in the hands of a few. We denounce the McKinley tariff and all other forms of protective tariff legislation, and favor the constitutional tariff for revenue only."

STATE BANKS.-"We favor the repeal of the unconstitutional tax of 10 per cent on State banks of issue."

INCOME TAX.-"We declare ourselves in favor of a graduated income tax in order that wealth may bear its due proportion of the burden of supporting the Government, and we favor an immediate amendment of the Constitution of the United States authorizing its levy and collection in express terms, leaving nothing for judicial construction."

POPULIST.

August 13, 1896.-Approved of the platform of the National Convention, 1896; demanded a free ballot and fair count in all elections held in North Carolina; favored the exercise by the State of the reserved constitutional power to make all gold and silver coin of the United States (including the trade dollar) a legal tender for the payment of debts, and that this right be enforced by the passage of an appropriate act by the General Assembly; declared that all money demands should be payable in the lawful money of the United States, without preference or discrimination, and therefore favored the passage by the General Assembly of a law to prohibit the taking or giving of gold notes, bonds and mortgages in this State, and the making of all money demands solvable in any kind of lawful money of the United States; pledged to maintain the 6 per cent interest law enacted by the Legislature; declared in favor of improving and broadening the public school system; condemned the Democratic State Administration for its failure to execute the anti-trust laws; favored the establishment of equitable and low railroad freight rates; mended a constitutional prohibition of the purchase, lease or rental of parallel or competing railway lines; condemned the lease of the North Carolina Railroad to the Southern Railway Company, and favored a law forbidding the giving of free passes to public officials, and forbidding their receiving the same.

NORTH DAKOTA.

REPUBLICAN.

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April 15, 1896.-The platform instructs its delegates for McKinley, declares in favor of Protection and Reciprocity, in favor of the election of Senators by direct vote of the people, denounces the Democrats for increasing the public debt, expresses sympathy for Cuba, and on the financial question says:

"The Republicans of North Dakota are united in their demand for honest money. We are unalterably opposed to any scheme that will give to this country a depreciated or debased currency. We favor the use of silver as currency, but to the extent only and under such restrictions that its parity with gold can be maintained. We are, therefore, opposed to the free and unlimited coinage of silver until it can be arranged by international agreement."

DEMOCRATIC.

June 4, 1896.-The resolutions adopted indorsed the Wilson Tariff bill, favored the election of United States Senators by direct vote of the people, and approved the utterances of Senator Roach on currency questions, and demanded legislation that will admit silver and gold to free coinage at a ratio of 16 to 1.

OHIO.

REPUBLICAN.

March 11, 1896. The platform congratulated the people of the country on the growth of Republican sentiment, and continued:

"We denounce the Democratic Administration as the most destructive and disastrous the history of our country has ever known. It has not only disappointed the expectations of the country. but has justly forfeited the confidence and support of its own party.

We

"We affirm our adherence to the principles of the Republican party as defined by the National Convention in 1892. are faithfully wedded to the great principle of Protection by every tie of party fealty and affection, and it is dearer to us now than ever before. It has more devoted supporters among the great masses of the American people, irrespective of party, than at any previous period in our National history. It is everywhere recognized and indorsed as the great, masterful, triumphant American principle-the key to our prosperity in business, the safest prop to the Treasury of the United States and the bulwark of our National independence and financial honor.

"We denounce the present tariff law as the sublimated product of Democratic ignorance and incompetency, bringing, as it has, to a prosperous and happy people, a period of unprecedented adversity and distress, from which nothing but a return to the policy of protection can relieve it.

"We denounce the free-wool provision of the present Tariff law as unjust discrimination against an important industry and against a large part of our people, and demand such protection for sheep husbandry as will secure fair prices for American wool.

"The Republican party stands for a reciprocity that reciprocates, and which does not yield up to another country a single day's labor that belongs to the American workingman. It stands for international agreements which get as much as they give, upon terms of mutual advantage.

"It stands for a foreign policy dictated by and imbued with a spirit that is genuinely American; for a policy that will revive the National traditions and restore the National spirit which carried us proudly through the earlier years of the century.

"It stands for such a policy with all foreign nations as will insure both to us and them justice, good faith, dignity and honor. It stands for the Monroe Doctrine as Monroe himself proclaimed it.

