Judge Hartwell Hurley died during this year and Governor Lord appointed Henry E. McGinn as his successor.
In 1896 the republican state platform followed the national platform of 1892 and on the money question favored bimetallism and use of both gold and silver as standard money, with such restrictions and provisions as will maintain parity of value of the two metals, and the equal debt paying and purchasing power of every dollar, silver, gold, or paper. Also favored the election of senators by popular vote and the construction of the Nicaragua Canal, etc.
The democratic state platform opposed the single gold standard and favored the unrestricted coinage of silver at sixteen to one,—all to be full legal tender. It also demanded the immediate coinage of all silver bullion in the treasury, and all silver bullion hereafter offered for coinage and demanded the repeal of all specific contract laws. Favored the construction of the Nicaragua Canal and its control by the general government; also a tariff for revenue and other matters.
At the election in June, 1896, Thomas H. Tongue, republican, was elected congressman for the first congressional district, over W. S. Vanderburg, people's party, and Jeff Myers, democrat; and W. R. Ellis, republican, was elected in the second district over Martin Quinn, people's party, and H. H. Northup, independent gold republican, A. S. Bennett, democrat, and F. McKercher, prohibitionist. The legislature was also republican. R. S. Bean was re-elected judge of the supreme court, and Alfred F. Sears, Jr., circuit judge of fourth district, S. A. Lowell of sixth district, and Robert Eakin of the eighth district.
The district attorneys were: First district, J. A. Jeffery; second district, W. E. Yates; third district,
