CALIFORNIA. 



127 



Comptroller, J. E. Denny, of Yisalia ; Treasurer, 

 Jacob H. Neff, of Placer ; Attorney-General, 

 W. II. H. Hart ; Surveyor-General, Theodore 

 Reichert, of San Francisco ; Superintendent of 

 Public Instruction, Ira G. Hoitt, of San Fran- 

 cisco ; Clerk of the Supreme Court, J. A. Orr, 

 of Plumas. Supreme Judges: A. V. R. Patter- 

 son, of San Joaquin ; T. B. McFarland, of Sac- 

 ramento ; and Judge Hamilton, of Alameda. 



The Democratic State Convention met in 

 San Francisco on the 31st of August, and ad- 

 journed on the 4th of September. The follow- 

 ing were the nominees : For Governor, Wash- 

 ington Bartlett, of San Francisco ; Lieutenant- 

 Governor, Michael F. .Tarpey, of Alameda; 

 Secretary of State, William C. Hendricks, of 

 Butte ; Comptroller, John P. Dunn, of Sacra- 

 mento ; Treasurer, Adam Herold, of Santa 

 Clara ; Attorney-General, George A. Johnson, 

 of Santa Rosa ; Clerk of the Supreme Court, 

 J. D. Spencer, of Stanislaus ; Superintendent 

 of Public Instruction, A. J. Moulder, of San 

 Francisco ; Surveyor-General, E. O. Miller, of 

 Tulare; Supreme Judges, Jackson Temple, 

 Jeremiah F. Sullivan, and Byron Waters. The 

 platform indorses the national Administration, 

 opposes contract convict labor, and Chinese im- 

 migration; denounces the great railroad cor- 

 porations of the State for non-compliance with 

 the tax laws, and opposes the amendment to 

 the State Constitution known as the " Heath 

 Amendment," as its adoption would accord with 

 the wishes of the non-taxpaying monopolists 

 of the State. The following are the other im- 

 portant planks : 



Resolved, That this convention recommend the pas- 

 sage of an act of Congress, providing for the free coin- 

 age of both gold and silver, by the terms of which act 

 all gold and silver bullion offered at the several mints 

 of the United States shall be received in exchange for 

 money or gold or silver certificates at the rate now 

 fixed by law for standard dollars of gold, and silver 

 certificates shall be receivable for all public purposes 

 and interchangeable for gold or silver, as the case may 

 be. 



Resolved, That the present tariff on wool, prepared 

 by a Republican commission appointed by a Republi- 

 can President, is an unjust discrimination against a 

 great industry, and we denounce the same, and de- 

 mand the restoration of the tariff of 1867. That in 

 view of the brilliant future that awaits California in 

 the development of its wine interests, we most heartily 

 favor the bills now pending in Congress for the re- 

 lease from taxation of spirits used in the fortification 

 of sweet wines, and the protection of our wine indus- 

 tries from the injurious effects of fraud and the unre- 

 stricted sale of spurious wines. 



And we also favor legislation protecting the raisin 

 industry. 



We are in favor of liberal wages and free labor. 



All associations formed for the purpose of develop- 

 ing the intelligence, promoting the welfare and pro- 

 tecting the interests of the laborer and mechanic, and 

 to enaole them successfully to contend for and main- 

 tain their rights by peaceful and efficient means against 

 powerful and oppressive combinations, should be en- 

 couraged and expressly sanctioned by law. 



Resolved, That mining is one of the great? and bene- 

 ficial industries of this State ; therefore, it is the duty 

 of the Government to devise some plan to protect that 

 interest and for mining to be continued without in- 

 jury to any other industry. 



Resolved, That the Democratic party recognizes the 

 importance of the water question, and the absolute 

 necessity for its speedy settlement, and the party can 

 and will settle it on a oasis of equal and exact justice 

 to all interests involved. 



Navigation shall not be impaired under any pre- 

 text. 



No class of individuals shall take, injure, or destroy 

 the property or rights of any other class, except under 

 the operation of the law ot eminent domain. These 

 rights being guarded and protected, the waters of the 

 State are the property of the people of the State, to be 

 used for irrigation, mining, manufacturing, and other 

 useful purposes. Appropriation 01 water, whether 

 heretofore or hereafter made, should give no right to 

 more water than is absolutely used in an economical 

 manner for a beneficial purpose. 



To guard against a monopoly of water for irrigation, 

 irrigation districts should have the right to acquire 

 by purchase or condemnation the means necessary in 

 conducting the water to the lands comprising such ir- 

 rigation districts. The English law or riparian rights 

 is inapplicable to the circumstances and condition of 

 California. 



The State may, at any time, assume control of the 

 diversion, use, and distribution of water under gen- 

 eral laws enacted for that purpose, provided the State 

 shall in no event be called upon, by taxation or other- 

 wise, to construct irrigation- works. 



C. 0. O'Donnell was the anti-Chinese can- 

 didate for Governor, and there was also an 

 " American " candidate. 



The election on the 2d of November produced 

 a mixed result. According to the latest re- 

 turns, the Democratic candidate for Governor 

 has a plurality of about 600 over the Republi- 

 can. The Republicans elected the Lieutenant- 

 Governor, the Attorney-General, the Superin- 

 tendent of Public Instruction, the Surveyor- 

 General, and two Justices of the Supreme Court. 

 The Democrats elected the Secretary of State, 

 the Comptroller, the Treasurer, the Clerk of 

 the Supreme Court, and one Justice of the Su- 

 preme Court. The Republicans elected four 

 Congressmen and the Democrats two. In the 

 State Senate the Democrats have a majority of 

 12 ; in the Assembly the Republicans have a 

 majority of 2, leaving the Democrats with a 

 majority of 10 on joint ballot. 



Legislative Session. The Legislature met in 

 extra session, at the call of the Governor, on 

 July 20, and remained in session until Sept. 11. 

 The Governor, in his proclamation, gives the 

 reasons and objects of the call as follow : 



The Supreme Court of the State in a recent decision 

 announced that the riparian owners along the unnavi- 

 gable streams in California owned the flowing waters 

 in such streams, and are entitled to the exclusive 

 right to use the same. The wide-spread disaster which 

 this decision threatens to the agricultural interests 

 and the consequent general excitement and apprehen- 

 sion make it proper that the legislative and execu- 

 tive branches of the government "should take prompt 

 and efficient action to prevent the injurious conse- 

 quences which will otherwise inevitably flow from 

 the establishment of such a rule of law Tsy the highest 

 court in the Commonwealth. 



Another matter of great public concern is the reor- 

 ganization of the Supreme Court. The existing sys- 

 tem has not given satisfaction, and the evils are grow- 

 ing worse. It is cumbersome to a degree. I do hereby 

 specify the following subjects upon which it is assem- 

 bled to legislate : 



1. To propose and submit to the people of the State 



