550 



NEW YORK (STATE). 



during the season of navigation was 5,553,805 

 tons, and was considerably in excess of the 

 average canal tonnage during the past twelve 

 years, and this increased volume of business 

 was done with less detention than ever before 

 known. The canals were opened on the 7th 

 day of May and closed on the 1st day of De- 

 cember, and their navigation was interrupted 

 by no breaks or other serious accidents. The 

 general condition of the towing-path and per- 

 ishable structures has been improved. This 

 is especially the case with the towing-path, 

 which has been very thoroughly raised and re- 

 formed for the greater part of the canals' length 

 during the past three years. 



Political. The United Labor party held its 

 State Convention at Syracuse on the 19th of 

 August. It reaffirmed substantially the plat- 

 form adopted in New York city on Sept. 23, 

 1886, with some additional resolutions. The 

 following ticket was nominated : For Secretary 

 of State, Henry George; for Oo-nptroller, Vic- 

 tor A. Wilder, of Kings; for State Treasurer, 

 P. H. Cummins, of Montgomery ; for Attorney- 

 General, Denis 0. Feeley, of Rochester ; for 

 State Engineer and Surveyor, Sylvanus A. 

 Sweet, of Broome. 



Mr. Sweet declined, and M. K. Couzens was 

 substituted in his place. The presence of 

 Socialistic delegates from the city of New 

 York caused trouble, but they were finally ex- 

 cluded. 



The Prohibition State Convention was held 

 at Syracuse on August 25. Candidates for 

 State offices were nominated, and the follow- 

 ing platform was put forth : 



We, Prohibitionists of New York, through our rep- 

 resentatives in convention assembled, grateful to Al- 

 mighty God, Sovereign of nations and Guardian of 

 homes, and looking to him for guidance, hereby set 

 forth the following declaration of principles : 



1. The government of and by and for the people 

 can be permanent and fit to endure only as the people 

 guard sacredly public morals and private life. 



2. That the liquor-traffic being a foe to the indi- 

 vidual citizen, a curse to the home, a burden to society, 

 and a crime against God and the State, its entire pro- 

 hibition is demanded by every interest of social and 

 political economy. 



3. That the extermination of this traffic can never 

 be secured through any system which confers license 

 or levies a tax upon it. 



4. That to vote for license or tax of the liquor-traffic 

 is to accept, in the name of the State, a bribe from the 

 State's worst enemy, and that he who votes for a cor- 

 rupt and corrupting system for the revenue it yields is 

 as guilty of a crime against the State as he who sells 

 his vote to a corrupt candidate. 



5. That the purity and value of the ballot demand 

 disfranchisement for him who sells a vote and also for 

 him who buys it. 



6. That justice and equity alike demand that the 

 ballot should be given to woman, and that we demand 

 the submission by Congress to the several States of a 

 national constitutional amendment guaranteeing her 

 right thereto. 



7. That the extermination of the manufacture, im- 

 portation and salo of intoxicating beverages is the 

 dominant issue before the citizens of both State and 

 nation. It is, therefore, the only test of party fealty. 



8. For wage -earners we demand prohibition of the 

 liquor-traffic as the most important reform ; that the 



health and safetv of workers in the performance of 

 their labor should be secured by law ; that the laws 

 relating to child-labor and compulsory education 

 should be strictly enforced and their provisions ex- 

 tended; that a just system of profit-sharing between 

 employers and employes should be encouraged ; that 

 the establishment of co-operative business enterprises 

 by laboring-men be promoted by wise legislation; 

 that differences relating to the rewards of labor should 

 be settled by arbitration ; that equal wages for equal 

 work be paid alike to men and women ; that we are 

 opposed to the holding of large tracts of land for specu- 

 lative purposes by any individual or corporation and 

 demand that the public lands be reserved for actual 

 settlers ; that such franchises as street- railroads, stage- 

 routes, terries, and gas companies should be disposed 

 of to individuals or companies that would agree to 

 serve the public at the lowest rates, and not to the 

 highest bidder ; that all men should pay tax upon 

 what they own, and not upon what they owe. 



9. And finally, that as proofs of the subserviency of 

 the Republican and Democratic parties to the rum 

 power, we cite the failure of the Republican party lor 

 four consecutive years to fulfill its pledge to submit to 

 the people a constitutional amendment and the pass- 

 age by recent Legislatures of the Mandamus bill, 

 Mooney Excise bill, and the Crosby High-license bill, 

 avowedly to popularize beer and wine ; and the Ved- 

 der Tax bill, a shameless attempt to bribe citizens ; 

 and the Ives Pool bill, by an application of the license 

 principle, thus legalizing gambling and sharing with 

 the gambler his profits ; and the Cantor Beer bill, 

 thus increasing the enticements of the saloon by 

 music and song, and by similar acts of party leaders 

 and representatives. 



The Republican State Convention was held 

 at Saratoga on September 14. It nominated the 

 following ticket : For Secretary of State, Fred- 

 erick D. Grant ; Comptroller, Jesse S. L'Amor- 

 eaux; Treasurer, James H. Carmiohael ; At- 

 torney-General, James A. Dennison ; State 

 Engineer, O. H. P. Cornell. The following is 

 the platform adopted : 



1. The Republican party, by all honorable means, 

 seeks restoration to power in the State and in the na- 

 tion, because of the unchallenged record of history, 

 attesting its administrative success in war-time, in the 



Eeriod of restoration and pacification, in executive, 

 :gislative, and financial achievements, in the purity 

 and efficiency of its methods, and in the lasting bene- 

 fits conferred upon the people, and because, since 

 Democratic ascendancy in the State and nation, the in- 

 capacity and inefficiency of that party in administra- 

 tion and legislation, the egregious blunders of the ex- 

 ecutive and the Democratic branch of Congress, many 

 of whose acts are to the detriment of the public inter- 

 ests, have constantly emphasized the wisdom and 

 necessity of such restoration. 



2. Two and a half years of a Democratic President, 

 who has had the co-operation of an overwhelming ma- 

 jority in the House of Representatives, where ; under 

 the Constitution, all revenue measures must originate, 

 have exposed the incapacity of the Democratic" party 

 and the weakness of the Democratic policy under 

 which so much was promised the people, but from 

 which there have come only broken pledges, failure to 

 promote the people's interests. No plan to reduce 

 the revenues or to retrench expenditures. No purpose 

 to promote a practical civil-servica reform, or other- 

 wise to improve the public service ; while conspicuous 

 among the many shortcomings of this administration 

 arc numberless appointees who have proved faithless 

 and incompetent ; the postal service disorganized and 

 its efficiency impaired, and the public business in 

 other departments delayed and obstructed. 



3. We adhere firmly to the American policy under 

 whose operation unexampled prosperity and thrift 

 have blessed the land, and hold that any changes to 



