WISCONSIN. 



763 



The Republican State Convention assembled 

 in Madison, July Vth, and nominated the fol- 

 lowing ticket : For Governor, Harrison Lud- 

 ington, of Milwaukee ; Lieutenant-Governor, 

 H. L. Eaton, of Richland ; Secretary of State, 

 H. B. Warner, of Pierce; Treasurer, Henry 

 Baltz, of Manitowoc ; Attorney-General, John 

 R. Bennett, of Rock; Superintendent of Pub- 

 lic Instruction, Robert Graham, of Winnebago. 

 The following platform was adopted : 



Resolved, That the Kepublicans of Wisconsin de- 

 clare their unalterable adherence to the indissoluble 

 union of the States ; the sovereignty of the Federal 

 Government in the functions assigned to it by the 

 Constitution, the rights of the State, and the equality 

 of all men before the law. 



That we declare parties to be only deserving of 

 support so long as they advance wise and patriotic 

 principles, and promote the honest and efficient ad- 

 ministration of public affairs. 



That we regard labor as entitled in a high degree 

 to the protection of the Government in all its rights. 



That we are in favor of the freedom of religious 

 opinion; and we therefore oppose any union be- 

 tween Church and State, or interference with re- 

 ligious faith or worship, or any legislation in the 

 interest of any particular creed. 



That we stand by free education, our public 

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

 and no division of the school-fund for any sectarian 

 purpose. 



That we hold that true education and sound morals 

 are the best agencies for promoting the laudable cause 

 of temperance. 



That we accept with approval the letter of Presi- 

 dent Grant discouraging the continuance in office of 

 any Chief- Magistrate of the nation for a longer period 

 than two terms. 



That we approve of the present Republican na- 

 tional Administration, and especially the earnest ef- 

 forts to collect the revenue, to prevent and punish 

 frauds, to expose past violations and to guard against 

 their recurrence in the future. 



That we indorse the policy of adjusting difficulties 

 between this and foreign nations by arbitration in- 

 stead of war ; and, as friends of justice, peace, and 

 humanity, we shall hail the day when this policy 

 shall be adopted throughout the world. 



That we adhere to the doctrine of legislative con- 

 trol over railroads and other corporations, deriving 

 their powers and franchises from the State, for the 

 mutual benefit of the people and such corporations, 

 without injustice to the interests of either ; which 

 policy was inaugurated and will continue to be fos- 

 tered by the Republican party of Wisconsin, to the 

 end that just and fair rates of transportation may 

 be secured to all the people, while all unjust and 

 oppressive acts of monopolies should be prohibited. 



That we favor the early attainment of a currency 

 convertible with coin, and therefore advocate the 

 gradual resumption of specie payments by continu- 

 ous steps in that direction, in such manner as to 

 disturb the business interests of the country as little 

 as possible. 



That we are in favor of a tariff for revenue only, 

 so adjusted as to be the least burdensome and most 

 favorable to the interests of labor and industry. 



That we desire such a revision of the patent laws 

 as will relieve industry from the oppression of mo- 

 nopolies, and at the same time secure to the inventor 

 a fair remuneration and to the public the benefit of 

 the invention upon equitable terms. 



That the Republican party will continue, by all 

 the means in the power of the State, to encourage 

 immigration, as an important agency in developing 

 the resources and promoting the prosperity of the 

 nation. 



That with the experience of the past, in referenco 

 to national and State administrations, we have abun- 

 dant evidence that the best interests of the people 

 demand the continuance of the enlightened and 

 liberal policy of the Republican party in its well-de- 

 fined and clearly-announced purpose, to foster tho 

 agricultural, industrial, and commercial interests of 

 the country; by a judicious system of internal im- 

 provements, having for their objects the enlarge- 

 ment of facilities and reduction in the cost of trans- 

 portation for our inter-State commerce ; by an hon- 

 est and faithful administration of the laws ; and by 

 a firm adherence to the principles of justice and 

 progress. 



The Democratic Convention was held in 

 Milwaukee on the 8th of September, and, hav- 

 ing renominated the persons then in office, 

 adopted the following resolutions : 



Resolved, That the representatives of the Demo- 

 cratic and Liberal Reform and Independent electors 

 of Wisconsin, in convention assembled, congratulate 

 the people of the State, regardless of partisan dis- 

 tinction, upon the progress thus far made in the re- 

 duction of the State's expenditures, in the vigorous 

 and impartial administration of the laws, in the re- 

 peal of obnoxious legislation, in the additional pro- 

 tection assured the industrial and producing classes, 

 and in the banishment of the debasing spirit of po- 

 litical partyism from official places ; and we resolve 

 and declare 



1. That we will abide by the principles of political 

 reform adopted by the People's Reform Convention 

 of 1873, and subsequently readopted by fifteen thou- 

 sand majority of the people of Wisconsin at the 

 polls; and 



2. That we will abide by the declaration of princi- 

 ples unanimously agreed on by the _ Reform and In- 

 dependent members of the Wisconsin Legislature of 

 1875, to wit: Preservation of the public credit; 

 honest payment of the national debt; rigid economy 

 in State and Federal administrations ; more and 

 cheaper facilities for transportation within and with- 

 out the State ; completion of the Fox and Wisconsin 

 Rivers improvements ; sound currency in coin or its 

 equivalent ; tariff for revenue only, levying lighter 

 duties upon articles of necessity than upon articles 

 of luxury ; the sovereignty of the State over corpora- 

 tions of its own creation; no sympathy for men who 

 vote or apologize for Creait Mobilier corruptions in 

 Congress or elsewhere, or who affiliate with men of 

 corrupt practices in State or Federal legislation ; the 

 sovereignty of the Federal Government in the ex- 

 ercise of its delegated powers ; the sovereignty of the 

 States and the people as to all powers not delegated 

 to the Federal Government nor prohibited to the 

 States ; the supremacy of civil authority in times 

 of peace, and liberty, equality, and fraternity for all 

 men under the law ; the freedom of the press from 

 Federal gag-laws ; freedom of religion and opinion; 

 hostility to all State or Federal enactments which 

 usurp jurisdiction over private conscience, or punish 

 one man for the offenses of another ; the elevation 

 of labor and its permanent and positive protec- 

 tion in all its rights without injustice to capital, 

 and the perpetual subordinatibn of the interests 

 of party to principles and to the good of the whole 

 people. 



We furthermore resolve and declare that, being 

 but one people and having but one country, it is es- 

 sential to our national peace and prosperity that har- 

 mony prevail between the Federal and State gov- 

 ernments in all their legal and constitutional rela- 

 tions ; that toward that end it is necessary that the 

 Constitution, with all its amendments, be acknowl- 

 edged as the supreme law throughout the land, and 

 that no effort be made to counteract the letter or 

 spirit of its provisions. But we strongly condemn 

 all attempts by the Federal Government to absorb 



