Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1848-08-11
ALVAN f.. BOVAY.
Chairman National Executive Com.
LII, IL L. nAsnr &nrrnlnrA.
1indnnwall. Inlv 90. la s.


Sr:-Y our letter addressed To me bv YOU
MS Chairman # the Industrial Executive
Committee of the Industrial Congress re-
Gently held in Philadelphia was duly re-
cclvcd. 1t is accompanied by pledge,
winch am asked lo subscribe, rs one the
cmdJdatc< for the Presidency, that will
hcnrciorth use all my influence, Whethcrin
or ont of office, to prevent all further traffic
m the public lands of the United Slatrs,and
T., cause the same to be laid ont into farms
ami lots of limited quantities for the free
and exclusive use Of actual settlers, not pos
sc~,cd of other lands; and YOU also request
my views on the subject in general.
The nature of the reply which design
To make To the communication with which
yaa have honor3d me, renders appropriate
reference to circumstances not lmmedl-
atrv connected with the subject of Your
inquiry. In the years of 1892. 1896, lSl0
and 1874 my name WAS placed before the
cnuAtrv, with my own consent, rs candl-
date Tor offices III the federal government
ON the three occasions first referred t0 for
the election, and WI the last for nomin1-
uon hv a national convention. On each
occasion the RIGHT of the clrCtor to Intcrro-
rate a candidate who asks his suffrage for
q public trust was exercised chiefly by pc,
hucaI opponents, though occasionally ov
friends, to an extent not surpassed IN tins
or any other country. \ sincere irNnd Ia
tins rghl ml ITS most enlarged sense, ana to
liberal exercise of it, prescribed no 9th
cr condition to compliance with the nu-
mcruuS requests Of my uuicrrogators, than
th1l the inquiries should be made in good
faith, and wen that overlooked in a great
number of cases. These questions and re-
plies embraced nearly it not quit" every i'm
poriant point which had then arisen, or
which IN tha opinion of the in,crrogators
might arise in the administration ol the te-
dcral government, were extensively pub
llshrd, and are Of course still before the
country. Brought together they would
make a volume Respectable for It's SIZE, and
the prool it would afford of my respect for
the wishes of the people IN this rrgnrd. |
have. IN addition, occupied the office ct
President for four wears of great political
excitement, during which period executive
responsibility was voluntarily assumed IN
rc,arl Ia the most important of these guess
tons whcnc ,cr the public interest required
and was no, unlrrQucntlr imposed III regard
to others bv political advcrsarcs 81 Sr'a
tact and ability, preparatory to TIC priest
dental campaign Of 1910, when u'c Inpor
lance Of the information TO the p"oHc was
not 50 apparent.
Had my name been presented to ih'
country under circumstances similar t'
those which accompanied ITS presentation
cn either of the occasions alluded to-
should pursue the same course now whIcl
then felt it my duty 10 adopt.
Buf the circumstances of my present po
si,lon arc widely different and are entitled
dunk, tn exercise controlling influence
over nv obligations, and the rights in thu
regard as well of tho Industrial Congress
q. of me numerous individuals who hav
already made similar applications to me.
III could have been weak enough. IN tn
first instance. to believe that 1t would be !
my mower to render services Ia he roW
try which could not be rs well or bette
pcrlormed hv others. should not havete
al liberty TO consult only my personal WiSI
IS and interests IN deciding upon the ~
pIration Of my friends in regard 10 NAH
Inr me again 4 candidate tor the FresideT
cv; or if could have supposed that such
use Of my name by the Utica Convenno
was necessary, either to enable the demo-
racv OF this state to sustain themSeIv'
against the great injustice which had bee
done to them at Baltimore, or to the u'l
mate success of the great If not the on
apparen, issue before the public, and up(
the maintenance OF which believe the IA
noe and future welfare Of Inc whole cou