MASSACHUSETTS. 



477 



through the efforts of the prohibitionists in the 

 party. They began early in the season to move 

 again in his behalf, but were checked by a let- 

 ter from him addressed to the Secretary of the 

 Republican State Committee, declining to per- 

 mit the use of his name. He said in this letter : 



Eegarding as I do the success of the Kepublican 

 party as necessary to the pacification of the Southern 

 States ; to the restoration of our currency to a sound 

 basis, as the only means of reviving trade and secur- 

 ing the continued prosperity of the country j and to 

 an advancement of the standard of public virtue by 

 furthering all the moral and religious eiforts of the 

 times, I consider it our paramount duty to make such 

 a gubernatorial nomination as shall best conduce 

 to the entire harmony of the party. Our Common- 

 wealth has just entered upon an experiment in the 

 treatment of the only question upon which a serious 

 difference of opinion exists within our party. While 

 I have seen no reason to change my often-expressed 

 views upon the subject, my own judgment leads me 

 to concur with those who believe that the best inter- 

 ests of temperance demand that the present law for 

 the regulation of the liquor-traffic should receive a 

 fair, thorough, and impartial trial, and though my 

 whole influence and my honest efforts are pledged 

 to secure this, yet I can but recognize the fact that 

 my pronounced views upon this question might, 

 were I put in nomination, create a doubt as to the 

 sincerity of my purposes, and give rise to a suspicion 

 that the experiment would not receive a fair trial at 

 my, hands. Should a wide-spread distrust, born of 

 such doubts and suspicions, manifest itself at the 

 election, the cause of temperance might not only re- 

 ceive a severe check, but a breach might thereby be 

 opened in the ranks of the Kepublican party in this 

 State, the consequences of which would be disastrous 

 both at home and abroad. I desire to avert this so 

 far as it may lie in my power to do so, preferring 

 to sacrifice my personal aspirations rather than im- 

 peril a triumph dearer to me than my own individ- 

 ual success. 



A warm canvass on the Republican nomina- 

 tion preceded the convention, a large portion 

 of the party urging the claims of Alexander H. 

 Rice, of Boston, and another portion those of 

 Dr. George B. Loring, of Salem, while a third 

 element advocated the selection of Charles 

 Francis Adams, of Quincy. The Democrats 

 conducted their canvass quietly and harmoni- 

 ously. A new National Union party was organ- 

 ized in Boston, of which General N. P. Banks 

 was announced as one of the leading spirits, 

 and an address to the people was issued, but 

 the organization developed very little strength 

 or influence. Certain men who had been prom- 

 inent in the "Liberal Republican" movement 

 of 1872 also issued an address, announcing their 

 formal union with the Democrats. 



The Republican convention met at Worces- 

 ter on the 29th of September, and organized 

 by the selection of Vice-President Wilson as 

 permanent chairman. He made a speech, 

 counseling harmony and a hearty union of all 

 the elements of the party for the accomplish- 

 ment of the work of reform that was needed, 

 and urging the necessity for the continued 

 ascendency of the Republican party. On the 

 first ballot there were 451 votes for Alexan- 

 der H. Rice, 332 for George B. Loring, 253 

 for Charles Francis Adams, 35 for Henry L. 

 Pierce, 6 for Thomas Talbot, and 7 for other 



candidates. On the second ballot there were 

 497 for Rice', 225 for Loring, 260 for Adams, 

 51 for Pierce, and 13 scattering. On the third 

 ballot the supporters of Mr. Loring combined 

 in a measure with those of Rice, and the lat- 

 ter was nominated, receiving 576 votes out of 

 a total of 998, Adams receiving 249, Loring 

 99. On motion of Colonel Charles H. Taylor, 

 leader of the Loring forces, the nomination of 

 Mr. Rice was made unanimous. The rest of 

 the ticket was made up as follows : Lieutenant- 

 Governor, Horatio G. Knight, of Easthamp- 

 ton ; Secretary of State, Henry B. Pierce, of 

 Abington ; State Treasurer, Charles Endicott, 

 Jr., of North Brookfield; Attorney-General, 

 Charles R. Train, of Boston ; Auditor, Julius 

 L. Clarke, of Newton. A State Central Com- 

 mittee was chosen in accordance with nomina- 

 tions made by a committee. The platform 

 adopted was as follows : 



The Republicans of Massachusetts, in convention 

 assembled, reaffirm their allegiance to the great pur- 

 poses and principles of the Kepublican party ; they 

 congratulate themselves that nothing in their record 

 makes it necessary for them to give pledges that 

 they accept and will abide by the settlement of war 

 issues made in the thirteenth, fourteenth, and fif- 

 teenth amendments to the Constitution of the United 

 States ; and they congratulate the country that the 

 Democratic party has at last formally professed to 

 abandon its long, bitter, desperate, and unavailing 

 struggle, first to prevent, and afterward to overturn, 

 that settlement. This profession is both the most 

 humiliating confession of past folly ever extorted 

 from a political organization, and a signal tribute to 

 the invincible righteousness of Republican princi- 

 ples. The accusation that the Republican party 

 seeks to keep alive old issues in order to avoid new 

 ones, is unwarranted. Our past, at least, is secure. 

 Able to review the record without remorse, we cheer- 

 fully commit it to history, and with the courage in- 

 spired by success in a noble cause we address our- 

 selves to the new duties of the new era of the nation. 



It is therefore declared : That the Republican party 

 of Massachusetts will support no man for official po- 

 sition whose personal character is not an absolute 

 guarantee of fidelity to every public trust, and they 

 invoke the condemnation of the ballot-box upon any 

 candidate for office who fails of this test, whatever 

 may be his party name or indorsement. 



That reform in the civil service is a work which 

 no party can give over or slacken^ and for the eleva- 

 tion and purification of that service the Republican 

 party will continually and faithfully strive, welcom- 

 ing the cooperation of their opponents in whatever 

 quarter it may appear, to the end that every corrupt 

 and unworthy office-holder, without distinction of 

 party, may be driven from place, and that official 

 malfeasance may be hunted and punished, wherever 

 the pursuit may lead or the blow fall. 



That the Republicans of Massachusetts, in the ad- 

 ministration of State affairs recognizing no privilege 

 of class, no antagonism between labor and capital, 

 but deprecating any attempt to arbitrarily fetter 

 either, whether on the part of employed or employer, 

 will support such measures as shall develop the re- 

 sources of labor and of capital alike, stimulating one 

 and diffusing the other into channels of common 

 prosperity ; as also all measures that regard the pro- 

 motion of temperance, education, good morals, and 

 the equal rights of all American citizens, irrespective 

 of sex, the maintenance of order, the honest enforce- 

 ment of existing laws, rigid economy and retrench- 

 ment in every department of the government of the 

 Commonwealth, and reduction of taxation. 



