WISCONSIN. 



775 



cious application of two-thirds of the land grant of 

 1856, and having made an honest effort to construct 

 a roud from St. Croix River to Lake Superior, the 

 last link in this chain of roada contemplated by that 

 grant, and having already completed a portion of the 

 same, and having taken care of the lands and pre- 

 vented trespasses upon them, and continued to treat 

 them as still the trust property of the State, and the 

 people of that section having located and purchased 

 Government lands at double the usual Government 

 price, in view of the grant and the building of the 

 roads, and having long and patiently waited tor such 

 a consummation, it would be unjust, illiberal, and 

 unfair to the State, to now seek to divest her of the 

 title to the remaining portion of this grant, even if 

 Congress has the legal right (which we deny), and, 

 if necessary, we insist that Congress ought to pass a 

 law, at once and without hesitation, renewing this 

 portion of the grant to the State, that the title may 

 be beyond any question, and the road speedily com- 

 pleted. 



Sttoletd, That our State is most favorably situated 

 in respect to water communication by lake and river, 

 and our facilities for commercial intercourse ought 

 to be prudently guarded and improved to the fullest 

 possible extent, in order to afford the readiest and 

 cheapest means of transportation of products, in per- 

 manent competition with railroad-carriage. To this 

 end we congratiflatc the State upon the generous 

 assumption T>y the General Government of the Fox 

 and \V isconsin River Improvement, that promises at 

 an early day to connect the Mississippi River and 

 the irrcat lakes, and we most fully indorse the now 

 well-established policy of the present Administration 

 in keeping clear from unnecessary obstruction the 

 navigation of the Mississippi River ; and we espe- 

 cially commend that private enterprise, assisted by 

 Government aid, which has resulted in the construc- 

 tion of tlie Sturgeon Bay Canal, that so materially 

 lessens the distance and obviates the dangers of our 

 lake navigation. 



Betoltwi, That the Republican party will use all 

 reasonable endeavors to to amend the laws of the 

 State as to make a permanent, fixed salary for all 

 State officers, and that all fees and perquisites be 

 paid into the public Treasury. 



The State Convention of "all Democrats, 

 Liberal Republicans, and other electors of Wis- 

 consin, friendly to genuine reform through 

 equal and impartial legislation, honesty in 

 office, and rigid economy in the administra- 

 tion of affairs," assembled in Milwaukee, Sep- 

 tember 24th. On the preceding day a Reform 

 Convention, " not large in numbers, but rep- 

 resenting a vast constituency of sentiment in 

 the State," had met in the same city. The 

 delegates of these two bodies united and 

 agreed upon the following platform : 



Rttnlrtd, That, in the opinion of this convention, 

 all electors of Wisconsin who seek the election ot 

 capable and incorruptible men to office, and a com- 

 plete and permanent reform in the administration 

 of public affairs, should unite upon one platform and 

 the same candidates, and vindicate the right of elect- 

 ing their own rulers, independent of corrupt party 

 power, and of the dictation of professional politi- 

 cians and political rings, allied therewith or apolo- 

 gizing thtr 



That, in the language of Thomas Jefferson, to 

 make us a happy and prosperous people, a wise and 

 frugal government is necessary, which shall restrain 

 men from injuring one another, but which shall leave 

 them otherwise free to regulate their own pursuits 

 of industry and improvement, and shall not take 

 from the month of labor the bread it has earned." 



That the public credit should be scrupulously pre- 

 served, and the State and national debt be honestly 



paid ; and to this end we demand a decrease in the 

 number and compensation of public officers, and 

 rigid economy in every part of the State and Fed- 

 eral Government. 



That we pledge our support to every reasonable 

 project for increasing and cheapening the facilities 

 of transportation within the State, oud'betweeu Wis- 

 consin and the Atlantic seaboard. 



That the improvements of the Fox and Wisconsin 

 Rivers, and other navigable waters in and about VV is- 

 consiii, are a rightful charge upon the Federal Gov- 

 ernment, and we demand that Congress shall com- 

 plete these necessary channels of internal commerce 

 before further squandering the resources of the na- 

 tional Treasury in mammoth subsidies to railroad 

 corporations and the owners of ocean-steamers. 



That we are opposed to protective tariff laws, be- 

 cause they diminish the sources of public revenue, 

 increase Federal expenditure, tax labor for the exclu- 

 sive benefit of aggregated capital, and unequally ap- 

 portion the blessings and burdens of government. 

 These laws have already cost Wisconsin millions, for 

 which it has received no adequate return, and we 

 shall hereafter insist upon equal protection and taxa- 

 tion for all classes of industry. 



That owners of railroads are entitled to a fair com- 

 pensation for the use of their actual capital, that 

 the extension of existing roads and the construction 

 of new and independent lines are necessary to the 

 progress and development of the State, and we 

 pledge our earnest encouragement and support to 

 all wholesome enterprise in this direction ; but wo 

 demand that the sovereignty of the State over corpo- 

 rations of its own creation shall be sacredly respect- 

 ed, to the full extent of protecting the people against 

 every form of monopoly or extortion. 



That the acceptance of free railroad passes by any 

 officer of the State is a practice inconsistent with on 

 honest and impartial discharge of official duty, and 

 ought to be prohibited by law. 



That we will support no man for office who has 

 ever violated his faith to the people by receiving 

 retroactive increase of salary for public service. 



That the purchase of official station, the acceptance 

 of bribes bv public servants, and the abuse of official 

 influence for private gain, are high crimes against 

 the State, for the punishment of which the people 

 have built prisons, and should use them. 



That we will vote for no man who justifies or apolo- 

 gizes for the Credit Mobilier corruptions of Congress, 

 or who voluntarily affiliates with any class of men 

 guilty of corrupt practices in State or national legis- 

 lation. 



That the limitations of Federal power in the na- 

 tional Constitution are a necessary safeguard against 

 the evils of corrupt and oppressive government ; that 

 we demand the renunciation by Congress of all un- 

 constitutional powers arrogated to itself over the 

 business interests of the country, and the conse- 

 quent dispersion of the horde of money-changers 

 and lobbymen now habitually congregated at the 

 Federal capital and successfully demanding special 

 favors at the expense of the honest industry of the 

 country. 



That all enactments which usurp to the State juris- 

 diction over private conscience, or punish one citizen 

 for the offenses of another, are in conflict with the 

 spirit of free government. 



That honesty and fidelity in the administration of 

 public affairs demand rotation in office, and an un- 

 trammeled exercise of personal judgment in the se- 

 lection of public servants ; and we pledge ourselves 

 to vote for no candidate for office whose nomination 

 is the fruit of his own importunity, or of a corrupt 

 combination among partisan leaders. 



That onr hope of the future is based on the lib- 

 eral education of our children and the general intelli- 

 gence of the people ; we therefore demand the care- 

 ful preservation to the State of whatever remains of 

 our once magnificent school fund, and such legisla- 

 tion as shall relieve the masses of the people from 



