606 



NEW YORK. 



On motion of United States Senator Miller, 

 who had led the Cornell forces, the nomina- 

 tion of Folger was made unanimous, though 

 many delegates refrained from voting on the 

 motion. The convention then adjourned until 

 the following day. Some excitement was caused 

 the same evening by an announcement from 

 Collector Robertson that he had sent no proxy 

 to Mr. French, and had not authorized him to 

 act in his place on the State Committee. The 

 alleged proxy proved to have been written on 

 a " sending blank " of the telegraph company, 

 and never to have been received over the lines. 

 It was regarded as an impudent forgery, and 

 this fact added not a little to the dissatisfaction 

 which the defeat of Cornell produced, it being 

 alleged that the whole power of the "party 

 machine " in the State, backed by the influence 

 of the national Administration, had been used 

 to crush a faithful Governor because he had 

 offended ex-Senator Conkling and the corpo- 

 rations which he represented. On the second 

 day of the convention, B. Platt Carpenter, of 

 Dutchess County, was nominated for Lieuten- 

 ant-Governor, receiving 280 votes out of 494 

 on the second ballot. His principal competitor 

 was Hamilton Fish, Jr. A. B. Hepburn, of 

 St. Lawrence, was nominated for Congressman- 

 at-large, receiving 309 votes to 156 for George 

 S. Batcheller, of Saratoga, and 8 for other can- 

 didates. Charles Andrews, of Onondaga, was 

 unanimously nominated for Chief -Judge of the 

 Court of Appeals. The platform, which was 

 presented by Mr. George Bliss, chairman of 

 the Committee on Resolutions, and unani- 

 mously adopted, was as follows: 



Resolved, That the Republican party of New York 

 has no new doctrine to present upon the questions 

 which have heretofore occupied much of public atten- 

 tion, such as honest money, pure elections, the regu- 

 lation of the traffic in intoxicating liquors, the protec- 

 tion of home industry, and the necessity of restricting 

 the power and influence of corporations. It is content 

 to be judged by its past declarations and acts. 



2. That equitable taxation, reaching corporations 

 as well as persons, is approved as a correct system 

 which should be perfected ; that the practical results 

 of recent legislation upon the subject rally justify the 

 action of the Eepublican party in its adoption. 



3. That monopolies oppressing the people, or un- 

 fairly discriminating against local interests, are wrong 

 in principle and should not be tolerated. 



4. That stringent legislation should be enacted to 

 secure the purity and honesty of primary elections, 

 and that all possible safeguards should be thrown about 

 these sources of the political action of the people. 



5. That the practice of appealing to the Legislature 

 to overrule the action of the local authorities when 

 confining themselves within the powers conferred 

 upon them should be discouraged both by the Legis- 

 lature and the Governor, and should be resorted to 

 only in extreme cases. 



6. That changes in the fundamental law should not 

 ordinarily be the subject of party action, but they 

 should when proposed 'always be carefully scrutinized 

 by the people, who should signify their wishes with 

 reference to them as generally they do in their selec- 

 tion of their representatives. We, therefore, urge the 

 people of the State, without reference to party, to ex- 

 amine with intelligent care the constitutional amend- 

 ments submitted to them, and to give full expression 

 at the polls to their judgment and wishes thereon. 



7. That while there are varying opinions on the 

 sale of liquors, we subscribe to the principle that prop- 

 ositions on that subject, like all other propositions 

 for change in the fundamental law, ought to be sub- 

 mitted to the popular vote. 



8. That the conduct of the Democracy in this State 

 during this year emphatically attests anew their signal 

 unworthiness of public confidence. They signalized 

 their return to power in the Legislature by wantonly 

 sacrificing the public interests upon the altar of greedy 

 and reckless partisanship. A party which could de- 

 vote nearly two months to a quarrel of its factions for 

 spoils, buti could give no time to the equalization of 

 taxation, and to other questions vitally affecting the 

 welfare of the people, insults the intelligence of the 

 electors of New York when it asks them to approve 

 its flagrant abuse of legislative powers by handing over 

 to it the executive branch of the State government. 



9. That the financial achievements of the Eepublican 

 Administration are next in importance to its work of 

 the preservation of the nation itself, as they are at- 

 tended by the rapid liquidation of a great public debt, 

 incurred to meet the national emergency, and by the 

 reduction of the rate of interest to its present low fig- 

 ures, and that it is the policy of the party to bring 

 taxation within the lowest possible limits, and, by the 

 strictest system of economy, reduce the governmental 

 expenses and the number of those employed in the 

 collection of the revenue, thus relieving the people of 

 all unnecessary burdens. 



10. That the civil service should be placed upon a 

 proper basis by adequate legislation, so as to give fa- 

 cilities for the execution of the law now upon the stat- 

 ute-book, with competitive tests for admission to the 

 service so arranged as to secure the necessary qualifi- 

 cations for the positions sought, together with a fixed 

 term for incumbents, removals from office during the 

 term of appointment to be only for cause . 



11. That the recent law of Congress designed to 

 suppress polygamy, which offends the moral sense of 

 mankind and prevents the administering of justice 

 through the usual instrumentalities of law, approves 

 itself to the people, and that it should be supple- 

 mented by such laws as may be necessary to attain 

 the object in view. 



12. That the economy and efficiency of the present 

 Eepublican State Administration entitle its members 

 to the highest praise. Governor Cornell's fearless and 

 firm exercise of the veto-power, while it has naturally 

 brought down upon him hostile criticism, has shown 

 his determination to protect the interests of the State 

 and the people alike against individuals and corpora- 

 tions. 



13. That we tender the President, Chester A. Ar- 

 thur, our assurance of confidence in his Administra- 

 tion, and our approval of the wise and patriotic course 

 pursued by him under the embarrassing circumstances 

 of his accession to office. His courage in resisting the 

 enactment of the Eiver and Harbor Bill, which vio- 

 lated the accepted rules of constitutional power, and 

 which, while authorizing many needed public im- 

 provements, carried with it a large and wasteful ap- 

 propriation for works of neither national nor public 

 good, has secured for him the admiration even of his 

 enemies. 



14. That a hearty support be pledged to the nomi- 

 nees of this convention, whose records in public life, 

 distinguished abilities, and special fitness commend 

 them to the people's approval at the ballot-box. 



When the Democratic Convention met at 

 Syracuse, on September 21st, there was a full 

 delegation present from each of the three local 

 factions of New York city, and the first day 

 was spent in organization and the settlement 

 of their claims by the Committee on Contested 

 Seats. An intense desire for union and har- 

 mony was displayed, and found expression in 

 the report of the "committee and its acceptance 



