legislation." It asserted that "the
recent amendments to the National Constitution should be cordially
sustained because they are _right;_ not merely tolerated because they
are _law_." It answered the Liberal arraignment of the civil service
by declaring that "any system of the civil service under which the
subordinate positions of the Government are rewards for mere party zeal
is fatally demoralizing, and we therefore favor a reform of the system
by laws which shall abolish the evils of patronage." Besides these
points, the Republican platform opposed further land-grants to
corporations, recommended the abolition of the franking privilege,
approved further pensions, sustained the Protective tariff, and
justified Congress and the President in their measures for the
suppression of violent and treasonable organizations in the South.

The Democratic National Convention met at Baltimore on the 9th of July.
The intervening two months had demonstrated that it could do nothing
but follow the Cincinnati Convention. The delegations were distinctly
representative. New York sent Governor Hoffman, General Slocum, S. S.
Cox, Clarkson N. Potter, and John Kelly. Among the Pennsylvania
delegates were William A. Wallace, Samuel J. Randall, and Lewis
Cassidy. Henry B. Payne came from Ohio; Thomas F. Bayard from
Delaware; Montgomery Blair from Maryland; Henry G. Davis from West
Virginia; Senator Casserly and Ex-Senator Gwin from California; Charles
R. English and William H. Barnum from Connecticut; Senator Stockton and
Ex-Governor Randolph from New Jersey. The Confederate forces were
present in full strength. Generals Gordon, Colquitt, and Hardeman
came from Georgia; Fitz-Hugh Lee, Bradley T. Johnson, and Thomas
S. Bocock from Virginia; General John S. Williams from Kentucky;
Ex-Governor Vance from North Carolina; Ex-Governor Aiken from South
Carolina; John H. Reagan from Texas; and George G. Vest from Missouri.
Mr. August Belmont, after twelve years of service and defeat, appeared
for the last time as chairman of the National Democratic Committee.
Thomas Jefferson Randolph of Virginia (grandson of the author of the
Declaration of Independence), a venerable and imposing figure, was made
temporary chairman, and Ex-Senator James R. Doolittle of Wisconsin,
permanent president. Mr. Doolittle, having been first a Democrat, then
a Republican, then a Democrat again, could well interpret the duplicate
significance of the present movemen