The Placer herald., 1873-12-06
OPEN LETTER PROM nON. n. n. HA:0HT.
SAN Francisco. Nov. 20, 1872.
m


acknowledgement in reply to your kind letter
the decnation Of Senator Casserly has been
made public. In my note l said in substanc.
that it would be time enough for me to deter
mine whether to accept the Senatorshp when
the Office was rendered.
The subject has been, and in being, pressed
upon me so often, howevtr, by gentlemen who're
opinions are entitled to respect that it wolld
,.syer of affectation for me to remain longer ST.
lent. is doubtless true, as a general rul' ,
t.lati is discred table and unworthy for cit
izen, of Republic to decline the respons bi. :.
ties CT ofce. and to refnse all participation III
politics and in psfblic affairs, because such par
,icipation involves much sacrifice. discomfort,
annoyance. and often misconception and oh
loquy. There is class OF men who devote
themselves exclusively to their private interests,
g sardless OF the ,f.re of tn, community in
which they live, and regard ss of the interests
Il their State and country Such men are not
trne to their Obligations. and cannot claim to
I've worthy of citizenship und r a free govern
.nept. But. ON the other hand. there is limit
to duty in this direction, and, while the con
t'ngency to which you refer might never occur
t is due to canlor to say that if it did, othe'
iuties and oblig .tions imparatvely forbid m.
acceptance Of public Office at present.
The Senatorshp is All exalted position and
ffers an inviting field to one really desirous O
levoting himself to the pnblic service during
he ensu ng six years. which seem now to prom
&c important political reforms alter the misrul,
Of the past.
To any one desirous Of undertaking the du-
ties of this position and ambitious to leave be-
hind him reputation for disinterested public
,ervice, the temptation would be strong to oc
.upy this field we're it open to him; but in any
contingency it would not b. possible for me
present to do 80 l have spent four years o.
he best part OF my life for the benefit of tn
people OF this State, and without any undu.
assumption can claim to have done them sone
substantial service.
For this ask nothing in the future except
their respect and good will of which latterly
lave had go many evidences.
Dsmlssing these personal illusions, whicl
seem pardonable under the circumstance s.,
shere are some things to be sad i'll reference to
the resent aspect OF parties aud of politica.
questions.
The signs OF the times are encouraging to
those who desire the end OF profit gate admins
tration, of special and class legislation, an6 OF
the build ng up o. gigantic combinations, to rule
over and despoll taxpayers.
The name of Democracy, in its derivation,
eisnifes The rule OF the people, and the name Of
Republican signifies the public welfare. Thes e
names are we'll enou "a, but unfortunately those
who bear the names often very far from
acting on the principles sisnfsd. One great
lii,iculty for some years past has been blind,
5.goted adherence to party organ zation, W I'll
no reference at all to the real questions al
ISSUE
For the past eight or ten yers the country has
suffer, from corruptng tariff system, which.
under the false pretense of protecting American
industry, has rested with leatlen weight on the
arm of honest labor, has plundered the who'll
people to enrich few m .nufacturers. and in
conjunction with other causes has almost driv-
en- American shipping from the ocean.
1t has also suffered from an inconvertable
paper currency, which in the language o:
''undermines the virtues necessary for the sup
port Of the social system, AMI encourages pro-
pensities destructive of its happiness which
wars against industry, frugality and econom!
md fosters the evil spirits Of ex'ravagance and
speculation. Which he further Justly charac-
erizes the most effcciual Of all contrvances
for CHI .tny the laboring classes Of III .nknd,
and the nn Oft, .ctual of oil ipy,.ptionS IN far
ti,iza the rich mans dell ~ the sweat o: the
pror mans brow; a m 're ntolerable curse than
ordinary tyranny, oppression, or excessive tax
,ton.
We have seen nearly the whole OF the public
iomain, in violation OF the trusts upon which
jon1ress controls it. given away by that body
TO enrich spectators, aul our national chara .
ter degraded hy the Credit Mob lier transactions
in Congress.
We have also seen bill passed anil signed
giving to the Presil,n AMI Congressman lar e
.mount of incr rsased compeus ttion AMI back
pay, in violation Of plain constitutional pro-
visions. We have seen the United States Su
)reme Court TaCk,d with railroad attorne,
20 enable corporations to pay their debts in
previous decision Of the same Court to be over
;aled. The process Of centra' ization has bt
come necessarily progress in corruption b
ause it multiplies the function of government
,nd removes them more an I more from popuii
control.
Every intellg Mt American, jealous Of tn,
reputation of his country, has been mortified
~ the exhibitions made by or representatives
It EUROPEAN capitals, especially at London
Madrid, Vienna anu Copen4lag N.
II is needless to pursue this detail II tn,
Democratic party are responsible for these pro
| ceed'ngs there are ertainly tens of thousand,
II the members Of that party who woald in
stanily repu late it and enlist und,r the bannel
II some other organization. 1t is not thus re-
sponsble. 1t is true We have som, protectiv,
sasi;f Democrats, and some paper money Demo
Gratis, anil som, Democratic man,hars of th.