthrightj the rightful sovereignty of the Union, 

 emancipation^ equality of civil rights, and enfran- 

 chisement, with a loyalty to principle that is higher 

 and stronger than loyalty to ^arty or party leaders ; 

 jealous and watchful of the fair fame of our young 

 State, earnest and resolute now as in. the struggle to 

 save its soil from the encroachments of slave-power, 

 we call upon the people of Kansas to unite in an effort 

 to put a stop to the attempted absorption of civil 

 functions by the military, and the encroachment of 

 Executive power; to inaugurate a thorough and 

 genuine reform in the civil service that shall put a 

 stop to the abuse of official patronage for the control 

 of conventions and elections, Avhether in the interest 

 of an individual, faction, or party ; to effect a modi- 

 fication of our revenue system so that no class, or spe- 

 cial interest of the country, shall be encouraged at the 

 expense of the rest ; to secure a wise and just system 

 of taxation which shall place no needless burden on 

 the people ; to save the public lands of the nation to 

 actual settlers under the principles of the homestead 

 law; to establish general amnesty as the direct ave- 

 nue of impartial suffrage, and to extend pur national 

 sympathies to all people who are struggling to emu- 

 late our example of popular enfranchisement. 



One hundred and ten delegates to the Cin- 

 cinnati Convention were appointed at this 

 meeting, all of them Republicans. 



The Democrats met in State Convention at 

 Topeka on the llth of June, 1872, nearly every 

 county in the State being represented. The 

 following resolutions were adopted by the 

 convention : 



The Democrats of Kansas, in convention assem- 

 bled, do declare, first, that the paramount dutv of 

 every citizen is devotion and obedience to the Con- 

 stitution and laws of the republic, made as they were 

 with the design and purpose to perpetuate individual 

 liberty to its utmost limits, consistent with good 

 government and public order. 



2. That political organizations are useful and bene- 

 ficial only when their purpose and action demonstrate 

 that love of country controls their counsel and dictates 

 their policy ; but when lawless ambition, imbecilitv 

 corruption, and man-worship, shall dominate a po- 

 litical party, it is the duty of all citizens, without re- 

 gard to previous political affiliation, and forgetful of 

 past and buried differences, to join hands and hearts 

 in the efforts to crush such party, and to drive its 

 leaders from power. 



3. Believing as we do, that the present chief Ex- 

 ecutive of the nation, and the nominee of the Repub- 



lican party for reelection, is utterly unfitted for the 

 high position he holds ; that his administration of 

 the^ Government stands alone in the history of the 

 nation for shameless ignorance, nepotism, and gift- 

 taking, for a reckless disregard of law. a forgetfulness 

 of the ancient honor of the republic, for an utter 

 want of that dignity and statesmanship which should 

 characterize the executive government of the first 

 republic of the earth, that his countenance and power 

 would degrade the nation, and be dangerous to the 

 liberties _of the people ; and so believing, we are will- 

 ing to join with all good citizens in the pending cam- 

 paign in the effort to drive him from place. 



4. As this can, in our judgment, oe most surely 

 accomplished by accepting and supporting the plat- 

 form and candidates of the Cincinnati Convention, 

 the delegates this _ day accredited to the National 

 Convention at Baltimore are hereby instructed that 

 it is the desire of the Democracy of Kansas, that the 

 national council of the party shall not place a ticket 

 in the field, but that it shall, in the interests of the 

 country, and to the end that a shameless Administra- 

 tion be driven from power, give its sanction and its 

 powerful voice in favor of the nominees and platform 

 of the Cincinnati Convention ; and our delegates are 

 directed to vote and act in accordance with this reso- 

 lution. 



Nine delegates were selected to represent 

 the Kansas Democracy in the Baltimore Con- 

 vention. The colored citizens of Kansas held 

 a State Convention at Lawrence, on the 27th 

 of March, 1872, for the purpose of nominating 

 delegates to the General Colored Convention 

 which was to assemble at New Orleans on the 

 10th of April ; and also for the purpose of 

 effecting an organization of the colored people 

 throughout the State, with a view to assert 

 and secure their rights as citizens against the 

 encroachments attempted on them by the 

 whites. The meeting seems to have been nu- 

 merously attended by representatives from the 

 several districts of the State. 



The following preamble and resolutions 

 were adopted by this convention : 



Whereas, To the end that we may be Better en- 

 abled to secure those civil rights which belong to us 

 in common with other tax-paying citizens of the 

 State, we deem it wise to recommend to the colored 

 people in every city, town, and village in the State, 

 the formation of civil rights clubs, as the best 

 means of diffusing general information among us : 

 and be it further 



Resolved, That these clubs formed shall prepare,, 

 and send to the Legislature of the State, petitions 

 demanding^the repeal of all statutes and school-laws 

 making a distinction of color or race. 



Resolved, That we demand of the Eepublican r>arty 

 (that party being the dominant party of the State) 

 the repeal of all laws upon the statute-books of the 

 State, making a distinction of race, nationality, or 

 color, among its citizens, and that the establishing- 

 of a State Normal School especially for colored teach- 

 ers is another form of class legislation, which we de- 

 nounce as unjust and uncalled for. 



Resolved, That the signing of this school bill by 

 his Excellency Governor James M. Harvey tends to 

 foster, rather than diminish, the prejudice against a 

 class of his citizens whose entire support he has al- 

 ways received. 



They also adopted a resolution separately 

 offered by a delegate, expressing their appre- 

 hension at the efforts then made, in the Con- 

 stitutional Convention of "West Virginia, to en- 

 graft on the organic law of that State distinc- 



