424 



KANSAS. 



tions on account of color, by limiting to the 

 whites the eligibility to office. 



On September 4, 1872, the Eepublicans of 

 Kansas held State Conventions in two differ- 

 ent cities Topeka and Lawrence, for the pur- 

 pose of nominating candidates for State offi- 

 cers in the local government, members of 

 Congress, and presidential electors. The pur- 

 pose of the Topeka Convention was to nomi- 

 nate candidates for Governor and the other 

 State officers. The final result of the contest 

 for Governor was the nomination of Thomas 

 H. Osborn on the tenth ballot. The candi- 

 dates nominated for the other State offices 

 were the following : For Lieutenant- Governor, 

 E. S. Stover ; for Auditor, D. W. Wilder ; for 

 Secretary of State, W. H. Smallwood ; for At- 

 torney-General, A. L. "Williams; for Treasur- 

 er, T. E. Hayes ; for Chief-Justice, Samuel A. 

 Kingman ; for Superintendent of Public In- 

 struction, H. D. McCarthy. The five last- 

 named candidates were nominated for reelec- 

 tion to the offices which they respectively 

 filled already. 



The resolutions adopted were as follows: 



Besolved, That the Eepublicans of Kansas in dele- 

 gate convention assembled^ hereby heartily approve 

 and indorse the platform of the national ^Republican 



5 arty, adopted at Philadelphia on the 5th day of 

 une, 1872, and we pledge our unswerving support 

 to the nominees of that convention, U. S. Grant and 

 Henry Wilson. 



Resolved, That we hold that the laws protecting 

 the rights of the citizens ought to be rigidly en- 

 forced, and that, in all cases where the local govern- 

 ments are powerless or inefficient, it is the impera- 

 tive duty of the national Government to see that the 

 laws are enforced, and here we squarely take issue 

 Avith the fourth resolution of the Cincinnati platform. 

 Resolved, That the Eepublican party of Kansas, 

 now, as in the past, is in favor of the free and uncor- 

 rupted exercise of the elective franchise, both at the 

 polls and in legislative elections ; and it condemns in 

 unmeasured terms the use of any corrupt policies in 

 efforts to procure election to any elective office ; and 

 here pledges uncompromising hostility to all men 

 who have used or may use any corrupting influences 

 to secure any position of profit or honor. 



Resolved, That as there is a question at issue be- 

 tween the settlers upon the lands recently acquired 

 from the Indians in this State and railroad corpora- 

 tions, which leaves no apparent > recourse except 

 through the courts, a resort to which must involve 

 expense, that the occupants, on account of their 

 poverty, are illy prepared to meet, we ask that the 

 Government itself, without unnecessary delay, test 

 the question to its fullest extent, and as a tangible 

 solution of the question, should it be decided finally 

 that the title to the lands in issue vests in the cor- 

 porations, by virtue of grants and treaties, then our 

 Senators and Eepresentatives in Congress are ear- 

 nestly requested to use their utmost endeavors to 

 secure the adoption of measures that will result in 

 satisfying all reasonable demands of the corpora- 

 tions, quiet the title, and vest the same in the occu- 

 pying claimants under the homestead and preemp- 

 tion laws. 



The other Republican Convention, at Law- 

 rence, was held to nominate three members 

 of Congress and five presidential electors. 



A series of resolutions was adopted, of a 

 similar nature with the preceding ones. 



The Democratic and Liberal Republican 



parties of Kansas, in pursuance of a call issued 

 by their respective Central Committees, on 

 June 26, 1872, met in conventions at Topeka, 

 on the 10th of September, "for the nomina- 

 tion of presidential electors, members of Con- 

 gress, and State officers." The two conven- 

 tions met separately, but acted in concert. A 

 summary of the result of the proceedings and 

 action of both these conventions was reported 

 and published on the day of their meeting, as 

 follows: 



'^ The joint committees reported the following di- 

 vision of offices, which was agreed to l>y the con- 

 ventions. The Liberals are to nominate the Gov- 

 ernor, two Congressmen, three electors. Treasurer, 

 Auditor, and Superintendent of Public Instruction ; 

 and the Democrats are to nominate the Lieutemmt- 

 Governor, one Congressman, two electors. Attorney- 

 General, Secretary of State, and Chief-Justie"e. 

 Besolutions were iidopted in both conventions ac- 

 cepting and indorsing the Cincinnati platform, rati- 

 fying the nomination of Greeley and Brown, oppos- 

 ing land grants, favoring the opening of the public 

 domain to actual settlers only, denouncing corrup- 

 tion in the election of Senators, demanding legisla- 

 tion to protect labor, opposing extravagance in every 

 form, denouncing the Indian policy of the Govern- 

 ment as a failure, and demanding protection Ib 

 settlers. 



The election resulted in a complete victor 

 of the Republicans, the candidates named ii 

 their respective tickets having been elected 

 a majority for each candidate of 31,198 up t( 

 33,836. The whole number of votes pollet 

 was 101,488. In 1870 it Avas 61,162. 



The financial affairs of the State at the end 

 of the year were thus stated by the Governor : 



The bonded indebtedness of the State is $1,336,- 

 675. The outstanding State warrants amount to 

 $201,109.04. There is also outstanding of Territorial 

 warrants, $7,142.73. These three items comprise the 

 total indebtedness of the State. The sinking fund 

 in the Treasury, at the end of the fiscal year, for the 

 payment of the bonded debt, amounted to $135,- 

 527.34, of which $119,800 is invested in the bonds 

 of the State. There was in the Treasury, on the 

 SOth of November, for general purposes, $371.59. 

 The total tax levied for revenue last year was 1,- 

 085,372.95, of which $829,991.08 was for general pur- 

 poses. 



It was anticipated that the payments made 

 into the Treasury, during the first month of 

 1873, would probably suffice to redeem the 

 outstanding State warrants mentioned above, 

 and to meet current expenses. 



The school-fund, which is mainly derived 

 from the sale of school-lands, and is invested 

 in Kansas State bonds, amounts to $759,095.99, 



The instruction of youth in Kansas seems to 

 be well attended to, and the public schools are 

 in a flourishing condition. " The increase of 

 school districts during the year has been 772 ; 

 of the number of children of school age, 

 23,624; of teachers, 717; in the number of 

 school-houses, 669 ; in tbe value of school- 

 houses, $820,668. The total amount received 

 from various sources for the public schools is 

 $1,701,950." 



The State Normal Schools, at Emporia and 

 Leavenworth, are under efficient management. 

 The number of students in the former of these 



