400 



IOWA. 



4. We demand the equitable taxation of nil prop- 

 erty without favor or privilege. 



5. We commend every honest effort for the further- 

 ance of civil service reform. 



6. We demand the repeal of all class legislation, 

 and the enforcement of such wise and progressive 

 measures as shall secure equality of rights to all 

 legitimate interests, and impartial justice to all per- 

 sons. 



7. We demand a reduction of offices and salaries, 

 to the end that there be less taxation. 



8. We demand that the Independents of Iowa sus- 

 tain and indorse the principles of railroad legisla- 

 tive control, as expressed by the highest judicial 

 authority, not as enemies of public enterprises, but 

 as friends of the whole country and of the people. 



9. We demand that all legal means be exhausted 

 to eradicate the traffic in alcoholic beverages, and the 

 abatement of the evil of intemperance. 



10. We are opposed to all further subsidies by 

 either the State or General Government, for any and 

 all purposes, either to individuals or corporations. 



11. We invite the considerate judgment of our fel- 

 low-citizens, of all political parties, upon these our 

 principles and purposes, and solicit the cooperation 

 of all men in the furtherance of them, as we do believe 

 that upon their acceptance or rejection by the people 

 the weal or woe of our beloved country depends. 



A convention of Prohibitionists was held at 

 Grinnell, on the 22d of August. Their candi- 

 date for Governor was Elias Jessup, the rest 

 of the ticket being made up of nominees of 

 the Greenback party. 



The election took place on the 9th of Octo- 

 ber. The total vote for Governor was 245,- 

 766, of which Gear received 121,546, Irish 

 79,353, Stubbs 34,228, and Jessup 10,639. 

 Gear's plurality over Irish was 42,193, but he 

 did not have a majority of all the votes. The 

 Legislature of 1878 consists of 38 Republicans 

 and 12 Democrats in the Senate ; and 73 Repub- 

 licans, 25 Democrats, and 2 " Greenbackers " 

 in the House. The Republican majority is 

 therefore 26 in the Senate, and 46 in the House, 

 or 72 on a joint ballot. 



Mr. Gear, the new Governor, was born in 

 Utica, New York, in 1825, and removed to 

 Fort Snelling in 1836. He became a resident 

 of Burlington in 1843, and has been a citizen 

 of the State ever since it was admitted into the 

 Union. He has been prominently engaged in 

 mercantile affairs for many years, his business 

 of late being that of a wholesale dealer in gro- 

 ceries. He was an original member of the 

 Republican party of the State, and in 1863 

 was chosen Mayor of Burlington. He has 

 since served three terms in the General As- 

 sembly, and for two sessions was the presiding 

 officer of the House of Representatives. 



The anmial convention of the State "Woman 

 Suffrage Society was held at Des Moines on 

 the 24th of October. It was devoted mainly 

 to reports and discussions, and the following 

 resolutions were adopted : 



Resolved, That the aristocracy of sex as it exists in 

 this country is contrary to natural justice and to the 

 spirit of our free institutions. 



Resolved, That taxation without representation is 

 tyranny, whether the victims be women or men, and 

 that all persons who assist in bearing the burdens of 

 government should share equally in its privileges. 



Resolved, That the ballot is a source of power and 

 necessary to the protection of individual rights and 

 liberties ; that it should be the property of all law- 

 abiding adult citizens. 



Resolved, That we believe the ballot in woman's 

 hand would prove a blessing alike to herself and her 

 country ; that while it will protect her rights, ad- 

 vance her interests, and enlarge her opportunities, it 

 will also bring to the State the ameliorating influence 

 of her enlightened conscience and moral force. 



Resolved, That we pledge ourselves to a more de- 

 termined and vigorous prosecution of this work ; 

 and that we will besiege the State Legislature to 

 take such preliminary action as is necessary toward 

 investing woman with her full rights of citizenship. 



Whereas, The ballot is necessary to uproot many 

 of the evils which afflict society ; and 



Whereas, Women are deprived of this potent, 

 silent power: therefore, 



Resolved, That it is not tbe duty of women to con- 

 tribute to the support of the clerg'y who oppose their 

 enfranchisement. 



Whereas, Congress has enfranchised the negro, 

 alien, and ex-rebel ; and 



Whereas, The woman citizens are as intelligent as 

 the aforesaid classes : therefore, 



Resolved, That the citizens of the State unite in a 

 petition to Congress for a sixteenth amendment to 

 the Constitution of the United States, giving women 

 also the ballot upon equal terms with men. 



Resolved, That the thanks of the Christian women 

 of this Convention be extended to Rev. Isaac See, of 

 New Jersey, and other clergymen, for their noble 

 stand, as ministers of the Gospel, in behalf of 

 woman's right to speak from the pulpit, and tbus 

 help to remove the bigotry which fetters the free 

 exercise of the religious inclinations of women. 



The annual session of the State Grange was 

 held at the State House in Des Moines, be- 

 ginning December llth, and continuing four 

 days. Among the resolutions and declarations 

 were the following : 



Resolved, That the State Grange favors the repenl 

 of the resumption act, and the remonetization of 

 silver, and the repeal of the national bank act, and 

 asks the General Assembly to memorialize Congress 

 to shape the financial legislation of the country in 

 accordance with this resolution. 



Resolved, That the effort now being made by the 

 Boards of Supervisors of the State to procure legis- 

 lative reforms reducing the burdens or taxation, has 

 our earnest sympathy. 



Resolved, That the Master of this Grange be in- 

 structed to present the Convention of Supervisors 

 with a copy of these resolutions, and to call their 

 attention to the propriety of procuring legislation on 

 the following subjects : 



1. The abolition of the grand jury. 



2. To compel litigants to give security for costs. 



3. To tax the whole cost of jury to the losing 



Earty. And the winning party shall pay the jury 

 efore the verdict is recorded. 



4. To fix by law the fee of attorneys appointed by 

 the court to defend criminals. 



5. To regulate more definitely the compensation 

 allowed short-hand reporters. 



6. The propriety of abolishing the office of County 

 Superintendent. 



7. To compel Sheriffs to report their fees as other 

 county officers. 



The Supreme Court of the United States 

 decided, in June, the case in which the Chi- 

 cago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad was the 

 plaintiff in error, brought for the purpose of 

 testing the constitutionality of the law regu- 

 lating freight and passenger charges on the 



