544 



MINNESOTA. 



Interior to examine the completed road and 

 telegraph-line of the Northern Pacific Rail- 

 road Company, from its junction with the 

 Lake Superior & Mississippi Railroad near 

 Thomson, to the Red River of the North, 

 made a favorable report in December. 



A convention of the Republican party of 

 the State was held at Minneapolis, on the 8th 

 of May, for the appointment of delegates to 

 the national nominating body, and the nomi- 

 nation of a State Auditor, Clerk of the Su- 

 preme Court, and presidential electors. O. P. 

 Whitcomb was nominated for Auditor, and 

 Sherwood Hough for Clerk of the Supreme 

 Court, and the following platform was 

 adopted : 



The ^Republicans of Minnesota, in State Conven- 

 tion assembled, make the following declaration : 



1. The Eepublican party of the United States had 

 its origin in the necessities of the nation, and since 

 it came into power has decreed and executed meas- 

 ures by which liberty has been preserved and the 

 Union saved from dismemberment and overthrow. 

 Since the close of the rebellion it has substantially 

 accomplished the work of complete reconstruction, 

 and freedom and equal rights have been secured to 

 all our people by irrevocable guarantees. In this 

 great work the Republican party has shown its wis- 

 dom and patriotism; and by its unswerving good 

 faith toward the nation's creditors it has fully vin- 

 dicated our national honor and integrity. 



2. With such a record, unequalled by that of any 

 other political party known to history, it can proud- 

 ly challenge the confidence of the people, and we 

 declare that the best interests of the country demand 

 that the Eepublican party should continue to admin- 

 ister the government. 



3. We renew our expressions of confidence in the 

 present administration of the General Government. 

 Since it came into power the taxes upon the people 

 have been reduced, and the public revenue faithfully 

 collected and honestly applied, so that the burden 

 of taxation has been very materially diminished 

 both in the amount of principal and rate of inter- 

 est. The Ku-klux disorders and violent persecu- 

 tions of loyal citizens in the South have been sup- 

 pressed in a prompt and efficient manner, meeting 

 the approval of every friend of justice. The liberal 

 system of ^pensions and bounties provided for our 

 brave soldiers and sailors, and the homes founded 

 and maintained for such as were disabled in the ser- 

 vice of the country, are referred to with pride and 

 satisfaction. The administration of President Grant, 

 as illustrated by his philanthropic management of 

 Indian affairs, by his efforts to reform the civil ser- 

 vice, and purify the same, and by his management 

 of our foreign relations, has exhibited rare humanity, 

 wisdom, courage, and dignity, which fully entitles 

 it to^the continued confidence and support of every 

 patriot. 



4. The Eepublican party of Minnesota, reposing 

 implicit trust in the integrity, faithfulness, and pa- 

 triotism of President Grant, would therefore request 

 the delegates representing Minnesota in the Nation- 

 al Eepublican Convention to be held next June, in 

 Philadelphia, to cast their votes and exert all their 

 influence in favor of his renomination for a second 

 term, and also for the renomination of Vice-Presi- 

 dent Colfax, who has proved himself eminently 

 worthy of his high office. 



A convention of Democrats was held at St. 

 Paul on the 19th of June, to name delegates to 

 the National Convention at Baltimore. Ten 

 delegates were appointed, and were " distinct- 

 ly instructed to vote for and use all honorable 



endeavors to confirm the nominees of the Cin- 

 cinnati Convention for President and Vice- 

 President." The platform of the Cincinnati 

 Convention was also indorsed, and declared to 

 express " the true Democratic idea upon every 

 living political issue of the day." 



On the 2d of September, separate conven- 

 tions were held by the Democrats and Liberal 

 Republicans at St. Paul, for the purpose of 

 uniting, if possible, on nominations for presi- 

 dential electors. Committees of conference 

 were appointed, who agreed upon a ticket 

 afterward accepted in both conventions. Al- 

 bert Scheffer was named as candidate for Au- 

 ditor, and James George for Clerk of the Su- 

 preme Court. No platform was adopted, but 

 the declaration of principles adopted at Cin- 

 cinnati and reaffirmed at Baltimore was again 

 accepted, and the two conventions then coa- 

 lesced, to ratify the work of the day. 



The election, which occurred on the 5th of 

 November, resulted in the success of the Re- 

 publican ticket. The whole vote cast for 

 presidential electors was 90,920, of which 55,- 

 709 were in favor of Grant and Wilson, and 

 35,211 for Greeley and Brown, making the 

 majority of the former 20,498. Republican 

 members of Congress were also chosen in the 

 three districts. The State government is en- 

 tirely Republican, Governor Austin, chosen 

 in 1871, holding over another year ; and the 

 Legislature consists of 30 Republicans and 11 

 Democrats in the Senate, and 78 Republicans 

 and 28 Democrats in the House. 



According to the census of 1870, of the total 

 population (305,568), 10 years old and over, 

 there were engaged in all classes of occupation 

 132,657 persons, of whom 121,796 were males 

 and 10,860 females. There were engaged in 

 agriculture, 75,157, including 74,663 males 

 and 429 females ; in professional and personal 

 services, 28,330, including 18,920 males and 

 9,410 females; in trade and transportation, 

 10,582, including 10,559 males, and 23 fe- 

 males; in manufactures and mechanical and 

 mining industries, 18,588, including 17,655 

 males and 933 females. 



The State contained 2,322,102 acres of im- 

 proved land, 1,336,299 of woodland, and 2,825- 

 427 of other unimproved land. The cash 

 value of farms was $97,847,442 ; of farming 

 implements and machinery, $6,721,120; total 

 amount of wages paid during the year, includ- 

 ing value of board, $4,459,201; total (es- 

 timated) value of all farm-productions, includ- 

 ing betterments and additions to stock, $33,^ 

 446,400; orchard-products, $15,818; produce 

 of market - gardens, $115,234; forest -prod- 

 ucts, $311,528; value of home manufactures, 

 $174,046 ; of animals slaughtered or sold for 

 slaughter, $3,076,650 ; of all live-stock, $20,- 

 118,841. There were 93,011 horses, 2,:i50 

 mules and asses, 121,467 milch-cows, 43,176 

 working-oxen, 145,736 other cattle, 132,:^:] 

 sheep, and 148,476 swine. The chief produc- 

 tions were 18,789,188 bushels of spring, and 



