the United States shall be limited to sixty | wise appropriated, or so much thereof as he days' duration."-[Approved December 23, 1880.

U. S. BONDS.

may consider proper, to the purchase or redemption of United States bonds: Provided, That the bonds so purchased or redeemed shall constitute no part of the sinking fund, but shall be cancelled.-[Approved March 1881.

Chap. CXXXIII.-That the Secretary of the Treasury may at any time apply the surplus money in the Treasury not other-3,

PARTY PLATFORMS, 1881.

Massachusetts Republican.

the prompt passage of a bill creating such a commission with adequate powers.

[Adopted September 21.] The Republicans of Massachusetts declare their continued devotion to the principles of the National Republican party; the sover: eign, inviolable nationality of the union of States; the independence in prerogatives and in functions of the executive, legislative and judicial departments; freedom of all men obedient to law; the equal rights under law of all citizens; impartial suffrage as the basis of political power; fair elections as the means of ascertaining the popular will; the rule of the lawful majority; payment of the public debt to the last doliar of honorable obligation; a metallic currency of equal and stable status for the security of the people in their trade and savings: honesty, efficiency and economy in the public business; the exemption of the Civil Service from partisan spoilation; the promotion at public expense of general education; the development of our natural resources, and the fostering protection of American capital and American labor engaged in industries that tend to make us a self-reliant Nation, pre-selecting office-holders in the department of pared for every exigency of peace or war.

Fourth-A thorough reform in the methods of making and obtaining appointments to the Civil Service. Reform in this regard implies an abandonment of the system of ap pointment by favor, in reward of personal or partisan claims, a aystem aristocratic, be cause open only to the few and closed to the many, a system affording the fewest restraints against the abuse, tending to extrav agance and inefficiency in the public business, and to selfishness, corruption and violent politics, to the aggravation of all the baneful effects of the spirit of party against which Washington, in his farewell address. solemnly warned his countrymen. needed reform will comprehend these aims, namely: The maintenance of the Constitutional prerogative of the President to make nominations on his sole responsibility, and of the Constitutional prerogative of the Senate to confirm, or refuse to confirm, such nominations, free from Executive dictation; the relief and exclusion of the members of the legislative branch from the business of

Recognizing with satisfaction that so much has been accomplished toward the universal acceptance and faithful application of these principles, we turn confidently to the work remaining to be done, and set forth as among measures of present desire and urgency the following :

The

the Adininistration; the prohibition of assessments upon the salary of office-holders for party purposes, appointments to clerkships to depend, in the first instance, upon successfully passing a proper examination, open to all applicants without distinction of party, and, secondly, upon satisfactory service during a period of probation; tenure of First-The exertion of all powers of the office during good behavior, or for a reasonaGovernment to more effectually guard the ble fixed term, with promotion for meritori right of every citizen entitled to vote to ous performance of duty, and no removals the free exercise and and just effect of his except for cause. We enjoin upon our Mem suffrage. It is the duty of Congress to re-bers of Congress the duty of advancing this fuse to admit to seats in that body persons reform by every means in their power, expewho were chosen at elections where legal rience having shown that the voluntary ef voters had no fair chance to vote, where the forts of any Administration in this cause are ballot-boxes were fraudulently purged or apt to be partial, ineffectual, and subject to stuffed, or where the legal votes cast were relapse. We urge upon our representatives dishonestly counted. that they are expected to aid the adoption of measures designed to give to good intentions the support of a commanding law, binding upon the willing and the unwilling alike.

Second-Legislation by Congress to give the country a currency having one standard of value-that of the gold dollar. To this end the coinage of silver dollars of less intrinsic value than the gold dollar should be stopped, and the law making paper money a legal tender should be repealed.

in the nature of appellate or revisory power over the action of the constituted authority of the State in such cases.

