514 



MISSISSIPPI. 



ces will be seen in the comparison of receipts 

 and disbursements during the past five years : 

 disbursements over receipts, for 1871, $390,- 

 895.86 ; for 1872, $347,552.36 ; for 1873, $674,- 

 128.50 : while, on the other hand, the receipts 

 over disbursements were, for 1874, $49,114.17; 

 for 1875 (based on moderate estimate of taxes 

 already received and due, over), $400,000." 



The charitable institutions of the State are 

 represented to be in a prosperous and well- 

 managed condition. A new wing has been 

 added to the Insane Asylum, at a cost of $25,000. 

 The State Penitentiary is entirely inadequate 

 for the accommodation of the convicts. With 

 513 on its register at the end of the year, it had 

 only 175 cells, and 373 of the prisoners were 

 leased out, working on railroads, levees, and 

 buildings, and living altogether outside of the 

 prison-walls. Scarcely any provision has been 

 made for the employment of convicts at the 

 penitentiary itself. A new building, designed 

 for a factory or workshop, has been erected, 

 but no machinery has been placed in it. 



There was a very warm political canvass car- 

 ried on during the fall, although the only State 

 office to be filled was that of Treasurer, made 

 vacant by the death of G. H. Holland. Mem- 

 bers of the Legislature and of Congress were, 

 however, chosen at the same election. The 

 Democratic Convention was held at Jackson, 

 on the 3d of August. There were over 250 

 delegates present, representing more than sixty 

 counties. A stirring address was made by the 

 Hon. L. Q. C. Lamar, and letters were read 

 from A. G. Thurman, of Ohio, Thos. A. Hen- 

 dricks, of Indiana, and B. H. Hill, of Georgia, 

 expressing sympathy and encouragement. W. 

 L. Hemenway, of Carroll County, was nomi- 

 nated for State Treasurer, and the following 

 platform was adopted : 



The Democratic and Conservative people of the 

 State of Mississippi in convention assembled, invok- 

 ing the blessing of Almighty God on their efforts, 

 and inviting the cooperation of all citizens of the 

 State who favor an honest, impartial, and economical 

 administration, do adopt trie following declaration of 

 their aims and principles : 



1. We recognize and will maintain the civil and 

 political equality of all men as established by the 

 Constitution of the United States and the amend- 

 ments thereto. 



2. We are in favor of the education of all the chil- 

 dren of the State in public schools, sustained by ade- 

 quate taxation, but we are opposed to extravagant or 

 partisan administration of said schools. 



3. The selection only of honest, faithful, and com- 

 petent men, for all offices, from the highest to the 

 lowest. 



4. Economy in the administration of the govern- 

 ment, the abolition of useless and unnecessary offices, 

 and a reduction in the fees and salaries of those that 

 are retained, and a strict and rigid accountability of 

 all officers having the custody of public moneys, or 

 charged with their collection. 



5. Biennial sessions of the Legislature, and a re- 

 duction m the expenses of that department of the 

 government ; and we denounce the Republican party 

 ol the State for their violated pledges on this subject. 



6. The selection of an able and competent j udicia- 

 ry, and a confining of the judges to judicial functions 



>urely, so that all temptation to partisanship on the 

 ^-oh shall be removed. 



7. A discontinuance of the enormous evil of spe- 

 cial and local legislation, and in its stead the enact- 

 ment of general laws under which local and private 

 interests will be fully protected. 



8. The encouragement of agriculture, by securing 

 the farmer and the laborer the just rewards of their 

 toil and capital, and by relief from the burdensome 

 taxation which now consumes their substance. 



9. The encouragement of manufactures in our 

 midst. 



10. The elevation of the standard of official charac- 

 ter, so as to infuse into official life a sense of public 

 duty, the spirit of patriotism and integrity, to the 

 end that government, law, and public authority, may 

 be invested with the moral influence and dignity 

 which will insure respect and obedience. 



11. We favor immediate action of the General Gov- 

 ernment for the protection of the Mississippi River 

 lowlands against inundation. 



12. The building^ up of partisan newspapers by 

 legislation, the arming of the militia in time of peace, 

 the unconstitutional attempt to take from the people 

 the election of tax-collectors, the attempted passage 

 of the Metropolitan Police bill, the attempted cor- 

 ruption of the judiciary by the use of Executive pa- 

 tronage, we denounce as gross outrages upon con- 

 stitutional liberty ; while, as evidence of the utter 

 incapacity of our present rulers to administer the 

 affairs of the State, we point to the mass of confusion 

 in which the revenue and registration laws of the 

 State have become involved ; the necessity of extraor- 

 dinary sessions of the Legislature to cure the blun- 

 ders and follies of the regular sessions, and to the 

 repeated Executive and Legislative acts which have 

 been, by the Supreme Court, declared unconstitu- 

 tional and void. 



13. That we cordially invite the voters of all the 

 people of both races to unite vigorously with us in 

 the approaching canvass in a determined effort to 

 give success to the foregoing principles, and thus to 

 secure to ourselves and our posterity tne blessings 

 of an honest, economical government, administered 

 by able, efficient, and competent public officers. 



The ^Republican Convention was held at 

 Jackson, on the 25th of August, and had a 

 predominance of colored delegates. G. M. 

 Buchanan was nominated for State Treasurer, 

 and the following platform was adopted : 



The Republican party of the State of Mississippi 

 in convention assembled, thankful to an all-wise 

 and bountiful Providence for a continuance of his 

 kindly care and protection, do reassert our adhesion 

 to, and confidence in, those well-tried and time- 

 honored principles to which alone we can look for a 

 preservation of our liberties, and for all the bless- 

 ings of civil government : 



1. The preservation of the national Union. 



2. The maintenance of the Constitution and the 

 strict enforcement of the laws. 



3. Equal rights and privileges to all. 



4. Freedom of speech, freedom of the press, free- 

 dom of the ballot, and legal protection to the voter. 



5. Universal education and free schools, present- 

 ing the benefits of education to every child in the 

 State. 



6. The most decided and emphatic opposition to 

 the formation of political parties based upon race, 

 color, or religious belief. 



7. Rigid economy, equal and uniform taxation. 



8. Opposition to fostering monopolies at the ex- 

 pense of the masses. 



9. Honesty, capacity, and fidelity, the test of po- 

 litical preferment. 



10. That we congratulate the party of the State on 

 the successful and economical administration of Gov- 

 ernor Ames, and we pledge him our earnest support 

 in his efforts in the reduction of taxes and enforce- 

 ment of the law. 



11. We renew our advocacy of biennial sessions of 



