MINNESOTA. 



657 



proud preference for the office of President of tho 

 United Stales; and while wo pledge ourselves to 



:,y HiipiK.it any pure !<[. ul.iirun whom tliu 

 CiiK-iniiuti ('"iivt'iition limy nominate, we neverthe- 

 less express it as uur conviction that no other candi- 

 date will develop the enthusiasm, or call out the 

 number of votes that would bo polled by the Ameri- 

 can people for tho noble champion of their rights, 

 tlu-ir liberties, and their honor. 



The Democratic State Convention was held 

 at St. Paul, on the 1st of June. Ten delegates 

 were chosen to the National Convention at St. 

 Louis, and Edmund Rice, J. F. Meagher, Jo- 

 seph Capser, Richard A. Jones, and W. T. 

 Bonnowell, were nominated for presidential 

 electors. The following declarations were 

 adopted as expressive of the principles aiid 

 sentiments of the party in this State : 



1. We accept and will uphold the Constitution of 

 the United States in all its parts. 



2. The powers of the Federal Government are 

 limited by the Constitution, and should never be 

 transcended. 



3. Union of the States is perpetual, and the right 

 of local government in the several States is affirmed. 



4. The public credit should be maintained at any 

 and every cost. 



5. Gold and silver coin is the only legal tender 

 contemplated by the Constitution, and resumption 

 of specie payments, as soon as the business interests 

 of the country will permit, is the only policy con- 

 sistent with a high regard for the public faith. 



6. We reaffirm the unwavering position of the 

 Democratic party that a tariff for protection is of the 

 nature of class legislation, and is oppressive and 

 unjust, and that a tariff for revenue is only admissi- 

 ble when it is indispensable to provide means to de- 

 fray the ordinary expenses of the Government, and 

 to meet its obligations. 



7. Retrenchment in every branch of the Federal, 

 State, and local Government is demanded, that the 

 burden of taxation may be diminished. 



8. The peculation and appropriation of public 

 funds to private or partisan uses merit, and should 

 be visited by, prompt and severe penalties. 



9. The most rigid accountability should be exacted 

 of all persons intrusted with the custody and dis- 

 bursement of public funds, and the use of money in 

 influencing votes should be punished as a flagrantly 

 criminal offense. 



10. Public schools free to all. 



11. Equal and exact justice to all men ; no partial 

 legislation ; no partial taxation. 



12. Reform in all departments of the Federal Gov- 

 ernment, which can only be accomplished by the 

 displacement from power of the Republican party. 



We arraign that political organization before the 

 people as directly responsible for the demoralized 

 and disgraceful condition of the public service, 

 which brings shame to the face of every honest citi- 

 zen ; for shielding offenders from just and long-de- 

 served punishment; for contemptuous disregard of 

 the plain provisions of the Constitution ; for re- 

 peated violations of the rights of States guaranteed 

 by that instrument; for the innumerable thieveries 

 of Bclknap, and most of the minor criminals ; for 

 the decay and almost destruction of our commercial 

 marine; for the inefficient state of our navy, upon 

 which countless millions of the public money have 

 been squandered ; and for the absurd and vicious 

 legislation of the past fifteen years, which has un- 

 settled values of all property, and has culminated in 

 the depression of business that has brought disaster 

 and ruin upon so many of our citizens. 



Cordially inviting tne cooperation of honest men 

 of all shades of political opinion, we pledge the 

 Democratic party of Minnesota to work unceasingly 



and earnestly for the overthrow of the dominant 



j'urty, which }>y iu acts of omission and coiuiuision 

 has wrought so much ditthonor and so many evil* 

 upon all classes of our countrymen. 



After considerable discussion, the following 

 resolution was adopted by a vote of 120 to 74: 



Resolved, That in Governor Samuel J. Tilden we 

 recognize the representative reformer of the times, 

 and believe that his nomination for 1'rcnidcnt w ill be 

 the best course of tho Democracy to secure the re- 

 forms for which our party is earnestly striving, and 

 which are so essential to the very life of our nation. 



The Prohibitionists of the Stato held a con- 

 vention on the 7th of June, at St. Paul, and 

 nominated candidates for presidential electors. 

 A long series of resolutions was adopted, 

 setting forth the evils of intemperance, and 

 the corrupt influences of the liquor interest in 

 politics, demanding retrenchment and econ- 

 omy, and favoring woman-suffrage. The fol- 

 lowing views were also expressed regarding 

 financial questions: 



6. That it is the duty of the General Government 

 to establish post-office savings-banks, similar to 

 those of Great Britain, where laboring-men and 

 women may deposit their surplus earnings without 

 the danger of losing them. 



7. That it is the duty of Congress to repeal the act 

 of January 14, 1875, promising a resumption of specie 

 payments at a time when resumption will be prac- 

 tically impossible, and that a true financial policy 

 would induce Congress to set apart a portion of the 

 specie derived from import duties for the gradual re- 

 demption of greenbacks. 



8. The separation of the money of the Government 

 from all banking institutions. The national Gov- 

 ernment only should exercise the high prerogative 

 of issuing paper-money, and that should be subject 

 to prompt redemption on demand, in gold and silver, 

 the only equal standards of value recognized by the 

 civilized world. 



At the election on the 7th of November 

 there were 124,294 votes cast for presidential 

 electors. Of these the Hayes and "Wheeler tick- 

 et received 72,962, Tilden and Hendricks 48,- 

 799, Cooper and Cary 2,389, and Smith and 

 Stewart 144. The Republican majority was 

 21,630. The three members of Congress elected 

 were all Republicans. In the Second District 

 there was a " Greenback " candidate, who re- 

 ceived 2,879 votes, the Republican candidate 

 having 19,730, and the Democrat 14,990. The 

 Legislature of 1877 consists of 26 Republicans 

 and 15 Democrats in the Senate, and 77 Re- 

 publicans and 29 Democrats in the House. 

 This gives the Republicans a majority of 11 in 

 the Senate, 48 in the House, and 59 on joint 

 ballot. 



A vote was taken at the election on the 

 three amendments to the constitution sub- 

 mitted by the Legislature. That to section 11, 

 Article IV., relating to the Governor's veto,was 

 ratified by 47,802 votes in its favor to 4,426 

 against it ; that to section 3, Article X., con- 

 cerning the liability of stockholders, was re- 

 jected, 21,721 votes being cast for it, and 2:2. - 

 803 against it ; that to section 8, Articlf V I . 

 relating to an assignment of judges, was ratified 

 by a vote of 41,069 to 6,068. 