Fifth-The establishment by law of fethods of ascertaining the results of Presiden. tial elections, so as to give the conclusive effect the Constitution demands to the acThird-A revision of the Tariff laws to tion of each State, and to prevent the exermake them conform more justly to the pres-cise by the Houses of Congress of anything ent development and needs of our various industries and foreign commerce; but this measure, affecting vitally industries in which vast capital is invested, and upon which millions of our people are dependent for daily bread, should be comprehensive, not partial; conservative, not destructive. In our judgmentit cannot be undertaken safely until after the whole subject shall have been thoroughly investigated by a competent National commission. For this reason we urge

Sixth-The devotion of some part of the revenues of the Nation to aid the States where illiteracy is most prevalent in sup. porting an efficient system of common school education, so far as may be consis tent with the Constitution of the United States.

Seventh-A wise and stable Indian policy,

which shall recognize that Indians living in peace and doing no wrong have rights which individuals and the Government are bound to respect. We approve of the efforts of the last two Administrations for the edu cation in civilization and virtue of the Indian tribes, and recommend a multiplication of the promising experiments at Hampton and Carlisle. We also approve of the policy of giving homesteads to the Indians in sev. eralty, and of bringing them under the dominion and protection of the laws of the land, administered by courts of justice, with a view to their ultimate admission to full citizenship.

Massachusetts Democratic.

[Adopted October 5.)

We, the Democrats of Massachusetts, convened to consult upon the common weal, once more avow our constant faith in the expediency and right of democracy in gov ernment as expounded by its great teachers, those early sages of the Republic, Jefferson and Madison. We believe the government best adapted to social welfare is the ono which assures equal privileges, domestic tranquillity and justice with the least abridgment of individual freedom. Admonished by the lessons of history, we are jeal ously watchful of the government power, so Eighth-Immediate nnd stringent meas- liable to abuse by the ambition and lust of ures to suppress the crime of polygamy, rulers, and would hold it within the narrowwhich, under the guise of a precept of relig- est efficient limits, establishing its responsi ion, is spreading over the Southeastern Ter-ble repositories as close as possible to the ritories and intrenching itself in defiance of people. We believe the distribution of sulaw and morality, a rank offence and an in-preme governmental powers in the dual creasing threat. It has been too long tole rated.

Sovereignty of State and Nation, defined in the Federal Constitution, and affirmed in our State Constitution, is the most conservative of a pure administration and of democratic political conditions.

For the second time in its brief history the Republican party is called to mourn the untimely death by assassination of a trusted and beloved leader chosen to the Chief Mag- We deny that the right inheres in the sovistracy of the people, and while in the adereignty of a State to defeat the Federal ministration of their high office. Abraham sovereignty by renunciation of allegiance to Lincoln and James A. Garfield sprang from the Union, and we support the Federal Conthe class whom the former called the "plain stitution as supreme in authority over State people." Both disciplined in early life by and people in respect to all matters expresspoverty and toil, both obedient to the voice ly relegated to its jurisdiction, and the Union that bade them to aspire, to strive to be hon- as indestructible save by successful revoluest, and to serve their country, and rose tion or the common consent; but we equally from obscurity to the first places in the af- maintain the right of the people of each fections and the confidence of the Nation; State to exercise fully all the powers of powere elevated to its highest honor; proved litical sovereignty not relinquished to the their right to a rank among the wisest and general government for the assertion of its bravest of the earth; died the death of mar-prerogatives and dignity as the representa tyrs to duty and to patriotism, and are en- tives of a great nation. The application of rolled among the immortals whose virtues these conservative principles to all the conand whose fame are no longer the exclusive cerns of government, Federal and State, is possession of a party or a land, but the pride especially important to the safety of our of all mankind and the precious heritage of democratic institutions against the insidious all coming ages. The Administration of encroachment of aristocratic tendencies and President Garfield, although cut off almost the efforts of organized avarice and ambias soon as it had begun, will be memorable tion to insure the powers of government for in our annals as one of rapid and splendid their profit and aggrandizement by the sacstatesmanship. It vindicated, in an unpar- rifice of the common welfare. alleled contest, the Constitutional preroga. We regard the National debt as a hindtive of the executive office; it successfully rance to our commercial well-being, the recompleted the great work of refunding the moval of which by honest payment as speedpublic debt, notwithstanding the embarrass-ily as possible with simple and moderate ing situation created by an incompetent taxation should be the strenuous policy of Congress; it overthrew a powerful con- the Government, and to that end we insist spiracy of plunderers of the Treasury and upon austere frugality and integrity in pubprepared their indictment; it introduced lic expenditures, and the most advantageous into the Post Office Department a business investment of our interest-bearing debt, system that will make it self-supporting, which should be as favorable as that of any while increasing its usefulness. In profound other nation. The debt should be so placed gratitude for the example of such a citizen as to be within the power of the Govern and such a public servant, we tender the ment to pay it as rapidly as our available resincere sympathies of this Convention to his sources shall allow. We regard the defeat aged mother, his noble wife and his orphaned of the Wood Funding bill in the last Conchildren. gress by the influence and under the menace of the organized money power as a triumph of private selfishness over public interest. and a financial loss only partially repaired by the unlawful expedient to which Mr. Windom resorted. Our fiscal legislation and the management of the Treasury Depart ment have deferred too much to the wily operators who gamble in the money centres for the wealth and industry of the country. Our satisfaction in the debt reduction is qualified by the fact that the reduction would be greater by many millions of dollars annually but for official dishonesty and ex

