REPUBLICAN PARTY OF TEXAS 
 The First 50 Years

WACO, August 25 and 26

The colored delegates controlled the convention.

Officers: Chairman pro tempore, C. M. Ferguson, of Fort Bend; permanent, A. J. Rosenthal. of Fayette. Secretary pro tempore, A. White, of Grimes; permanent, E. W. Roberts, of Harris.

Nominees for State Offices: Governor, Dr. A. M. Cochran, of Dallas ; Lieutenant-Governor, Lodowick McDaniel, of Grimes : Attorney-General, C. N. Johnson, of Young; Comptroller, J. M. Brown, of Tarrant; Treasurer, Frank Cleaves, of Cook; Com missioner of the General Land Office, A. Zadek, of Navarro; Superintendent of Public Instruction, Henry Kline, of Harris.

Committee on Platform and Resolutions: H. K. Lane, W. H. Burkhart, W. H. Blount, J. P. Osterhout, W. L. Booth, M. Johnson, L. J. Russell, G. F. Franklin, W. S. Mesmer, N. W. Cuney, and John W. McDonald.

PLATFORM 1

The Republican party of Texas, in convention assembled, does re affirm its allegiance to the National Republican party, reasserting it approval of the platform adopted by the National Republican party at. Chicago, in 1884. and desiring to go before the people of Texas upon State issues with no uncertain sound, resolves as follows:

[1] Prohibition The people in a republic being the source of power we believe it to be the duty of the legislature to submit to 'the people for their acceptance or rejection such amendments to our organic laws as they may ask: such submission, when petitioned by a sufficient number in accordance with the bill of rights.

[2] Public Lands We are opposed to the leasing by the State of large bodies of land, thereby shutting it out from immediate and actual settlement.

[3] Public Roads We are opposed to the present law requiring the citizen to work upon the public roads of this State, but believe that the roads ought to be worked at public expense.

[4] Though in favor of an ad valorem tax on property and occupa tion taxes, we are opposed to occupation taxes on trades and professions.

[5] The Republican party, having been in favor of the education of the masses to the fullest extent within the means of the government and ability of the people, favors the largest appropriation practicable by the State for that purpose, and we do further indorse and approve of that educational measure known as the Blair bill passed by the United States Senate. We are also in favor of county superintendents of public schools.

[6] Laborers (1) That we reaffirm our confidence and acceptance of the principle set forth by Abraham Lincoln in his message to Con gress in December, 1861, in which he defined the relations of the Re- publican party to American labor, and affirmed its superiority to the mere capital it had created.

(2) That we stand and abide by the principles set forth by the martyred President a quarter of a century since, in which he affirmed the dignity of labor and the right of the laborer to legislative protection, and that we do all in our power to make these the principles of our State and National governments.

(3) That we recognize the right of labor to share in the profits of the wealth it has created, and that we do all in our power to harmonize the interests of capital and labor and make the legislation of this State and Nation equally protective of the one as of the other.

(4) That we are opposed to the employment of convict labor upon the public works of the State.

(5) We are opposed to the leasing of convict labor in any form, and that we favor the passage of such laws as will confine convicts within the walls of the penitentiary of the State.

(6) That we denounce that system of employing convict labor which compels the free labor of American citizens to come in competition with it in the public market.

(7) That we favor the passage of such laws for the arbitration of all differences arising between corporations and those employed by them as will most effectively prevent strikes and secure harmony.

(8) We approve the existing laws making the importation of con tract labor a crime, and demand their enforcement.

9) We favor such legislation as will most effectually prevent the oppressing of the mercantile and industrial interests by monopoly.

State Executive Committee: J. B. Rector, of Travis, chairman.