692 



OHIO. 



preme Court, on the ground that the law was 

 special legislation. The majority of the court 

 sustained the plea and declared the law uncon- 

 stitutional, because no other city in the State 

 has a superior coart, which was created specially 

 for Cincinnati. 



Political. The Prohibition State Conven- 

 tion was the first to be held. It met at Spring- 

 field, June 11. The platform denounced the 

 liquor traffic; demanded revision of immigra- 

 tion and naturalization laws to prevent aliens 

 voting until one year after naturalization ; de- 

 clared for woman suffrage ; denounced specula- 

 tion in margins ; recommended pensions to sol- 

 diers and sailors, their widows and orphans, ac- 

 cording to time of service. In addition it de- 

 clared that 



The tariff should be levied only as a defense against 

 foreign governments that levy tariff upon or bar out 

 our products from their markets, revenue being in- 

 cidental ; the residue of means necessary to an eco- 

 nomical administration of government should be 

 raised by a graduated income tax; non-residents, 

 aliens, should not be allowed to acquire land in this 

 country, and we favor the limitation of individual 

 and corporate ownership of land ; all unearned grants 

 of land to railroad companies or other corporations 

 should be reclaimed, and no further portion of the 

 national domain should be thus granted; railroad, 

 telegraph, and all other natural monopolies which 

 owe their existence to grants of power from the peo- 

 ple should be controlled by the people through their 

 legislatures, in the interest of the people, and no 

 higher charges allowed than necessary to make fair 

 returns on capital actually invested. The circulation 

 medium of the country may rightly consist of gold, 

 silver, and paper. It should all be of full legal ten- 

 der and sufficient in quantity to meet the demands of 

 business and give full opportunity for the employ- 

 ment of labor. No private individual or corporation 

 should be allowed to make any profit through issuing 

 it. Neither should it be possible for any man or com- 

 bination of men to produce an artificial scarcity and 

 secure exorbitant rates. 



The following nominations were made : Gov- 

 ernor, J. J. Ashenhurst; Lieutenant-Governor. 

 W. J. Kirkendall: Supreme Judge, Hewson L. 

 Peeke; Attorney-General, W. H. Matthews; 

 Treasurer, George W. Mace ; Auditor, C. E. 

 Reesor ; Board of Public Works. P. A. Rodefer ; 

 School Commissioner, E. V. Zollars; Dairy Com- 

 missioner, Waldo P. Brown. 



The Republican Convention was held at Co- 

 lumbus, June 16 and 17. . The platform reaf- 

 firmed "devotion to the patriotic doctrine of 

 protection," and recognized the McKinley bill as 

 "the ablest expression of that principle, enacted 

 in fulfillment of Republican promises," pledging 

 the party to its support, " always having in view 

 its improvement as changed conditions or expe- 

 rience may require.'' It favored "such legisla- 

 tion by Congress and in this State as will in 

 every practicable mode encourage, protect, and 

 promote the interests of agriculture in all its de- 

 partments " ; demanded " protection for the wool 

 industry equal to that accorded to the most fa- 

 vored manufacturer of wool, so that in due time 

 American wool .growers will supply all wool of 

 every kind required for consumption in the 

 United States." On the money question it said : " 

 "Thoroughly believing that gold and silver 

 should form the basis-, of all circulating medium, 

 we indorse the amended coinage act of the last 



Republican Congress, by which the entire pro- 

 duction of the silver mines of the United States 

 is added to the currency of the people." In the 

 remaining resolutions of the platform the de- 

 mand was made for " the enactment of laws that 

 will protect our country and our people against 

 the influx of the vicious and criminal classes of 

 foreign nations, and the importation of laborers 

 under contract to compete with our own citi- 

 zens " ; favoring ' economy in the administra- 

 tion of national and State affairs, prompt and 

 effective restraint of combinations of capitalists 

 for purposes unlawful or at variance with sound 

 public policy; ample educational facilities for 

 the whole people ; the reservation of the public 

 lands of the United States for homesteads for 

 American citizens, and the restoration of the 

 public domain of all unearned railroad grants " ; 

 favoring " liberal pensions to the sailors and sol- 

 diers of the republic and a generous care of their 

 widows and orphans " ; approving the Harrison 

 administration ; commending the services of 

 Senator Sherman and his Republican colleagues 

 in Congress ; approving the selection of Charles 

 Foster for Secretary of the Treasury ; and de- 

 nouncing the Democratic State administration. 

 The following ticket was nominated : Governor, 

 William McKinley, Jr. ; Lieutenant-Governor, 

 Andrew L. Harris; Auditor, Ebenezer W. Poe; 

 Treasurer, William T. Cope ; Attorney-General. 

 John K. Richards; Supreme Judge, Marshall J. 

 Williams ; Public Works, Charles E. Groce ; 

 School Commissioner, Oscar T. Corson ; Dairy 

 and Food Commissioner, F. B. McNeal. 



The Democratic Convention was held at Cleve- 

 land, July 15 and 16. The platform approved 

 the administration of Gov. Campbell and the 

 Democratic Legislature, especially for having 

 enacted a secret-ballot law. On tariff and 

 finance it said : 



We are opposed to all class legislation and believe 

 in a tariff levied for the sole purpose of producing a 

 revenue sufficient to defray the legitimate expenses of 

 the Government, economically administered. We ac- 

 cept the issue tendered to us by the Republican party 

 on the subject of the tariff, as represented by the so- 

 called McKinley tariff act, confident that the verdict 

 of the people of Ohio will be recorded against the in- 

 iquitous policy of so-called protection, championed 

 bv the Republican party in the interest of favored 

 classes against the masses. 



We favor a graded income tax. 



We denounce the demonetization of silver in 1873 

 by the party then in power as an iniquitous alteration 

 of the money standard in favor of creditors and 

 against debtors, tax payers and producers, and which, 

 by shutting oft' one o'f the sources of supply of pri- 

 mary money, operates continually to increase the value 

 of gold, depress prices, hamper industry, and dispar- 

 age enterprise ; and we demand the reinstatement of 

 the constitutional standard of both gold and silver 

 with the equal right of each to free and unlimited 

 coinage. 



The platform denounced "the billion-dollar 

 Congress " ; congratulated the people " on the 

 defeat of the odious force bill " ; opposed the en- 

 actment of laws " which interfere unnecessarily 

 with the habits and customs of any of our peo- 

 ple which are not offensive to the moral senti- 

 ments of the civilized world " ; favored laws giv- 

 ing a uniform system of municipal government 

 in which executive and legislative powers shall 

 be separated, the former to be lodged in a mayor 