General Chester A. Arthur was elected by the Republican National Convention as the associate of General Garfield on the Republican ticket, and chosen by the people to be his successor in the Presidency in such a case as has arisen. The Republicans of Massachusetts, in full appreciation of the peculiar embarrassments of his assumption of the office, and in full expectation of his faithfulness to the principles of the party and the just anticipations of the people of the country, pledge their cordial, considerate and united support to him.

service be simplified from its present overgrown and corrupting proportions; that ap pointments to it be regulated by law, and removed so far as possible from personal favoritism and political patronage, and that all subordinate civil officers shall know and feel that during their prescribed term of office they owe all to their country and nothing to their party chiefs, while they shall also know and feel that they cannot, any more than Senators and Representatives, fasten themselves as a permanent life bur den on the body politic."

travagance. No apparent zeal in correcting | the National Administration, that the civil abuses when found out can exonerate the party in power from culpable responsibility for the existence of such abuses under its rule. Under a capable administration such colossal frauds as those exposed in the Postal Service, and similar ones that have scandalized the last three Federal administrations, would be impossible. We demand that the guilty officials and their confederates, however high in place or party favor, shall be punished for their crimes and made to disgorge their plunder as indemnity for the past, and that such reform shall be instituted in administrative methods as shall prevent like conspiracies in the future.

We feel as profoundly as any of our countrymen the sorrowful stroke that bows the heart of the Nation in solemn sadness above the sepulchre of its cruelly murdered Chief Magistrate; but we lift our heads to behold the Republic unshaken and stately as ever in the path of its great career. Touched by the manifestations of patriotic feeling which the tragic event evokes from all classes and sections, we realize with gladness that the Nation has builded anew on ts original and sure foundation-the kindred affection and loyal instincts of all its people. We trust that the recent unkindness between the North and South is finally buried in that hallowed grave of the Nation's dead, and that no unworthy party spirit or sectional uncharitableness will ever vex its repose.

New-York Republican.

[Adopted October 5.]

The Republicans of New-York declare as follows:

