IOWA. 



403 



reservation of the public domain for settlement 

 under the homestead laws and for other lona-fide 

 settlers. 



6. That we demand such a revision of the patent 

 laws as will relieve industry from the oppression of 

 monopolies in their administration. 



7. That we cordially approve the policy of the 

 present Administration in the settlement of diffi- 

 culties between ourselves and other nations, by ar- 

 bitration instead of appealing to arms. 



8. That the Republican party of Iowa is opposed 

 to a third term in the presidency. 



9. That we demand that all railway and other cor- 

 porations shall be held in fair and just subjection to 

 the law-making power. 



10. That we stand bjr free education, our public- 

 school system, the taxation of all for its support, and 

 no diversion of the school-fund from the public 

 schools. 



11. That our national and State administration of 

 public affairs has our hearty_ approval. 



12. That we cordially invite all who are opposed 

 to the restoration of the Democratic party to power, 

 to forget all past political differences and unite with 

 the Republican party in maintaining the cause of 

 true reform. 



13. That the persistent and tyrannical efforts of 

 the enemies of the Union, by murder and intimida- 

 tion of the newly-enfranchised citizens, and the 

 ostracisms and proscriptions of the white Republi- 

 cans of the South, for the purpose of rendering null 

 and void the constitutional amendments, merit the 

 condemnation of every honest man. That we hearti- 

 ly indorse the action of President Grant in enforcing 

 the laws when called upon to do so by the proper 

 authorities of the State. 



An attempt was made to incorporate a reso- 

 lution in favor of prohibition of liquor-selling, 

 but without success. 



A State Temperance Convention had been 

 called, to meet at Des Moines on the day pre- 

 ceding the Republican Convention. It met on 

 that day, and had a spirited discussion on the 

 following resolution : 



Whereas, The so-called Democratic party, in con- 

 vention assembled on the 24th instant, adopted a 

 plank in its platform in favor of a license law, which 

 means opposition to, and the final repeal of, our 

 present prohibitory law : 



Resolved, That it is the sense of this meeting that 

 the Republican party, at its convention on the 30th 

 instant, ought to insert in its platform a plank op- 

 posing the repeal of said prohibitory law. 



Subsequently the following were reported 

 by the committee on resolutions, and adopted : 



Resolved, That it is the object of this convention 

 to consolidate the temperance vote of the State of 

 Iowa, and to wield that vote, as far as possible, in 

 favor of such party or candidate as will sustain the 

 prohibitory laws of the State. 



Resolved, That the Republican party of Iowa, hav- 

 ing been organized upon a great moral issue, and 

 sustained in part by the moral sentiment of the 

 State, owes it to that moral sentiment, as well as to 

 the public weal, to maintain the foregoing principles 

 in its platforms and in the selection of its candidates, 

 and in its legislators. 



The convention then adjourned to await the 

 action of the Republicans. When it transpired 

 that the latter had made no declaration on the 

 subject of temperance legislation, the follow- 

 ing was adopted as the platform of the party : 



Whereas, Existing political parties have ignored 

 prohibition : 



JZesolved, That the temperance people of Iowa are 

 forced to seek promotion of their cause in such a 

 way as will be most effective, without regard to 

 parties ; that the laws of the State relating to the 

 desecration of the Sabbath should be rigidly en- 

 forced; that there should be no diversion of the 

 school-fund for sectarian purposes ; that political 

 organizations should not control men in their actions 

 on moral questions; that county organizations be 

 formed to elect temperance men to the Legislature. 



The question of nominating a State ticket 

 was left to a central committee, consisting of 

 one member from each congressional district. 

 At a subsequent date J. H. Lozier was nomi- 

 nated as candidate for Governor. 



The election took place on the 12th of Octo- 

 ber, and resulted in the choice of the Repub- 

 lican candidates by large majorities. The total 

 vote for Governor was 218,417, of which Kirk- 

 wood received 125,058, Leffler 93,359, and 

 Lozier between 1,000 and 2,000, making Kirk- 

 wood's majority over Leffler 31,699. Of the 

 fifty members of the Senate elected, thirty-five 

 were Republicans ; six were elected two years 

 before as anti-monopolists, having previously 

 been Republicans, and were understood to have 

 virtually returned to the Republican party; 

 nine were declared Democrats. Of the one 

 hundred members of the House of Representa- 

 tives, seventy-one were Republicans, and twen- 

 ty-nine Democrats. 



The State Grange of Patrons of Husbandry 

 held its annual session at Des Moines, begin- 

 ning December 14th, and continuing five days. 

 The report of the State agent showed the as- 

 sets of the organization to amount to $13,761.16, 

 of which $1,040.80 consisted of cash in bank, 

 $2,050.83 dues to the agency, and the balance 

 invoices of implements, etc. The amount re- 

 ceived and disbursed by the Treasurer, during 

 the year, was about $22,000. The time of the 

 session was chiefly occupied with discussions, 

 or various reports and resolutions. Among 

 the resolutions adopted was one providing for 

 crop reports from the subordinate granges, the 

 facts thus obtained to be classified and arranged 

 by the Secretary, and by him given to the agri- 

 cultural papers for publication ; and one, ask- 

 ing the General Assembly to pass such laws as 

 shall compel banks of deposit to give sufficient 

 security in real estate first mortgages to be de- 

 posited with and held by the Auditor of the 

 State, as security in favor of depositors, in case 

 of failure of said banks. 



A decision was rendered in the United States I 

 Circuit Court for the District of Iowa, by Judge 

 Dillon, in May, sustaining the validity of the ! 

 law of March, 1874, " to establish reasonable \ 

 maximum rates of charges for the transporta- \ 

 tion of freights and passengers on the differ- ' 

 ent railroads of this State." This law went 

 into effect in July, 1874, and most of the rail- 

 roads complied with its provisions. In other 

 cases suits were begun to compel compliance. 

 The Burlington & Missouri River Railroad, 

 operated by the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy 

 Railroad Company, obtained a temporary in- 