"It stands for a commercial policy that will whiten every sea with the sails of American vessels flying the American

flag, and that will protect that flag wherever it floats. It stands for a fiscal policy opposed to debts and deficits in time of peace and favors the return of the Government to a debt-paying policy and opposes the continuance of the debt-making policy. It is too plain for argument that the public credit and commercial interests of the country require the revenues of the Government to be amply sufficient for the public expenditures at all times, without danger of deficit, and to that end Congress should without delay make dve provision.

"We contend for honest money; for a currency of gold, silver and paper with which to measure our exchanges that shall be as sound as the Government and as untarnished as its honor; and to that end we favor bimetallism and demand the use of both gold and silver as standard money either in accordance with a ratio to be fixed by an international agreement, if that can be obtained, or under such restrictions and such provisions to be determined by legislation as will secure the maintenance of the parities of value of the two metals, so that the purchasing and debt-paying power of the dollar, whether of silver, gold or paper, shall be at all times equal.

"We denounce the present administration of the Penzion Bureau for its betrayal of the interests of the Union."

DEMOCRATIC.

June 24, 1896.-The following planks of the platform presented by the majority of the committee were adopted by a vote of 542 to 128:

"We, the Democrats of Ohio, in convention assembled, hold that the money question is the vital and paramount issue now before the people of this country, and that its early and correct setlement is necessary to the revival of business and the return of prosperity; therefore

"Resclved, That we are unalterably opposed to the single gold standard and demand an immediate return to the Constitutional money of gold and silver by the restoration by this Government, independent of other nations, of the unrestricted coinage of both silver and gold into standard money at the ratio of 16 to 1 and upon the terms of exact equality existing prior to 1873; such silver coin to be a ful legal tender equally with gold coin for all debts and dues, public and private."

A minority report, recommending the addition of a tariff plank, a Cuban sympathy plank, and other resolutions denouncing the Republican administration of the State, was tabled.

It

SOUND MONEY DEMOCRATS. August 27, 1896.-The platform adopted declires that the Chicago Convention platform is unwise and unpatriotic. declares that the platform is intended to divide the people into classes and to array one against the other: that it condemns the Federal Administration for the enforcement of law and for the preservation of the public credit, attacks the highest tribunal of law in the Nation, and strikes at the right of private contract. It condemns the Chicago platform proposition to issue paper currency by the Government in place of the National bank

currency without limit, and refers to the free-silver coinage proposition as the crowning folly of the document. All these declarations of the Chicago platform are rejected by the platform of the Sound Money Democrats and the principles of coinage proclaimed by Jefferson, Jackson, Tilden and Cleveland are indorsed,

PROHIBITION.

April 22, 1896.-The platform declared in favor of free coinage of silver at a ratio of 16 to 1.

OKLAHOMA. REPUBLICAN.

March 28, 1896.-"We contend for honest money, for a currency of gold, silver and paper with which to meausre our exchange that shall be as sound as the Government and as untarnished as its honor, and to that end we favor bimetallism and demand the use of both gold and silver as standard money, under such restrictions to be determined by legislation as will secure the maintenance of the parties of the values of the two metals; also, that the purchasing and debt-paying power of the dollar, whether of silver, gold or paper, shall be at all times equal, and we believe the best way to continue the parity of our dollars, and at the same time enlarge the circulating medium, commensurate with the growth of the population, is the unlimited use of the domestic silver product in our monetary system and the prohibition of foreign silver, modified by financial reciprocity.'

"The

April 10, 1896.-By a vote of 129 to 8 the platform of the National Convention of 1892 was indorsed. The platform reasserted the doctrine of "Reciprocity, Protection, Sound Money and Prosperity. The following is the financial plank: American people from tradition and interest favor bimetallism, and the Republican party demands the use of both gold and silver as standard money, with such restrictions and under such provisions, to be determined by legislation, as will secure the maintenance of the parity of the values of the metals, so that the purchasing and debt-paying power of the dollar, whether of silver, gold or paper, shall be at all times equal. The interest of the producers of the country-its farmers and its workingmen-demand that every dollar, paper or coin, issued by the Government shall be as good as any other dollar."

62

DEMOCRATIC.