We do strongly assert the importance of an inteligently bold revision of the tariff laws, now confessedly ill-adjusted and, in fact, burdensome, by which several industries now discriminated against may obtain relief from invidious injustice, monopolies be arrested in their spoilations, and the incidental benefits and burdens be equitably proportioned to all, as may be consistent with the needs of the revenue. Our National policy and legislation, to be democratic and Just, must discourage all monopolies and do equal justice to each one of the various industries which engage the enterprise and labor of the people. We hold it manifest that the permanent prosperity of our continent a land in which all the industrial arts have a home-cannot be strengthened or made secure by the destruction or impover ishment of certain branches of industry to build up and sustain others. The coming government should protect all and oppress none. Our statesmanship is called to seri- First-That we unite with our fellow-citiously contemplate the near event when our zens throughout the Union in deploring the artisans and manufacturers will, like our incalculable calamity which has befallen agricultural interests, seek a market for the country in the death of the late Presi their productions in addition to the home dent, James Abram Garfield. Under the market in even competition with the manu- kindly influence of American institutions facturers and artisans of other countries. and by the force of noble manhood he rose We urge that the burden by taxation on the from the humblest walk of life to the highproducing classes by the present tariff is a est earthly station. By manliness aud gengrievance that ought to give place to lighter tleness of nature; by loftiness of public duties more justly distributed. We regard spirit and disciplined intelligence for public it as crippling the shoe and leather and affairs; by strength of political conviction, many other industries of the country, and blended with singular moderation of temper as destructive to foreign commerce under and urbanity of expression-above all by our national flag. The decay of the carrying that rare and noble temper which dares to trade. ship building and the fisheries, as well be just, and which alone composes angry as the loss of prestige on the ocean, is the States, reconciles parties and secures wise result of the high taxation, direct and indi- reform, he was singularly fitted for the great rect, which a mistaken policy has loaded on office to which he was elevated by the free these industries. We protest that too much choice of his fellow-citizens. The opening revenue is raised, and that the weight of of his Administration had won the conflFederal taxation falls unequally on the la- dence of the country by completing the reboring and middle class interests of the funding of the public debt, by exposing a country; further, that the tonnage duties vast system of public robbery and by hastenimposed on American vessels should be ing the prosecution of the robbers, by its abolished. The drawback law for shipbuild- frank declaration of the intention to ask the ing, now inoperative for useful purposes, aid of Congress to restore the conduct of the should be remodelled to give practical relief public business to business principles. and against the wrongful depression of ship. by its triumphant vindication of the consti building by taxation, which it condemns. We tutional authority of the Executive office. reiterate our faith in the ability of American Suddenly stricken by a mortal blow, he lay shipmasters, sailors and shipbuilders to com-face to face with death for eighty days with pete with their mates of any nation in the carrying trade whenever the load of Federal and local taxation shall be removed from the men and ships that float our flag. We ask not bounties, but we do demand that Congress shall give our commerce a living chance upon the ocean.

We declare our fixed purpose s0 soon as Democrats shall have a controlling part in

such sublime serenity of courage, unquailing faith, cheerful patience and gracious courtesy that the heart of Christendom best with sympathy and admiration and brought every nation to our side as friends and broth. ers. Already his name shines among the world's heroes, and it is written upon American hearts with the names of Washington and Lincoln. Cherishing the memory of his

brave, simple, manly character, inspired by his lofty aims and unsullied life, and impressively warned by the circumstances of his assassination, we pledge ourselves anew to the great National objects to which the late President was devoted, and which are now bequeathed to the party that he so patriotically served, and of whose name and fame he was so justly proud. We respectfully offer to the venerable mother, the devoted wife and the bereaved children of the late President the assurance of our deep and tender sympathy in a sorrow which only Divine power can console, but which has all the alleviation that the spotless memory of the dead, the tearful gratitude of the country, and the sincere grief of the world can afford. Secondly-That we have entire confidence in the ability, integrity and patriotic intentions of Chester A. Arthur, President of the United States; that his life-long record gives earnest of his fidelity and devotion to the cause and principles of the Republican party; and, believing that he will carry out the views expressed by him in his inaugural address, and that his Administration will be in line with that of his lamented predecessor, in accord with the clearly defined principles and policy of the Republican party, and in harmony with the just expectations of those who gave him their suffrages for the high and responsible office to which he was elected, we tender to him our entire confidence and cordial support. His manly bearing and sympathetic acts in the time of National affliction command our respect and admiration.

Thirdly-That the triumphs of Republican management of the National finances are being constantly maintained, as shown by the payment of more than $17,000,000 of public debt during the month of September, and by the reduction of the annual interest to less than $62,000,000, while the surplus rev. enues justify the reduction of the taxes at an early day; and that this duty Congress should approach with due regard to the protection of American industry, and with the aim to reduce the number of tax-gatherers, and remove occasion for offensive and costly litigation.

of the State, entitle him to the thanks and gratitude of the people. His careful scrutiny of legislation, his judicious exercise of the veto power, his persistent enforcement of the principles of retrenchment, and his fearless discharge of all the duties of his office, have, in the development of the best qualities of practicable statesmanship, vindicated the wisdom of his election.

