646 



PENNSYLVANIA. 



states the number of licensed drinking-places 

 in Philadelphia at 6,358, being one for every 

 125 of the population! He also urges upon 

 the Legislature the passage of an adequate act 

 to carry into effect the constitutional provis- 

 ions against discriminations by railroad, com- 

 panies, characterizing as delusive the statute 

 of 1883 on this subject. 



Political. The Republican State Convention 

 met in Harrisburg on the 16th of April, chose 

 delegates to the National Convention, nominat- 

 ed candidates for Presidential Electors and 

 Congressman at large, and declared James G. 

 Elaine its choice for presidential candidate. 

 Its platform contained the following : 



"We unqualifiedly approve and demand the continu- 

 ance of that system of protection to home industry 

 which has proved itself to be the basis of national in- 

 dependence, the incentive to industrial skill and de- 

 velopment, and the guarantee of a just and adequate 

 scale of wages for labor ; and we denounce all attempts 

 to reduce the rates of tariff below the level which will 

 accomplish these results. 



While reviving no past differences, and earnestly 

 seeking good- will between all portions of our common 

 country, we insist that the guarantees of the consti- 

 tutional amendments shall be faithfully observed ; 

 we demand that every citizen shall be protected in 

 his right to cast a free ballot and have it honestly 

 counted ; and we denounce every attempt to deny or 

 abridge this right, whether by fraud or violence. 



As a dual standard of the precious metals can only 

 be maintained by the concurrence and co T operation 

 of the commercial nations of the world, and as this 

 can not be had at the present time, and as the attempt 

 to maintain such a standard by the United States 

 alone is calculated to produce serious complication in 

 our monetary system, it is earnestly recommended to 

 our Senators and Kepresentatives in Congress that 

 they urge such legislation as will suspend the coinage 

 of the standard silver dollar until united action with 

 the other nations can be had. 



We also recommend the retirement of the trade-dol- 

 lar in exchange for standard dollars, without increas- 

 ing^ the monthly issue of the latter. 



We commend every effort to sustain and promote 

 thorough civil-service reform in all departments of 

 the national and State Governments. 



The Democratic State Convention, held for 

 similar purposes, met in Allentown on the 9th 

 of April, and declared Samuel J. Randall its 

 choice for presidential candidate. The plat- 

 form adopted by it contained the following : 



We favor a tariff for revenue, limited to the neces- 

 sities of the Government economically administered 

 and so adjusted in its application as to prevent unu- 

 sual burdens and encourage productive industries at 

 home and afford just compensation to labor, but not 

 to create and foster monopolies ; and to this end we 

 favor the abolition of the internal revenue system of 

 taxes, and such adjustment of the existing tariff duties 

 as will be consistent with these principles. 



> Every legitimate effort of labor to better its condi- 

 tion, advance its rewards, and protect its rights, com- 

 mands the sympathy and support of the Democratic 

 party. The importation under contract of foreign 

 pauper labor is an evil which should be remedied by 

 judicious legislation. 



^ The refusal of the [Republican members of the Le- 

 gislature to agree to a just apportionment of the State 

 was a flagrant violation of the Constitution, for unwor- 

 thy partisan purposes. We denounce their course ; 

 we approve the determination of the Democratic Gov- 

 ernor, Representatives, and Senators to insist upon an 

 honest and fair apportionment, and wo commend the 



PERSIA. 



present Democratic State administration for its main- 

 tenance of the Constitution, enforcement of the law, 

 and honest and capable discharge of public duties. 



On the 4th of November the Republican tick- 

 et was elected. The vote for Presidential Elect- 

 ors was as follows : Republican, 473,804; Dem- 

 ocratic, 392,785 ; Greenback, 16,992 ; Prohibi- 

 tion, 15,283. For Congressman at large, E. S. 

 Osborne, Republican, received 476,240 votes ; 

 W. W. H. Davis, Democrat, 401,042. The 

 Greenback vote was 9,684; Prohibition, 10,- 

 471. Of the district Congressmen chosen at 

 this election, 18 are Republicans, 8 Democrats, 

 and one a Green backer. The Legislature of 

 1885 consists of 31 Republicans and 11 Demo- 

 crats in the Senate, and 141 Republicans and 

 60 Democrats in the House. 



PERSIA, an empire in Asia. The Govern- 

 ment is an absolute monarchy, based on the 

 precepts of the Koran, resembling very nearly 

 in constitution that of the Turkish Empire. 

 The Shah, or Emperor, claims absolute obedi- 

 ence as the vicegerent of the Prophet. Under 

 him the Government is carried on by a minis- 

 try composed of the Vizier-i-Azem, who di- 

 rects the foreign policy and acts as military 

 commander-in-chief ; the Ameen - ed - Doulah, 

 or treasurer; and five subordinate ministers, 

 created after the model of European cabi- 

 nets. The country is divided into fiiteen prov- 

 inces, each governed by a Beglerbeg, who is 

 usually a prince of the royal family. The towns 

 and villages elect their own magistrates. 



The reigning Shah is Nassr-ed-Din, born 

 Sept. 4, 1829, who succeeded his father, Shah 

 Mohammed, Sept. 10, 1848. He is the fourth 

 sovereign of the Kadjar family. (For statis- 

 tics of area and population, see " Annual Cy- 

 clopaedia " for 1883.) 



Finances. In 1882 the receipts were about 

 40,000,000 francs in money and 7,000,000 francs 

 paid in kind together 47,000,000 francs, of 

 which 38,000,000 francs came from direct 

 taxes such as the land tax, personal tax, 

 patents, etc. and 8,840,000 francs from cus- 

 toms. The expenditures were about 45,000,000 

 francs, of which 19,000,000 francs were for 

 the army, 9,000,000 francs for the courts, 6,- 

 000,000 francs for the clergy, etc., 2,000,000 

 francs for gifts to great families, the Afghans, 

 and others, 700,000 francs for foreign affairs, 

 1,500,000 francs for the other ministries, and 

 300,000 francs for colleges. There is no debt. 



Commerce and Industry, The imports amount 

 to about 2,500,000 tomans (1 toman = $2.25), 

 and the exports to 1,250,000 tomans. For- 

 merly the exports largely exceeded the imports ; 

 but, since a taste has sprung up among the 

 wealthy for European dress articles and other 

 manufactures, the balance of trade is as large- 

 ly the other way. The main trade is with Rus- 

 sia in the north and with Great Britain in the 

 south. The imports from both countries .are 

 about equal, though the Russian trade is rapid- 

 ly growing. English cotton cloths constitute 

 nearly half of the total imports. The Indian 





