556 



MINNESOTA. 



months, the right to "vote at elections for 

 school officers and in matters pertaining to the 

 management of schools." Women so entitled 

 to vote are also declared to he " eligible to hold 

 any office pertaining solely to the management 

 of public schools." An act providing for lim- 

 ited divorce gives the district courts and courts 

 of Common Pleas authority to decree separa- 

 tion from bed and board forever or for a lim- 

 ited time, on the complaint of a married 

 woman, if she and her husband are inhabitants 

 of the State, if the marriage was solemnized 

 in the State, and the woman resides there 

 when exhibiting her complaint, or if the mar- 

 riage was solemnized elsewhere, but both par- 

 ties have resided in the State one year, the 



f 



^afiiJiS^ 



STATE SEAL OF MINNESOTA. 



causes for which such separation can be de- 

 creed being cruel and inhuman treatment by 

 the husband, such conduct on his part as makes 

 it unsafe or improper for the wife to cohabit 

 with him, and abandonment by the husband 

 and refusal or neglect to provide for the wife. 

 An act was passed to regulate the storage of 

 grain, providing for the rights of the owner to 

 have his property kept separate, and to retain 

 his control and ownership. Another act pro- 

 vided for the creation of safety-funds by fire- 

 insurance companies as security against losses 

 by extraordinary conflagrations. Companies are 

 authorized but not required to create guarantee- 

 surplus funds and special-reserve funds out of 

 the surplus of profits over and above ten per 

 cent, of the capital stock. Once they have 

 filed with the Insurance Commissioner an in- 

 tention to create such funds, they cannot de- 

 clare dividends of more than ten per cent, until 

 the guarantee and special funds shall be equal 

 to the whole capital stock. These funds must 

 be invested as security against extraordinary 

 losses. A general act was passed regulating 

 the organization of mining and manufacturing 

 companies. Solitary imprisonment, except for 

 prison discipline^ was abolished. Provision 

 was made for the inspection of illuminating 

 ils manufactured from petroleum, and for the 

 ounishment of adulteration or the sale of dan- 



gerous compounds. Among the appropriations 

 was one reimbursing counties for money paid 

 out as bounties for the destruction of grass- 

 hoppers, amounting in the aggregate to some 

 $39,000. 



A convention of the Republicans of the State 

 was held at St. Paul, on the 24th of May, for 

 the purpose of choosing delegates to the Na- 

 tional Convention of the party, and nominating 

 candidates for presidential electors. Lieuten- 

 ant-Governor "Wakefield presided. Ex - Gov- 

 ernor Alexander Ramsey was chosen to head 

 the delegation to the National Convention, 

 and ex-Governor Davis, ex-Governor Miller, 

 General Edgerton, C. K. Kinsett, and L. Bo- 

 gen, were nominated for electors. The fol- 

 lowing platform was adopted : 



The Republicans of Minnesota hereby reaffirm 

 those great principles of tree government which 

 were declared by the fathers of the republic one 

 hundred years ago, and whose final triumph in our 

 day has been consecrated by the sacrifices of the 

 late war. We are in favor of the unity and consti- 

 tutional rights of the States, and of every citizen 

 thereof; the preservation of the great results achieved 

 by the war, the grateful recognition of the service 

 of defenders of the republic in the hour of its su- 

 preme peril ; thorough retrenchment and reform in 

 every branch of public service ; the fearless and un- 

 compromising exposure of corruption and malfea-. 

 sance in office ; pure, honest, and efficient govern- 

 ment; the preservation untarnished of the national 

 credit ; hard money or its equivalent ; paper con- 

 vertible into coin ; the education of every child 

 within the borders of the republic, and a thorough 

 system of common schools, absolutely free from sec- 

 tarian or partisan bias. 



We believe the sublime mission of the Eepublican 

 party, in the spirit and language of the martyr Pres- 

 ident, is that a government of the people, for the peo- 

 ple, and by the people, should not perish from the 

 earth; and therefore, without regard to past differ- 

 ence or dead issues, we earnestly and cordially in- 

 vite all who believe the administration of the Gov- 

 ernment should not be confided to the men who 

 through years of bloodshed strove to destroy it, and 

 who seek an economical administration by thorough 

 and capable officials, to unite with us in fraternal 

 and considerate cooperation for the accomplishment 

 of these great ends. 



We emphatically condemn the treachery of every 

 official who is faithless to his trust, and approve the 

 injunction of President Grant, to '.'let no guilty 

 man escape," and recognize a vigorous prosecution 

 of all reforms which tend to purify the civil service 

 and elevate the character of the Government as 

 the supreme duty of the hour. 



The Republicans of Minnesota expect and demand 

 of their delegates in the National Convention to 

 support the candidate for the presidency whose 

 character and history shall afford the .strongest 

 guarantee of his courage, ability, and zeal, to carry 

 forward the great work of purification, until corrupt 

 men and systems shall alike be discarded from the 

 Government. 



The following additional resolution was 

 adopted, with only three dissenting votes : 



Resolved, That we recognize in James G. Elaine, 

 of Maine, a man of tried integrity, of uncompromis- 

 ing loyalty, of commanding ability, both as a leader 

 and a fearless, unfaltering advocate and defender of 

 the principles which have preserved the Union, and 

 given undying lustre to the party of which he is to- 

 day the most admired representative, and we ta 1r e 

 pleasure in recording the fact that he has Minnesota's 