Seventhly-That as the Republican party has always been identified with whatever was deemed essential to the maintenance of the commercial supremacy of the State, wo are in favor of submitting to the people the question of making our canals practically free.

Eighthly-That we are in favor of an equitable system of taxation that will reach corporations as well as individuals, and that we are opposed to all monopolies that op press the people or unfairly discriminate against local interests.

New-York Democratic.

[Adopted October 12.]

The Democratic party of New York again declares its fidelity to the principles set forth by the New-York State Democratic Conventions of 1874, 1875 and 1876, which were thrice approved at the ballot boxes by the people of the Empire State, and were vindicated by the wise administration of the Democratic State Executives then chosen, and to the principles set forth by the National Democratic Convention at St. Louis, which were approved by decisive popular and electoral majorities in the Presidential election of 1876. The victories then won in this State and in the United States were in the name and for the sake of reform. The people were defrauded of the fruits of victory in the Federal elections by the false count of the electoral votes in 1876 and fla. grant corruption in the election of 1880. Reform throughout the Federal administra tion is still a necessity. The continuing dis closures of new and hitherto concealed plundering of the people's fund by inner rings in the Treasury, the Post Office, and the Interior departments, demonstrate that reform Fourthly-That those who conspire to de- is now more than ever a necessity. It refraud the Government are the worst ene- mains for the the National Democratic party mies of the party to which they belong, and to restore the Federal Government to the the Republican party has among its strong- fraternal spirit, the constitutional principles, est claims to popular gratitude the war which the frugal expenditure and the administra it has waged against the corruption which tive purity of the fathers of the Republic. grew out of the expenditures consequent It remains likewise for the Democracy of on the Rebellion, the punishment which it the State of New-York, and it is their first has meted out to dishonest officials of what-political duty, to resume and carry on to a ever rank, and its persistent vigor in favor of economical and honest administration. The abuses and prosecution of the abuses connected with the Star Routes in the Post Office Department redound to the credit of President Garfield, and in pressing the prosecution to the full satisfaction of justice, President Arthur may be assured of the hearty approval of the people.

successful completion in all departments of its government the great measures and policy of administrative reform which between 1874 and 1876 reduced by one-half the burden of our State taxation, and which then and during the three succeeding years established throughout the Executive departments vigor, economy and fidelity to public trusts. To that immediate duty this Fifthly-That we pledge President Arthur Convention pledges the united efforts of the our earnest support in every effort for the Democracy of New-York, and the loyal deenforcement of Civil Service reform, recog-votion of the nominees whom it shall comnizing as we do the fact that abuses in con- mend to the choice of their fellow-citizens. nection with the dispensation of official patronage may be largely eliminated, if not wholly removed, by wise and practicable methods of administration.

Sixthly-That the wisdom, prudence and economy shown by Governor Alonzo B. Cornell during his administration of the affairs

The assassination of the late President of the United States was a crime against authority, against free institutions and against humanity. We deplore and denounce the crime in all its public and private aspects. We extend, as citizens, our most profound condolence to the family of the murdered

Chief Magistrate, and regard with great gratification the universal expressions of sympathy extended by all nations and peoples.

We renew the expression of our demand for the refunding of the National debt at the lowest possible rate of interest. The New York Democracy, as always, stand by gold and silver as the legal tender of the Constitution, and by the doctrine that all paper mediums of money must be based on those metals, at the standard values of the world. We demand the payment of principal and interest of every dollar of public indebtedness. "Readjustment" is repudiation. The act of the Northern Republican leaders in giv. ing the support of that party to repudiation in Virginia, Mississippi, Minnesota and other States, is a national disgrace, dangerous as a precedent and destructive of the public credit. We call upon the Democrats in Congress to maintain the standard of retrenchment by which their Democratic predeces. sors reduced the Federal expenses $40,000,000 in a year. We demand a thorough and immediate investigation into the Star Route and other frauds upon the National Treasury, and a vigorous prosecution, already too long delayed, of all of the participants, both high and low, in these grave crimes, whereby the moneys of the people were stolen from the Treasury and the plunderers were made to provide a corruption fund which was used to carry the last Presidential election for the Republican party.

