462 



MASSACHUSETTS. 



Sayings-Banks. There were deposited in sav- 

 vings-banks and other institutions for savings, 

 at the end of their fiscal year, $302,948,483, 

 an increase for the year of $11,750,582. The 

 number of depositors is more than 945,000, or 

 nearly half the number of people in the State. 

 The returns made by savings-banks, in accord- 

 ance with an act of 1887, of deposits unclaimed 

 for twenty years, and depositors of the same 

 unknown to the banks holding said deposits, 

 or known to be dead, show a very large 

 amount of this class of deposits, aggregating 

 in all the savings-banks several hundred thou- 

 sand dollars. As all estates, in default of heirs, 

 escheat to the Commonwealth, the State has a 

 large interest in these deposits. 



Political. A convention of the Prohibition 

 party was held at Worcester, September 7, and 

 the following ticket was adopted : For Gov- 

 ernor, W. H. Earle; for Lieutenant-Governor, 

 John Blackmer ; for Secretary of State, A. E. 

 Hall ; for Treasurer, John L. Kilburn ; for 

 Auditor, Edmund M. Stowe ; for Attorney- 

 General, Allen Coffin. The platform declares : 



That the system of licensing the manufacture and 

 sale of liquors, as a professed attempt at restriction, is 

 practically a failure. The consequent diminution of 

 drinking-saloons, even in the case of high license, 

 is scarcely appreciable, while the remainder are 

 abundantly able and entirely willing to make up the 

 deficiency by increased sales. 



That the principle of local option, so-called, has 

 been proved by numerous examples to be insufficient 

 to guard any given locality from the inroads of this 

 enemy. 



We earnestly warn the sincere temperance reform- 

 ers of the Commonwealth against the sophistries or' the 

 Republican party on the liquor question. Notwith- 

 standing its virtuous professions, we charge it with 

 truckling to the liquor vote. We affirm it to have de- 

 ceived thousands of Prohibitionists last year by its 

 pledge to submit the amendment to the votes of the 

 people, and by its nomination of a supposed Pro- 

 nibitionist as a candidate for Governor, while the 

 amendment was not submitted (although it was with- 

 in the power of the party so to have done), and the 

 gubernatorial candidate,' when elected, not only ac- 

 quiesced in the system of license, but said never a word 

 in advocacy of prohi bition. We affirm the Republi- 

 can party to be responsible for all the drinking- 

 saloons in the city of Bost6n to-day, since the discre- 

 tionary licensing power is in the hands of the Gov- 

 ernor, or, more directly, in the hands of the Police 

 Commissioners, whom the Governor appoints, a ma- 

 jority of whom are also Republicans. 



The Democratic Convention, on September 

 29, nominated for Governor ex-Congressman 

 Henry B. Lovering; for Lieutenant-Governor, 

 Walter E. Cutting ; for Secretary of State, 

 John F. Murphy ; for Treasurer, Henry 0. 

 Thatcher ; for Auditor, William F. Cook ; for 

 Attorney-General, John W. Corcoran. The 

 platform approves the national Administration, 

 demands a reduction of the tariff, and approves 

 the Federal laws prohibiting the importation of 

 contract labor. Upon State topics it says : 



We renew our declaration in favor of an unrestricted 

 ballot. We regard the requirement of the payment 

 of a poll-tax as a qualification to vote as a disgrace to 

 the State, an unjust discrimination against the poor 

 man, demoralizing in its effects, and a fruitful source 

 of political corruption. We demand such an amend- 



ment of the Constitution of the State as will make 

 each ballot the representative of a man and not of a 

 dollar. We charge the Republican leaders with de- 

 ception and double-dealing on this subject, and earn- 

 estly recommend that no candidate be voted for who 

 is not unconditionally pledged to support such an 

 amendment. 



We acknowledge our obligations to the wage-earn- 

 ers, and pledgee to them our earnest efforts in procuring 

 such legislation as will best promote their interests. 

 We cordially approve of the legislative act making La- 

 bor Day a legal holiday, and earnestly commend its 

 general observance. 



The Republican State Convention, held Sep- 

 tember 28, renominated Governor Ames, 

 Lieut.-Governor Brackett, Secretary Peirce, 

 Auditor Ladd, and Treasurer Beard. For 

 Attorney- General, Andrew J. Waterman was 

 nominated. The platform favors protection, a 

 reduction of surplus in the national treasury, 

 an honest ballot, and civil service reform. It 

 contains the following upon State issues: 



Recognizing in intemperance the most fruitful 

 source of pauperism, crime, corruption in politics, and 

 social degradation, we affirm our belief in the most 

 thorough restriction of the liquor traffic, and the en- 

 forcement of law for its suppression. We approve 

 the action of the last Legislature in enacting so many 

 temperance statutes, and demand the continued en- 

 actment of progressive temperance measures as the 

 policy of our party. We repeat the recommendation 

 of last year's convention, as follows : " Believing that 

 this great public question now demands settlement, 

 we favor the submission to the people of an amend- 

 ment to our Constitution prohibiting the manufacture 

 and sale of alcoholic liquors to be used as a beverage." 

 In order to have this matter placed before the people, 

 we call upon all those who are opposed to the politi- 

 cal control of the grog-shops to unite with the Republi- 

 can party in electing Senators and Representatives 

 who will vote for the submission of this amendment. 



The elevation and protection of American labor, the 

 increase of its wages, the promotion and security of 

 all its interests, material and moral, are not only a 

 cardinal object of the Republican party, but are the 

 principal purpose for which it was formed, and for 

 which it exists ; as witness its protective policy, its 

 demand for a free and fair ballot, and for universal 

 education, and the well-known liberal legislation of 

 republican Massachusetts in behalf of her mechanics 

 and wage-workers. We believe that this end will be 

 defeated by the success of any attempt to array labor 

 against capital, which is the legitimate fruit of indus- 

 try, skill, and enterprise for all alike, and upon the 

 accumulation of which the employment and pros- 

 perity of labor itself largely depends. 



The Republican party ever has maintained, and 

 ever will maintain and defend, the common-schools of 

 Massachusetts as the very citadel of her liberties, and 

 the source of her glory, greatness, and happiness. 

 They shall be kept open to all her children, and free 

 from all partisan and sectarian control. 



We believe that the Republican administration of 

 the State of Massachusetts is honest, upright, and has 

 earned the confidence of all good citizens. We be- 

 lieve that a Republican Legislature will consider 

 questions outside of party issues more wisely than 

 will a body having a majority of our opponents, and 

 we earnestly recommend to all constituencies that 

 they should select such candidates for Senators and 

 Representatives to the General Court, that the high 

 standard of Massachusetts legislation may not be im- 

 paired. We only echo the general opinion of our peo- 

 ple in saying that Gov. Ames has performed the 

 duties of his office to the public satisfaction ; that the 

 State Government is worthy of indorsement, and that 

 its continuance in office would mean that the voters 

 of Massachusetts are determined not to exhibit in 



