The Maryland Convention

The Democratie State Convention of Maryland which met at Ualtimore, was d remarkable harmonious gathering. WilliamT. Hamilton of Washington ]ounty was nominated for Governor, C. J. M. Gwinn was renominated for Attorney General, and Thomas J. Keating for Comptroller. No other names were brought before the Convention, and the nominations were made without the formality of a roll cali. Spencer Jones was nominated for Clerk of the Court of Appeals. The platform commends the acts of ,he present State Government; calis for the reduction of State taxes ; condemns the distrbiution of offices as rewards for partisan service; urges the General Assembly to reform the civil and criminal laws ; calis for f ree and pnroelections; favors the funding of national ana state deiu-a at ïower ratea of interest; says that it is the duty of ;he Democrats in.Congress to continue the efforts toward retrenchment which made resuinption of specie payment lossible. Eighth- The Democratie conserva;ive party of the country was deprived ay f raud of the lïuits of its victory in the Presidential contest of 1878. The reprobation of history will fall upon those who committed this crime against a whole people. It is the duty of that people, acting in their respective States, to protect themselves and their posterity against the recurrenoe of the offence bv enacting laws which will afford no future opporiunlty for such fraudulent practiecw. Ninth - The Democratie Conservativo party of this State, l'.iithful to the supremacy of the Constitution of the United States, rests its construction of that instrument upoii the expresa words of the Tenth Amendmeut, adopted in 1791 : "The powers not delegated to the United States by the constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserve-d to the States respectively or to the people." The Kepublican party, in ita conduct of national affairs, has violated this fundamental article. It has provided by law for Federal interference in State elections. It has assumed the right to confer on Federal courts, supervisors, marslwls, and special deputy marshals the uneoustitutioiwl power of enforcing State laws. lt has deliberately sanctioned the unconstitutional use of the troops of the United States ;tt the polls in the several States, These are measures of centraliz ttion which show a determined puipose to change the organic character of the Government bequeathed to us by ourfathers; and such measures ought to be resisted by every coustitutiona! means within our power. The platform tlianks the Demorcats in Congress for endeavora to insure impartía! trial by jury in Federal courts by the aboiution of test oaths, and for resistance to liepublican encroachments on the limitations of the Constitution, and calis upon citizens hi the State to aid all true reforms.