PENNSYLVANIA. 



665 



Resolved, That in the persons of the candidates 

 presented for the offices of Auditor-General, Con- 

 gressmen at large, and delegates to the convention 

 to amend the constitution, we have candidates emi- 

 nently worthy of the confidence and support of the 

 people. ' 



Resolved, That the grant by the radical Legislature 

 of this State of numerous charters creating such cor- 

 porations as the " South Improvement Company," 

 ''Continental Improvement Company," and others 

 of similar character, is unjust to the interests of 

 trade, is dangerous to the rights and liberties of the 

 people, and as such meets with our unqualified con- 

 demnation. 



The Labor Eeform party of Pennsylvania 

 held their State Convention at Williamsport, 

 on the 7th and 8th of May, for the purpose 

 of nominating candidates for the State offices, 

 etc. A letter from Mr. Backalew was read, 

 informing the convention that he would stand 

 as its candidate, provided the Democratic 

 Convention, to assemble at Reading, indorsed 

 him. The ballot for Governor resulted in the 

 nomination of Mr. William P. Schell, who re- 

 ceived 29 votes against 20 given to Mr. Bucka- 

 lew. For Judge of the Supreme Court, James 

 Thompson, of Erie County, was nominated, 

 and for Auditor-General, E. Billingfelt, of Lan- 

 caster. 



A delegate, representing the party in the 

 western counties, proposed a strong protec- 

 tive tariff resolution, " as the sense of the 

 Labor Reform Convention," for adoption, 

 which produced great excitement in the meet- 

 ing. After debate it was defeated, and a less 

 obnoxious one passed. The author of the re- 

 jected resolution "pledged the western coun- 

 ties to defeat the nominees of the convention 

 on such platform." 



The Temperance party of Pennsylvania as- 

 sembled in convention at Altoona on the 14th 

 of June, to nominate candidates and announce 

 their principles. The following nominations 

 were then made : For Governor, S. B. Chase, 

 of Susquehanna County ; for Supreme Judge, 

 Joseph Henderson, of Washington County; 

 for Auditor-General, Barr Spangler, of Lan- 

 caster; for Congressmen at large, George F. 

 McFarland, A. J. Clark, and B. Rush Bradford. 



The import of the resolutions adopted at this 

 convention may be briefly stated as follows: 



The first approves the action of the conven- 

 tion of August 9, 1871. 



The second confirms the proceedings of the 

 National Prohibition party at Columbus, Ohio, 

 February 22, 1872. 



The third declares that the traffic in liquor 

 as a beverage is injurious to the best interests 

 of society, and demands its suppression by law. 



The fourth resolves against the great danger 

 arising from the competition of the ruling par- 

 ties for the liquor vote. 



The fifth pledges the adoption of political 

 measures, but not the sacrifice of moral means. 



The sixth invites all citizens to join in the 

 effort to rescue the State from the dominion 

 of intemperance. 



The other resolutions recognize the duty 



of protecting American industry, justice to 

 woman as a voter, and the equality of labor 

 with capital, and express continued reliance 

 on the blessing of Almighty God. 



The general election of October 8, 1872, 

 resulted in favor of the Republican party. 

 For Governor, the total number of votes (the 

 highest ever polled in the State) was 672,406, 

 of which John F. Hartranft, Republican, re- 

 ceived 353,387; Charles R. Buckalew, Demo- 

 crat, 317,760; Samuel B. Chase, Temperance, 

 1,259. For Auditor-General, whole vote cast, 

 669,516, of which Harrison Allen, Republican, 

 had 352,368 ; William Hartley, Democrat, 315,- 

 788 ; Barr Spangler, Temperance, 1,260. For 

 Supreme Judge, whole vote cast, 669,162, of 

 which Ulysses Mercur, Republican, had 354,- 

 319; James Thompson, Democrat, 313,876; 

 Joseph Henderson, Temperance, 967. For 

 Congressmen at large, the entire numbers of 

 votes cast by the Democrats for their three 

 candidates, respectively, were 311,076, 314,- 

 014, 313,534; by the Republicans for theirs, 

 were 397,743, 360,946, 398,018. For dele- 

 gates to the Constitutional Convention, the 

 total number of votes which the Democrats 

 polled for their nominees in all the counties 

 of the State was 308,127; the Republicans for 

 theirs, 399,719. 



The Constitutional Convention consists of 

 133 delegates, of whom 69 are Republicans 

 and 64 Democrats. In the State Legislature 

 for the session of 1873, the Senate will have 

 18 Republican members, 14 Democratic, and 

 1 Liberal Republican; the House of Repre- 

 sentatives, 60 Republicans, 39 Democrats, and 

 1 Liberal Republican; the Republican ma- 

 jority, in joint convention, being 23. 



The Democrats ascribed their defeat to mem- 

 bers of their own party in a great measure, in 

 that not less than fifty thousand of them had 

 failed to cast their votes on election-day. 



At the presidential election held on the 5th 

 of November, the Republican electoral ticket 

 was elected by a majority of 137,728 votes 

 over the Democratic. The official canvass 

 shows that the votes cast for the latter were 

 211,961; for the former, 349,689; the total 

 number of votes polled in the State, 561,690. 



The delegates to the Constitutional Conven- 

 tion assembled at Harrisburg on the 12th of 

 November, 1872. On motion, William M. 

 Meredith, of Philadelphia, was declared unani- 

 mously elected president of the convention. 

 Upon an invitation from the city of Philadel- 

 phia, a delegate moved that all sessions of the 

 convention after January 1, 1873, be held in 

 that city, which was agreed to. 



A committee of fifteen was appointed by 

 the president, on the 13th of November, to 

 report next day "what committees should be 

 formed, and what rules were necessary for the 

 government of the convention. "^ The two 

 matters mentioned in tnis resolution were re- 

 ported by the committee separately. As to 

 the formation of committees, they recommend- 



