228                            POLLTICAL NATIVISM                         [426

revolutionary sires, are prepared to swear upon the altar of Liberty eternal hostility
to every form of oppression.

Resolved, That the American Parly of the slate of New York demand the enact¬
ment of a registry law for the protection of legal voters and the purification of the
elective franchise from foreign influence controlled by unscrupulous politicians.

Resolved, That the American Party of the state of New York believe that the
Bible should be read by all men and that, therefore, it is a proper text-book in our
public and common schools, not to be discarded by wise men who would inculcate
the sentiment of religious freedom in the youthful mind.

Resolved, That the experience of the past five years has conclusively shown
that the exemption of railroads from the payment of tolls by Ihe legislature of 1S52
was unwise and impolitic, and that while the people of the state are suffering from
oppressive taxation, sound poHcy requires the re-imposition of the toils on such of
those great monopolies as come in competition with the public works of the state,

Resolvea, That we condemn the system of free passes, as furnished by our rail-
road managers to our legislative and judicial officers, and we recommend to the
next legislature the passage of a law making it a pena! offense for railroad corpora¬
tions to offer, or for state officers to receive, such free passes.

Resolved, That we express our entire confidence in that greatest of state im¬
provements, the Erie canal, believing it fully competent, if properly and econom¬
ically managed, to pay for its own enlargement and discharge any debt incurred
for its benefit without resorting to direct taxation; and we declare ourselves in
favor of its speeay and immediate enlargement, and our firm determination to
resist to all time its sale or any other disposition of it whereby it will pass out of
the control of the state.

Resolved, That the unwise, unjust and infamous legislation of last winter, as
shown in the passage of laws for the benefit of monied monopohes in opposition
to the direct interests of the people ; as shown in nearly exempting the railroads
of the state from taxation and heaping this burden upon the people; as shown by
way of enormous appropriations of money for the benefit of party favorites, whereby
the taxes of the state are increased more than 125 per cent., the treasury empty
and the state bankrupt; as shown in the control which an avaricious and unscrup¬
ulous lobby, headed by Republican politicians, exercised over the legislature ; as
shown in sacrificing the canal interests and canal revenues of the state to the all-
powerful interests of railroad corporations; as shown in not passing a registry law
as the people desired, the so-called Republican Party, under the management of
an Albany Central Regency, has forfeited the respect of honest men of all parties
and deserves that it should receive the entire condemnation of the people.

Resolved, That the mis-called Democracy of the day, by its truckling to the
powers of popery and foreignism and its combination with Republicanism to defeat
Americans, and thereby subvert the wishes of the people, as witnessed in the com¬
bination in the Assembly of 1856 in the election of the speaker and in the more
recent act by which their leaders struck hands with a renegade American to strip