REPUBLICAN PARTY OF TEXAS 
 The First 50 Years

GALVESTON, January 12-14

"After consultation with many Republicans of Texas and members of the State Central Committee," said Chairman E. J. Davis, in a call dated Austin, December 13, "1875, "it has been deemed advisable to hold a convention of Republicans of the State to decide the policy of the party in the approaching canvass for State officers and the ratification or rejection of the constitution framed by the Constitutional Convention."

Officers: President pro tempore, E. W. Brady, of Grimes, permanent, J. G. Tracy, of Harris. Vice-Presidents, 1st Congressional district, L. W. Cooper and A. T. Monroe; 2. J. B. Williamson and David Abner; 3. A. B. Norton and L. W. Williams; 4. W. R. Chase and J. H. Washington; 5. James B. Cooper and Jeremiah Hamilton; 6. Nelson Plato and W. J. Locke. Secretary pro tempore, Julius Schutze, of Travis; permanent, J. P. Newcomb, of Bexar.

Delegates to the National Convention: State at large, E. J. Davis, A. B. Norton, Adolf Zadek, and S. H. Russell; 1st Congressional district, L. W. Cooper and S. T. Newton; 2. A. G. Malloy and F. W. Miner; 3. J. L. L. McCall and L. W. Williams; 4. R. Allen and A. J. Evans; 5. N. W T . Cuney and Julius Schutze; 6. J. P. Newcomb and Wm. Billings.

Presidential Electors: State at large, J. D. McAdoo and Wesley B. Ogden ; 1st Congressional district, Webster Flanagan ; 2. J. B. Williamson; 3. J. H. Millican; 4. blank; 5. J. C. Acres; 6. W. Westhoff.

Nominees for State Officers: Governor, Wm. Chambers, of Chambers; Lieutenant-Governor, Fred W. Miner, of Lamar; Attorney-General, J. R. Burns, of Fayette; Comptroller, A. M. Bryant, of Grayson; Treasurer, Wm. Umdenstock, of Harrison; Commissoner of the General Land Office, Jacob Kuechler, of Bexar. No nominations were made for judicial positions.

Committee on Platform and Resolutions: E. J. Davis, of Travis, chairman; S. D. Wood, of Smith; L. W. Williams, of Grayson; W. J. Locke, of Bexar; R. Allen, of Harris; B. R. Plumley, Galveston : William Chambers, of Chambers ; J. R. Burnett, of Walker : L. W. Cooper, of Houston ; J. W. Flanagan, of Rusk; A. M. Cochran, of Dallas; Nelson Plato, of Nueces; W. H. Price, of Fort Bend ; F. W. Miner, of Lamar ; J. Wilson, of Brazoria; J. H. Bell, of Travis; J. L. Dickson, of Grimes; and John G. Bell, of Austin.

PLATFORM ¹

Resolved, 1. That we denounce the Constitution framed by the late convention at Austin, and now submitted to the people of Texas for ratification, as unfit to become the organic law of the State for the following, amongst other, reasons:

(1) Because it is intended by it to deny that the people of the United States constitute a nation, and that the Constitution and laws of the United States are the supreme law of the land in all the States and Territories of the Union, thus remitting to the future the same political issues which involved the country in the late Civil War.

(2) Because the said Constitution seeks to cheat the people with specious provisions in relation to schools, while it utterly fails to secure an efficient system of free public schools, which is the greatest necessity of the State, the surest guaranty of progress, and the best defense of liberty.

(3) Because the said Constitution proposes a judiciary system .which, in practical operation, will be cumbersome, onerous to the people, destructive of private rights, unnecessarily expensive, injurious to the poorer classes, and especially to the interests of widows and orphans.

(4) Because the said Constitution is unfriendly to immigration, so much needed to develop the great natural resources of our young and fertile State.

(5) Because the said Constitution is unfriendly to any system of internal improvements, without which the agriculture of the State, which is its greatest interest, must languish for want of facilities for proper and healthful development.

(6) Because the said Constitution is unnecessarily oppressive to a large number of citizens in requiring taxes on lands to be paid in the counties where the lands are situated. For which, and other reasons, the Republican party of Texas will oppose the ratification of the said Constitution and leave all the responsibility that will properly attach to its adoption upon the party which framed it. And we invite Republicans throughout the State to vote against its ratification.

2. That we indorse the administration of President Grant, and that the course of his administration in preserving peace with all nations; in liquidating so large a portion of the public debt; in con- ducting the affairs of the Nation with energy, economy, and impartial justice; and in exposing and punishing fraud and corruption wherever found, with the determination to "let no guilty man escape," especially meets our highest approbation, and commands our individual support.

3. That we favor a currency based on coin and redeemable in coin; and that the best interests of the country demand the speediest possible return to specie payments, so that the currency of the country may not be subject to constant fluctuations in value.

4. That the Republicans of this State deprecate party nominations of Judges of the Supreme, Appellate and other, benches, as impolitic, unwise, and unrepublican, and, therefore, we condemn and denounce the attempt of the Democracy to so make partisans of the judiciary as fraught with evil to the whole people of the State, and we recommend that no nominations for such offices be made, and that Republicans make choice at the election of the best men offering their services for the same.

5. That the disturbed condition of the Texas frontier commands the attention of this Convention, and demands our positive action with a view to secure increased protection to life and property; and for the purpose of extending all requisite aid in our power to the people of our border, we request from the National authority a rigid investigation forthwith of the alleged insecurity of life and property now existing upon the border and the cause thereof, and ask to be guaranteed the protection due American citizens; and further, we earnestly invoke the whole power of the Government, if necessary, to the adoption of such measures as will secure the\ protection required by reason of the said disturbed condition of affairs upon that border.

That we confess with humiliation the inability displayed by the present State government to afford the protection sought in the fore- going resolution.

6. That we especially and particularly denounce that section of the proposed Democratic Constitution which forbids that proper aid and encouragement be given to immigration to our State.

7. That the present State administration deserves the condemnation of the people of this State because of its wasteful mismanagement of the finances of the State, whereby three millions of dollars of the State bonds have been added to the debt of the State, and many millions of dollars of taxation have been exacted from the people under our oppressive tax system, yet the treasury obligations of the State find no funds on hand for payment when presented at the treasury.

8. That because of the inefficiency and failure of the present State administration to enforce the laws in this State and protect citizens in their rights, it becomes necessary for us to call on the general government to assist, so far as the Constitution and the laws of the United States will permit, in maintaining order and protecting our citizens; and we further request the President of the United States to instruct the civil officers of the government of the United States, within this State, to see that the Ku klux and other protective laws are duly enforced, and that schoolhouse burners be brought to punishment.

9. That the Republicans will expose the trick on the part of the Democracy to prevent the education of the poor of the State, and that the attention of the civil officers of the United States government will be called to the act of Congress readmitting Texas into the Union under certain conditions, viz.: that the constitution of Texas shall never be so changed as to deprive any citizen or class of citizens of any of the school rights guaranteed therein, and ask that said act be enforced.

10. That it is the opinion of this Convention that an ad valorem tax is the only just system of taxation, and we demand a repeal of the State occupation tax, the nonpayment of which the Democrats have made a penal offence.

State Executive Committee: E. J. Davis, was re-elected chair- man, and all the members of the committee were re-elected.