April 10, 1896.-The platform favored "a tariff for revenue only"; declared that the Monroe Doctrine should be enforced; favored the construction of the Nicaragua Canal by the Government; condemned secret political bodies, and "the party will welcome the assistance of citizens who will co-operate in the suppression of any political movement organized for religious proscription." The financial plank reads: "Whereas, The present depressed condition of the country and shrinking of values are largely due to the financial system which has controlled the Nation for more than twenty years past, we hereby declare ourselves as unalterably opposed to a single gold standard and demand immediate return to the Constitutional standard of gold and silver by the restoration by the General Government, independently of any foreign Power, of unrestricted coinage of both gold and silver into standard money at the ratio of 16 to 1, and upon terms of exact equality as they existed prior to 1873, the silver coin to be full legal tender equally with gold for all debts and duties, public and private, and we denounce all discrimination by the Government against either gold or silver currency of the country. We demand that the Secretary of the Treasury shall coin into standard silver dollars as soon as practicable all silver bullion now in the Treasury of the United States, which represents silver seigniorage or coinage profit to the Government, and all silver bullion that may hereafter be offered for coinage. We instruct our delegates elected to represent us in the National Convention to support a candidate in favor of the free and unlimited coinage of silver at the ratio of 16 to 1."

A resolution commending President Cleveland for his courage and honesty was adopted by a vote of 171 to 72.

PENNSYLVANIA.

REPUBLICAN.

April 23, 1896.-TARIFF.-"First of all National issues stands protection, and first among its advocates have been the Republicans of Pennsylvania. We believe in protection as a right to all American industries, but as a special favor to none. It should be neither partial, sectional nor hypocritical. It should be as nearly as possible equal and universal. We are not pledged to any schedules, but we demand a restoration of the policy of protection, and we pledge it as soon as the Republican party shall be fully restored to power in the Executive and Congressional departments of the Government, and it shall be restored equitably to the farmer and the miner, to the manufacturer and the artisan."

RECHI ROCITY.-"We demand the restoration of that wise policy of reciprocity which was framed by James G. Blaine and adopted by the wise and beneficent Administration of President Harrison, to the great benefit of the commerce of the country, and which has been abandoned by the present Democratic Administration. We approve the policy of National protection to our shipowners and the shipbuilding interests by

discriminating duties in favor of American shipping, in order that the American flag be restored upon the high seas."

MONEY.-"The Republican party has always maintained the National honor and credit. It enforced the resumption of specie payments. It kept faith as to every debt created for the preservation of the Union, and has paid the greater part of it in accordance with the spirit and letter of the laws under which it had been contracted. It largely reduced the interest charges upon the balance of the d refunding at lower rates. It substituted for the fluctuating and inadequately secured rotes of the State banks a uniform National currency of stable value and of equal purchasing and debt-paying power. Faithful to its record, believing that the people are entitled to the use of the best money, and anxious to restore and preserve the industrial and commercial prosperity of the Union, the Republican party favors international bimetallism, and until that can be established upon a secure basis opposes the coinage of silver except upon Government account, and demands the maintenance of the existing gold standard of value."

PENSIONS.-"There should be no statute of limitation against a grateful recognition by the Government of the services and sacrifices of the soldiers and sailors who preserved the Union. We denounce the present administration of the Pension Bureau for its betrayal of the interests of these heroes and its attempt to nullify existing laws."

IMMIGRATION.-"We believe in the enactment of such restrictive legislation as will admit to our shores only those immigrants who have the capacity and desire to become good American citizens." MISCELLANEOUS.-The platform commends the administration of Governor Hastings; reaffirms the declarations of the platform of 1895 looking to reforms in State and municipal governments and to the purification of elections and the exercise of the elective franchise, also in favor of the State aiding in the improvement of the navigation of the Delaware River. DEMOCRATIC.

April 29, 1896.-TARIFF.-"The Democratic party has fulfilled the pledge under which it was intrusted with power, relieving the people from unjust and oppressive taxation, and by the enactment of a tarifi for purposes of revenue, framed on constitutional lines. We are opposed to any backward step in the reform thus accomplished. We demand that the legitimate business interests of the country shall now have rest from all disturbing agitation of this question. The people are entitled to the substantial and lasting prosperity which we believe must surely come as the result of the reforms thus accomplished.”

