CALIFORNIA. 



101 



ing on the question of national politics or the contest 

 for President, but each citizen will be free to vote 

 ( and act when that time shall arrive as his conscience 

 may dictate. 



The success of the independent movement in 

 1873 was due largely to its support by Demo- 

 crats ; but this year that party made nomina- 

 tions of its own, and largely withdrew its aid 

 from the Independents. Its convention was 

 held in San Francisco, on the 29th of June. 

 The candidate* put in nomination were : For 

 Governor, William Irwin ; Lieutenant-Govern- 

 or, James A. Johnson ; Secretary of State, 

 Thomas Beck ; Controller, J. W. Mandeville ; 

 Surveyor-General, William Minis ; Attorney- 

 General, Joseph Hamilton ; Superintendent of 

 Public Instruction, O. P. Fitzgerald; Treas- 

 urer, J. G. Eshidillo; Clerk of the Supreme 

 Court, 'B. D. Woolff. The platform adopted 

 was in substance as follows : 



1. We are opposed to the unconstitutional inter- 

 ference of the Federal Administration in the domes- 

 tic affairs of the States, by which one portion of the 

 Union is ground with taxation to keep another por- 

 tion of the Union in bankruptcy and servitude. 



2. We condemn the Republican party for contempt 

 of constitutional obligations ; for extravagant, parti- 

 san, and corrupt administration of the Federal Gov- 

 ernment ; the perversion of the functions of the lat- 

 ter to enrich great corporators at the expense of the 

 public; for jobbery and frauds, which have brought 

 reproach upon democratic institutions ; for the San- 

 born and Jayne frauds ; for the infamous Washing- 

 ton ring ; for the back-pay steal, the iniquities of 

 the protective system, the curse of inconvertible pa- 

 per money, the nepotism of the President; for the 

 disgraceful diplomatic service and unfit appoint- 

 ments ; for the attempts to pass the unconstitutional 

 force bill, which was fortunately frustrated by the 

 determined front of the Democratic minority in both 

 Houses of Congress ; and for the catalogue of other 

 enormities, which have rendered that organization 

 offensive even to the mass of those who were its 

 supporters. 



3. We are in favor of a strict construction of the 

 Constitution, and against the exercise of doubtful 

 powers ; favor the limiting of the power of legisla- 

 tive bodies, the tariff for revenue only, and a cur- 

 rency convertible into gold and silver at the will of 

 the holder ; against profligate and wasteful systems 

 of local improvements by the Federal Government, 

 and in favor of reducing the expenditures of the 

 State government and of counties and towns. 



4. Opposes the diversion of the school fund to 

 other than legal purposes. 



5. We assert the traditional policy of the Demo- 

 cratic party in declaring it the right and duty of the 

 Legislature to regulate corporations, whether rail- 

 way, gas, telegraph, water, or otherwise ; to limit 

 their charges in the interest of the public ; compel 

 them to serve all citizens without discrimination 

 and at reasonable rates. We further assert it to be 

 the duty of the government to preserve the waters 

 of the State for irrigation and other public uses, in- 

 stead of permitting them to be made the means of 

 extortion and monopoly. 



6. The Democratic party has no occasion to make 

 a new departure or a declaration of opposition to the 

 system of subsidies when we recall the fact that it 

 is to a Democratic State administration that this 

 State owes its deliverance from this oppressive, un- 

 just, and corrupting system. 



7. We are in favor of calling a convention of dele- 

 gates elected by the people to amend the constitu- 

 tion of the State. 



8. That local self-government is sufficient to afford 



an effective remedy for the evils caused by Chinese 

 labor and the presence of an inferior race ; and we 

 demand such amendments to the Burlingame treaty 

 as shall reduce it to a mere commercial treaty. 



9. We condemn the doctrine whereby the power 

 of the State to prevent the importation of degraded 

 persons for immoral purposes has been denied. 



10. We favor the speedy completion of the trans- 

 continental railway on the thirty-second parallel, 

 subject to such limitations by the Federal and State 

 Governments as shall protect the rights of the peo- 

 ple. 



11. Favors equal taxation, and opposes double 

 taxation as unconstitutional. 



12. We oppose all legislation known by the name 

 of prohibitory law. 



13. We invite all persons, whatever may have 

 been their political offenses, to unite with us in car- 

 rying out the principles herein enumerated. 



14. We condemn the folly of permitting the lands 

 of the State to become the monopoly of a few. The 

 Democratic party will correct this great evil. 



The Temperance Keforin Convention was 

 held at San Francisco, and, after adopting dec- 

 larations in favor of the prohibition of the sale 

 of intoxicating liquors, nominated a State ticket 

 in which some changes were afterward made. 

 It finally stood as follows: For Governor, Wm. 

 E. Lovett ; Lieutenant-Governor, W. D. Hob- 

 son ; Controller, Joel Russell ; Treasurer, 0. P. 

 Thompson. 



The election occurred on the 1st of Septem- 

 ber, and resulted in the choice of the Demo- 

 cratic candidates. The total vote for Governor 

 was 122,939, of which Irwin received 61,509, 

 Phelps 31,322, Bidwell 29,752, and Lovett 356, 

 making Ir win's plurality over Phelps 30,187, 

 over Bidwell 31,757, and his majority over all 

 70. The highest Democratic vote was that of 

 Irwin, the lowest that of Mandeville for Con- 

 troller, which was 57,064. The highest Re- 

 publican vote was 36,901 for Green, the can- 

 didate for Controller; the lowest was 30,932 

 for Cavis for Lieutenant-Governor. The high- 

 est Independent vote was 33,335 for Pacheco 

 for Lieutenant-Governor, the lowest 27, 760 for 

 Van Clief for Attorney- General. Four mem- 

 bers of Congress were chosen at the same elec- 

 tion. In the first district, comprising the city 

 of San Francisco, William A. Piper, Democrat, 

 received 12,417 votes to 6,791 for Ira P. Ran- 

 kin, Republican, and 6,103 for John F. Swift, 

 Independent. In the second district H. F. 

 Page, Republican, received 13,624 votes, to 

 12,154 for Henry Larkin, Democrat, and 5,589 

 for C. A. Tuttle, Independent. In the third dis- 

 trict J. K. Luttrell, Democrat, received 18,468 



votes, to 14,284 for Denio, Republican, and 



6,770 for 0. F. Reed, Independent. In the 

 fourth district P. D. Wigginton, Democrat, re- 

 ceived 15.649 votes, to 11,090 for G. O. Hough- 

 ton, Republican, and 5,343 for Thompson, 



Independent. 



The Superintendent of Public Instruction 

 was chosen at the judicial election on the llth 

 of October. The Independent candidate was 

 practically withdrawn, and the contest was 

 between Ezra S. Carr, Republican, and O. P. 

 Fitzgerald, Democrat. Mr. Carr was elected, 



