THE REPUBLICAN PARTY OF TEXAS 
 The First 50 Years

DALLAS, October 1 and 2

Chairman Davis and a majority of the State executive committee expressed satisfaction with the action of the Greenback convention at Waco, and counseled against holding a Republican State convention. A few members of the committee disagreed with this view and, after corresponding with working Republicans in all parts of the State, issued a call for a "consultation in regard to the formation of a State ticket," to meet at Dallas October 1, 1878. Although less than forty counties were represented, the consultation on the second day of its sitting resolved itself into a State convention.

Officers: Chairman pro tempore, A. B. Johnson; permanent, W. A. Saylor, of Travis. Vice-Presidents, Hardin Hart, of Hunt; W. W. Lewis, of Gregg; and W. E. Burton, of Fort Bend. Secretaries pro tempore, T. J. McHugh, J. W. Schneck and W. J. Ingram ; permanent, J. W. Schneck, of Dallas, J. J. Hamilton, of Travis, A. C. Lamkins, of Waller.

Nominees for State Offices: Governor, A. B. Norton, of Dalas; Lieutenant-Governor, Richard Allen, of Harris; Attorney- General, F. W. Miner, of Lamar; Comptroller, A. Siemering, of Bexar; Treasurer, S. D. Wood, of Smith; Commissioner of the General Land Office, Jacob Kuechler, of Comal; Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, James H. Bell, of Travis; Associate Justice, L. W. Cooper, Houston.

PLATFORM

1. The people of the United States constitute a nation, and the Constitution and laws of the United States are the supreme law of the land, and all States and Territories of the Union, and the Republican party of Texas yield and demand implicit obedience to the same.

2. We reiterate the endorsement by the Republicans, and the State convention of 1876, of the administration of President Grant, and that the course of his administration, in preserving peace with all nations, in liquidating a large portion of the public debt, in conducting the affairs of the Nation with energy, economy, and impartial justice; in exposing and punishing frauds and corruption wherever found, met our highest admiration and commanded our undivided support, and extorted the admiration and respect of the whole civilized world.

3. We again declare 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; and we congratulate the country on the fact that through the Republican administration of the government this greatly desired object is now about to be accomplished; we demand that the resumption act be carried into effect.

4. That the Democratic party, by its inaugurating a wicked and useless rebellion against the National government, and by its un- holy and unjust attack upon the Constitution and Union, involved the country in war, debt, and misery, and that party is justly responsible for the public debt.

5. The Republican party originated greenbacks as a National currency, and issued United States bonds for the purpose of carrying on the war for the Union, and maintaining the National life. We hold that the faith of the government is pledged for their redemption and full payment, and we congratulate the country upon the wise financial management of the Republican administrations of Grant and Hayes, whereby they have appreciated in value about equal to coin, and are most eagerly sought after by Democrats throughout the entire country; and the party that created greenbacks, and increased their value to a coin standard, and has upheld the National currency and the United States bonds, is entitled to the confidence and support of all who love honest money and fair dealing.

6. The Democratic party in Congress is justly censurable for its effort to foment strife and discord and its shameful neglect of the public interest in trying to unsettle the verdict of a tribunal of their own creation in regard to the result of the recent presidential election, and that the title of Rutherford B. Hayes as President has been acknowledged by them and acquiesced in by good people and instead of endeavoring by factious opposition to create ill feeling, they should have joined him in his noble efforts to bring peace and quiet and order and fraternal feeling to the people in every State of the Union.

7. Governments are instituted for the protection of life and property, and to secure men in the pursuit of happiness, and as a State government of Texas, under the Democratic administration, has utterly failed to do each and all of these things, that party should be held to a strict accountability by the people for its shameful inability and imbecility, and it should be hurled from position and power by an indignant people.

8. We arraign the Democratic party of Texas for its gross misconduct, its false and hypocritical promises, its wicked and flagitous acts, its general deception and unreliability, its oppressive and iniquitous legislation, its failure to reduce taxes as promised, its multiplication of offices and increase of salaries, its waste of public money, its increase of State indebtedness millions of dollars, its large issuance of State bonds to cover its deficiency, notwithstanding the millions of dollars wrung by taxation from labor and sweat and toil and the blood of the people, greatly impoverished by their extravagant and profligate expenditure of public money, and its general mismanagement of business and financial affairs of the State.

9. The Democratic party is responsible for a judiciary system which in its practical operation is cumbersome, onerous to the people, destructive of private rights, unnecessary, expensive, injurious to the poorer classes, especially* to widows and orphans.

10. The disturbed condition of the Texas frontier commands the attention of this Convention, and demands positive action, with a view to secure increased protection to life and property, and we earnestly invite the power of the National authority to adopt such measures as will secure that full protection to all citizens to which they are justly entitled, and which our State government has shown itself unable to render.

11. We confess with deep humiliation the inability displayed by the present State government to afford the protection sought In the foregoing resolutions.

12. We favor such legislation as will foster education, promote internal improvements, encourage immigration, develop the great natural resources of the State, and such reforms as will bring about a just and economical administration of public affairs.

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

14. That the Democratic party is responsible for the destruction of the public school system inaugurated by the Republican party, and has utterly failed in its stead to secure an efficient system of free schools, which is the greatest necessity of the State, as the surest guaranty of progress, and the best defense of liberty; that the neglect of the legislature at its last session to provide for the payment of teachers and the sustaining of schools for more than one month evidences still more completely their hostility to the common schools, whereby the children of the country may be educated.

Additional Resolution

[15] That we entertain the kindest feeling towards our Republican brethren who have seen proper to differ with us in reference to the policy we should pursue in the present State campaign, and that we earnestly appeal to all prominent Republicans of the State to throw their great weight and influence in common with us in an effort for the election of our distinguished State ticket and in the laudable effort to build up the Republican party in the great State of Texas.

State Executive Committee: A. M. Coehran, of Dallas, chairman.