MONEY.-"We demand the repeal of all laws authorizing the issue or reissue of greenbacks and Treasury notes of doubtful constitutionality, originally issued under the plea of military necessity and under a pledge of early withdrawal. They are a constant menace of financial disaster and National dishonor. They should have no place in the currency of

the country. We believe that the Federal Government should be entirely divorced from the business of banking and that Congress should enact such legislation as will give to the country a banking currency ample in volume for the needs of business, absolutely secure under every contingency, and at all times redeemable in gold. We are in favor of a firm, unvarying maintenance of the gold standard. While we favor the most liberal use of silver consistent with the enforcement of a gold standard, we are absolutely opposed to the free coinage of silver and to the compulsory purchase of silver bullion by the Government. We believe that the interests of the people demand that the earnings of trade, agriculture. manufactures and commerce, and especially the wages of labor, should be paid in money of the greatest intrinsic value and of the highest standard adopted by the civilized nations of the world. are, therefore, unalterably opposed to all devices and schemes for the debasement of our currency and to all evasions and compromises of a question so closely affecting individual and National credit and honor."

We

A resolution was adopted indorsing the Administration of President Cleveland.

SOUND MONEY DEMOCRATS. August 25, 1896.-"We deny that allegiance to any party organization requires or will excuse our support of policies which we believe to be subversive of the integrity and general welfare of our country and dangerous to the perpetuity of our Government. We are in favor of a firm, unvarying maintenance of the gold standard. While we favor the most liberal use of silver consistent with the enforcement of a gold standard, we are absolutely opposed to the free coinage of silver and to the compulsory purchase of silver bullion by the Government. We declare there is no other alternative for the preservation of Democracy than the nomination by the National Democratic party in convention assembled at Indianapolis of Democratic statesmen for President and Vice-President on a sound Democratic platform, and to the platform

adopted and the ticket so nominated we pledge our loyal and unfaltering support."

POPULIST.

August 5, 1896.-The platforms of the National conventions of 1892 and 1896 were indorsed; the convention declared in favor of fusion with the Democrats and indorsed Bryan.

Sept. 10, 1896.-The platform indorsed the nominations of Bryan and Sewall, also the National Convention platform, and particularly that plank in favor of the free and unlimited coinage of both gold and silver at the ratio of 16 to 1."

PROHIBITION.

May 6, 1896.-The platform had fifteen planks as follows: For Prohibition, equal suffrage. election of President, VicePresident and Senators by popular vote and proportional representation; public control of railroads, telegraphs and tele.. phones; the prevention of "corners" and the formation of trusts; the public school, and against granting public money for

sectarian schools: arbitration of labor troubles, a tariff commission, Treasury notes, restriction of immigrants, the preservation and defence of the Sabbath; the enforcement of Civil Service laws, limitation of individual and corporate ownership in land and opposed to non-resident alien cwnership, and just pensions to veterans, the whole concluding with an arraignment of the Democratic and Republican parties and the last State Legislat

ure.

This was the financial plank: "The currency of the Nation should be issued by the General Government without the intervention of individuals or corporations, and should consist of Treasury notes which shall be legal tender for the paymeat of all debts and redeemable in gold and silver bullion at the market value."

August 5, 1896. The platform reaffirmed the principles adopted by the National Convention in May, declared that the standard of morals be the same for both sexes before the law, and favored amendments to the State laws governing the distribution of real and personal property of persons dying intestate, so that the wife's interest in the estate of her deceased husband shall be the same as that which he would have in her estate were she deceased.

RHODE ISLAND.

REPUBLICAN.

March 10, 1896.-The platform declared renewed allegiance to the principles adopted by the National Convention of 1892; reaffirmed belief in the American system of protection; also declared for a financial policy which recognizes every dollar to be of equal value to every other dollar; for the grateful recognition of the patriotic services of the veterans of the late war; in such restrictions placed upon immigration as will more effectually prevent the landing upon American shores of the ignorant, pauper and criminal classes of foreign nations; in the education at public expense of the citizens of the future, and in the fullest development of our unequalled resources.

Approved of the recent acts of a Republican Congress to increase the strength and efficiency of the naval and military forces of the country.

Opposed appropriations for sectarian schools, and to all efforts to diminish or render less potent the beneficent influences of the system of public education.

April 10, 1896.—“Resolved, That the Republicans of Rhode Island are inflexibly opposed to the free and unlimited coinage of silver, and they believe the continued agitation of what is called the silver question to be unpatriotic and destructive of all the interests of industry and commerce.