We indorse and applaud the united and honest action for Democratic principles and candidates of the fifty-four Democratic members of the last Legislature. They honored their State, their party, and themselves. We denounce the Republican majority, because that majority defeated every measure of transportation reform at the bidding of its masters, the corporations. It enacted jobs directly increasing the public burdens by millions. It failed to meet the urgent question of assessment and taxation reform. It refused the demand of the State for a feasible and enforcible Excise law. It left the farmers of New. York where the action of the Governor placed them, at the mercy of the oleomargarine ring. It struck hands, for political greed, with the abettors of dis case and death in the metropolis. It prolonged the session of the Legislature far into the summer at an aggregate expense of $200,000 to the people. It became in a fac. tional struggle of placemen the participant in scandals and crimes which brought dis honor and disgrace upon the good name of our State. When the Republican Legislature adjourned the people rejoiced as if delivered from a pestilence, and the officers of the law were obliged to begin the work of prosecuting the briberies and perjuries committed by corrupt leaders of that party while plying their vocation in the Capital of

the State.

We are in favor of such a reform by legislative enactment, as well as by administrative action, in the Civil Service of the country as will substitute for the present periodical scramble for spoils a wise system of appointment and promotion, by which the incumbency of subordinate offices shall be regulated by law and depend only upon capacity and character, and demand that no assessments shall be levied upon public officers for political purposes.

The public welfare demands that the vari

ous questions relating to chartered monopolies and the methods of transportation should be met and decided, and we are in favor of the adoption of measures to restrict the growing power of such monopolies. They should be subjected to the supervision of commissioners established by public authority. All unjust discriminations in the transportation of passengers and merchan dise should be prohibited. The charges of corporations which have taken the property of private citizens for public use should be limited to the cost of service with a reasonable profit, instead of the mercenary exaction "of all the traffic will bear."

We approve of the unanimous action of the Democratic members of the last Legisla ture in providing for the early submission to the people of an amendment to the Constitution in favor of free canals. The Democratic party, now and always unalterably opposed to the centralization of power in either the State or Federal Governments, hereby requests its representatives in the Legislature to provide and make effective an amendment to the Constitution which shall extend the principle and the powers of local self-government to the cities of the State.

To the record of the Democracy of New. York we point with confidence. We challenge a comparison of its record with that furnished by the factions which were once the Republican party of this State.

To the candidates of this Convention we pledge a hearty support, and we confidently submit our action, as the representatives of a free Democracy, to the good people of this Commonwealth for their verdict at the polls.

New-York Greenback-Labor.

[Adopted August 24.]

The seventeen years of peace which have elapsed since the war prove that neither the Republican nor the Democratic party can restore harmony, confidence or good feeling between the people of the North and South; that while these parties exist the country will remain divided into two great hostile political camps, in both of which the people will be governed by sectional prejudice instead of reason and judgment, because the people of the South hate the Republican party for the wrongs they claim that party has brought upon their section, while the people of the North despise the Democratic party for its cowardice on all questions of public interest and its utter lack of fixed principles or policy. During these years no united effort has been made by either of these parties to correct the abuses of corporations or restrain their corrupting influence over legislation; and during much of this time honest labor was unemployed and forced to idleness and want because both united in a policy of contracting the cur rency to such an extent as rendered the profitable employment of labor impossible. During this time land monopolists have been permitted to obtain control of nearly all the valuable public lands, but no laws have been proposed by either of these par ties for the protection of actual settlers or which guarantee citizens their right to vote and have their votes honestly counted. Under such circumstances the organization and success of a new party based on questions of present interest to the entire people, and recognizing the changed conditions incorpo