680 



OHIO. 



law now on our statute books prohibiting the 

 organization of 'trusts/ and we denounce su 

 unlawful combinations as inimical to the i 

 ests of the people. 



" We demand such readjustment of our tax 1 

 as will impose the burdens of taxation more 

 equally and uniformly upon the various 

 of property. 



"The growing evil of lynching, attended 

 times by unspeakable horrors, is a blot upon 01 

 civilization and a menace to our republican f< 

 of D'overnment." 



The Democratic State Convention met at Zanea- 

 ville 4u". 30. The following ticket was nomi- 

 nated: For Governor, John R. McLean: Lieuten- 

 ant Governor, Abraham W. Patrick; Judge < 

 the Supreme Court, DeWitt C. Badger; Attorney- 

 General, William H. Dore; Treasurer, James fe. , 

 Gorman; Auditor, George W. Sigafoose; Mem- 

 ber of Board of Public Works, Fletcher D. Malm. 



The platform contained these declarations: 



" We heartily reaffirm the entire Chicago plat- 

 form of 189G, and we especially emphasize the 

 financial plank therein, and we continue to de- 

 mand the free and unlimited coinage of silver 

 and gold as equal primary money at the rate of 

 16 to 1, independent of all other nations in the 

 world. 



" The Hon. William J. Bryan still retains our 

 entire confidence, and we demand his renomina- 

 tion in 1900. 



" We recognize the solemn fact that our Gov- 

 ernment can not be both republican and imperial. 



" We are radically and unalterably opposed to 

 imperialism in the United States of America. 

 When we have solved some of the race problems 

 that confront us at home then by example we 

 can proclaim the blessings that flow from free 

 institutions, and thus procure benevolent assim- 

 ilation ' without criminal aggression.' 



" We proudly recognize the valor and glorious 

 achievements of our gallant soldiers and sailors 

 from Bunker Hill to this very hour as being 

 among the most thrilling and glorious in the 

 history of the world, but we profoundly regret 

 that American soldiers are being unlawfully used 

 in the name of liberty to crush and destroy dawn- 

 ing republicanism in the Orient; and we denounce 

 the secret and vicious alliance now in evidence 

 between England and the Republican administra- 

 tion, whereby this nation may become involved 

 in war with foreign nations. 



" We demand that the Cubans and Philippines 

 not only be permitted but encouraged to estab- 

 lish independent republics, deriving all of their 

 governmental powers from the consent of the 

 governed. 



"We denounce the Republican party for its 

 thirty-eight years of abject subserviency to the 

 shipping interests of Great Britain, and we de- 

 nounce the so-called Hanna-Payne shipping bill, 

 which, if enacted into law, would further shackle 

 our interests. 



" We are in favor of maintaining our splendid 

 and efficient navy. 



" A large standing army in our republic is a 

 menace to liberty. 



" We favor the initiative and referendum, the 

 passage of the eight-hour labor law, the more 

 rigid inspection of mines and workshops, the pro- 

 hibition of sweat shops, and the abolition of the 

 contract system of prison labor. 



"We declare that all unlawful combinations of 

 capital are the legitimate fruits of a gold stand- 

 ard and other corrupt Republican legislation on 

 questions of the tariff; and we demand that all 

 articles the prices of which are controlled by the 



trusts be placed on the free lists. We denounce 

 the Attorney-General of the United States, ap- 

 pointed from the State of New Jersey, the hot bed 

 of trusts, for his refusal to enforce the statute- <'i 

 the United States against them; and we ((tin- 

 mend the present Attorney-General of Ohio for 

 his earnest efforts to enforce the statutes of Ohio 

 against such illegal combinations. 



" Political bosses are to be detested, and are 

 inimical to our form of government. Bosses re-p- 

 resent simply a concentration of political po\\er 

 or a ring. They live and exist through jobs and 

 schemes loaded' upon the taxpayers. They sub- 

 stitute their rule in their party for the rule of 

 its voters, and visit political death upon any 

 who refuse to bow to their dictation. The Re- 

 publican party in Ohio is now in such control. 

 The nominees on its ticket should not and will 

 not command the suffrages of self-respecting Re- 

 publicans. They are not the free selection of the 

 properly delegated representatives of that party. 



" We deplore the frequent and outrageous ex- 

 ercises of lynch law in this and other States, 

 especially against our colored citizens, and \\e 

 recommend the adoption of prompt and flli< i. nl 

 measures to suppress such unwarranted act- <>f 

 violence. 



" We recommend a constitutional amendment 

 providing for the election of President, Yi-e- 

 President, and United States Senators by a di- 

 rect vote of the people." 



The Union Reform party met in Columbus, 

 Aug. 22, and nominated a full ticket, as foil" 

 For Governor, Seth W. Ellis; Lieut. -nan! Gov 

 ernor, G. W. Seelye; Judge of the Supreme ( mirt, 

 Alfred R. Mclntyre; Attorney-General. Thomas 

 Bentham; Auditor, Frank S. Montgomery: 

 Treasurer, William E. Good; Member of Board of 

 Public Works, Alfred F. Weaver. 



The report of the Committee on Resolutions, 

 which was adopted, was: 



"AY*oJm/, That the national preamble and 

 platform of the Union Reform party a> framed 

 at Cincinnati be adopted as the preamble of the 

 platform of this convention." This platform 

 makes the initiative and referendum the only 

 plank. 



The Social-Labor party also nominated a full 

 ticket, as follows: For Governor, Robert Band- 

 low; Lieutenant Governor, E. Bartholomew; 

 Judge of the Supreme Court, S. Hart.m: Attor- 

 ney-General, John Cooper; Auditor, H. Lav in: 

 Treasurer, O. Freer; Member of Board of Public 

 Works, C. M. Newton. 



A unique feature of the campaign was the ap- 

 pearance of a candidate for Governor without a 

 party to nominate him and on a platform of his 

 own making. Samuel M. Jones was elected mayor 

 of Toledo on the Republican ticket in 1897, but 

 was rejected by the Republicans in the contest 

 for the nomination in the spring of IS'.M). He 

 announced himself as an independent candidate 

 on the platform of the " golden rule," and over- 

 whelmed the other candidates by his v<>te. 

 was understood that he would be & candidate 

 for Governor, and it was planned for the Union 

 Reform convention to leave the head of that 

 ticket blank, that the members of the party might 

 vote for Jones. When the convention nominated 

 Ellis for Governor Mayor Jones next day pub- 

 lished a manifesto announcing himself as a Can- 

 didate for Governor on the following plat form : 



" Equality of opportunity for all. All men 

 have an equal right to a place on the earth. It 

 is the duty of every patriot to see that thi- right 

 is guaranteed to every man. The steps neee ary 

 to attain this right for which I stand are: 