"The existing gold standard is the measure of value adopted by the nations with whom the United States have the most important commercial relations, and the very suggestion of a departure from it inflicts injury to the credit of a nation whose honor should never be questioned at home or abroad.

"To those who toil for their daily bread a currency redeemable in and of equal While the value with gold is essentia!.

capitalist may protect himself against the fluctuations even of silver, the laborer and the artisan, the salaried official and the widow are powerless to guard against the changing values of a currency which a great and beneficent Government should make absolutely secure and unchanging in its purchasing power.

"Believing war as the ultimate method of settling international disputes of the unchristian and consequently uncivilized, the Republicans of Rhode Island urge upon the National Government the creation of an international court of arbitration, to which shall be referred for adjudication all differences with nations consenting thereto which from time to time may arise, and which without the intervention of this august tribunal might lead to appalling destruction of life and property and to the demoralization of the Republic.

DEMOCRATIC.

April 21, 1896.-"It is vital to the interests of our people that there should be no departure from the gold standard, to which all money, whether gold, silver or paper, should conform, and we are opposed to the free coinage of silver until at least four of the great Powers of the Western world shall come to an international agreement establishing the ratio at which gold and silver shall be admitted to mintage. We affirm our belief in the maintenance of the Monroe doctrine, as interpreted by our President. We believe that the Wilson bill was a step in the right direction and should be given a fair test. We do not believe in reciprocity, as it is impracticable and unnecessary and tends to create hostilities against us. We congratulate the country that under the Wilson tariff bill our commerce is rapidly increasing, as evidenced by the Treasury reports on exports of agricultural implements, cotton, manufactures, india-rubber goods, machinery, iron, steel, leather and oils."

REPUBLICAN (BLACK AND TAN). September 17, 1896.-The platform indorsed that of the National Convention; renewed allegiance to the policy of protection; declared unreservedly for sound money and unalterable opposition to any measure calculated to debase the currency or impair the credit of the country; opposed the free coinage of silver, except by international agreement with the leading nations of the world; condemned the practice of lynching; denounced the frauds in the State elections; demanded that the Republican party be given representation on the boards

of

Election Commissioners and managers, and demanded searching investigation of the charges of fraud in the affairs of the dispensary and the bond deal.

REPUBLICAN (LILY WHITE).

September 17, 1896.-The platform indorsed the National Republican platform and the ticket, etc.; opposed the continuance of frauds in the elections; the dispensary and all its accompanying evils, the State judiciary prostituted to partisan purposes, the police system, and Tillmanism with its innumerable evils; denounced the brutal and inhuman practice of lynching, and invoked the aid of the pulpit, the press and the people in cultivating a sentiment to crush it out.

DEMOCRATIC.

May 20, 1896.-The platform denounced President Cleveland's Administration, declaring that he had subsidized the press; declared the Federal courts as now organized a menace to the public; demanded that a Constitutional Convention be called to form an organic law suitable to the whole country, and contained this financial plank:

"A sound and just system of finance is the most potent factor in a nation's prosperity, and we demand the restoration of the money of the Constitution by giving silver the same rights and privileges now given to gold. We demand the free and unlimited coinage of silver at a ratio of 16 to 1, regardless of the action of any and all other nations, and that such coinage be a legal tender for all debts, public and private. Congress alone has the power to coin and issue money, and President Jackson declared that this power could not be delegated to a corporation. Therefore we demand the national banking system be abolished."

Another plank was on interstate commerce, as follows:

"The absorption of wealth by a few, the consolidation of our leading railroad systems, and the formation of trusts and pools require a stricter control by the Federal Government of those arteries of commerce. We demand the enlargement of the powers of the Interstate Commerce Commission.'

SOUTH DAKOTA,

REPUBLICAN.

March 25, 1896.-"The American people, from tradition and interest, favor bimetallism, and the Republican party demands the use of both gold and silver as standard morey, with restriction, and under such provisions, to be determined by legislation, as will secure the maintenance of the parity of values of the two metals, so that the purchasing and debtpaying power of the dollar, whether of silver, gold or paper, shall be at all times equal. The interests of the producers of the country, its farmers and its workingmen, demand that every dollar, paper or coin, issued by the Government, shall be as good as any other We commend the wise and patriotic steps already taken by Government to secure an international conference, to adopt such measures as will insure a parity of value between gold and silver for use as money throughout the world."

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