on the 10th of June, 1869, and renominated Governor Merrill by acclamation. The prominent candidates for Lieutenant-Governor were Major M. M. Walden, L. W. Ross, John A. Parvin and John Hilsinger. Major Walden was nominated on the first ballot. Judge John F. Dillon was nominated for reëlection; and A. S. Kissell was renominated for Superintendent of Public Instruction without opposition. The resolutions were unimportant, making no new issue. For the first and only time Republicans State Central Committee made to the convention a full report of its receipts and expenditures for the last political campaign. The contributions were $3,132 and the total disbursements were $3,181.
The Democratic State Convention met at Des Moines on the 14th of July and nominated the following ticket: Governor, George Gillaspy; Lieutenant-Governor, A. P. Richardson; Supreme Judge, W. F. Brannan; Superintendent of Public Instruction, Edward Jaeger. The resolutions were substantially a reaffirmation of the platform of the last State Convention.
At the election the Republican candidates were chosen by an average majority or 40,000. The vote for Governor was as follows: Samuel Merrill—97,243, George Gillapsy—57,257; Merrill’s majority, 39,986. Dillon’s majority was 40,308.
The thirteenth General Assembly convened at Des Moines on the 10th of January, 1870. A. R. Cotton was elected speaker of the House. Governor Merrill and Lieutenant-Governor Walden were sworn into office in the presence of the joint convention of the General Assembly on the 13th of the January by Judge C. C. Cole. On the following day Lieutenant-Governor Walden was installed as President of the Senate.
Hon. James W. Grimes, having resigned his seat in the United States Senate, this General Assembly elected a Senator to fill the vacancy and also one to serve for the
