WISCONSIN. 



carried. This method seems to have heen re- 

 sorted to as a means to prevent a disturbance 

 in the convention, and perhaps a split in the 

 party, owing to a disagreement among the 

 members about the currency question. There 

 would have been two reports submitted from 

 it namely, a majority report, wholly ignoring 

 that question, and a minority report urging the 

 emission and circulation of paper-money. 



A third political party, called the " Indepen- 

 dent " or u Greenback " party, from its prefer- 

 ence for that kind of money before all others 

 under certain conditions, held a State Conven- 

 tion at Madison, on May 10th, in order that 

 Wisconsin might be represented in the Inde- 

 pendent National Convention to be held at In- 

 dianapolis on the 17th of that month. Only a 

 few persons attended. Their number, which 

 was about a dozen at the hour fixed for the 

 opening of the convention, did not exceed 

 twenty-five at any time till its final adjourn- 



STATE CAPITOL, MADISON. 



ment. The convention, however, was both 

 temporarily and permanently organized, and, 

 on appropriate motions, a committee of three 

 was appointed to frame and report resolutions, 

 and to nominate delegates to Indianapolis ; an 

 electoral ticket was nominated, and a Central 

 Committee of nine reorganized. 

 The following platform was adopted : 



Resolved^ That we are in favor of the following 

 general principles and measures : 



1. An exclusive Government currency, to be issued 

 in such volume as will meet the average demands of 

 the country. 



2. That the Government paper currency should 

 be convertible into Government bonds of long time 

 and low interest, at the will of the holder, and be 

 receivable for all public dues, including customs. 



3. That the act of 1875, called the resumption act, 

 should be immediately repealed. 



4. That, as soon as practicable, Government paper 

 currency should supersede the circulation of the na- 

 tional banks. 



5. That for the present there should be a widely 

 discriminating tariff for revenue only. 



6. That our common schools should be free, non- 

 partisan, and non-sectarian. 



7. A genuine civil-service reform, and the honest 

 administration of the Government. 



The election of November 7th resulted in 

 favor of the Republican candidates. The ag- 

 gregate votes polled in the State for President, 

 numbered 256,038; of which the Republican 

 nominee received 130,067, the Democratic 

 123,926, the Independent or Greenback, with 

 some scattering votes included, 2,045. The 

 votes for presidential electors in 1876 were 

 nearly 90,000 more than 

 those for Governor in 



1875, when they number- 

 ed 169,469, of which Mr. 

 Ludington received 85,155, 

 and Mr. Taylor 84,314. 



Of the eight Congress- 

 men from Wisconsin, five 

 Republicans were elected, 

 namely : in the first, sec- 

 ond, third, seventh, and 

 eighth districts; and three 

 Democrats, in the fourth, 

 fifth, and sixth. 



The State Legislature 

 was divided as follows : 

 In the Senate Republi- 

 cans, 23; Democrats, 10; 

 doubtful, 1. In the House 

 of Representatives Re- 

 publicans, 58 ; Democrats, 

 42. 



The whole amount of 

 public revenue from all 

 sources during the fiscal 

 year ending September 30, 



1876, including $277,681.- 

 44, balance in the State 

 Treasury on October 1, 

 1875, was $1,976,074.09. 

 The aggregate disburse- 

 ments for all public expen- 

 ditures during the same year were $1,660,- 

 207.48 ; leaving an available surplus in the 

 Treasury, on October 1, 1876, of $315,866.61. 



The estimated receipts for 1877 are set down 

 at $1,300,696.64; the expenditures at $975,- 

 727.98. 



The entire amount of the State debt on Sep- 

 tember 30, 1876, was $2,252,057, and consists 

 of the following items : State bonds outstand- 

 ing, $14,000 ; certificates of indebtedness to 

 trust-fund, $2,238,000; and currency certifi- 

 cates, $57. 



The amount belonging to each of the pro- 



