Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1874-06-19
Err. OoNnan's Letter of Decli n alton
w ASIIIEGTON, ID.


JACOB Rich, Esq:
Yours enquiring if will be can
di,late for denomination, was received
yesterday. Hitherto l have replied,
in substance, to all similar letters,
that | would not seek the nomination;
leaving it an unsettled question, as it
was in my own mind, whether to ac-
ccpt denomination should the Re
publicans of the District desire me to
make the race again. Reflection has
tended towards a determination, now
definitely stated, to decline absolute
ly being candidate.
In so announcing to Il confidential
friend, rs you have been, permit me
to add that, eStceming it Il very hon
orable post Of duty to represent III
part our grand young commonwealth
in the halls of national legislation, l
have sincercl y endeavored to render
honorable service in return. If in
any respect have failed to advocate
and vote for that which seemed to me
in the interests Of our people and for
the general welfare, | do not know it.
If Il dollar, either as salary, pcrqui-
site or endowment, has reached my
pocket to which l am not entitled by
constitutional, legal enactment, l do
not know it. Maintaining a firm
fealty to the Republican party, I
have nevertheless not hesitatcd in a
few instances to vote against q ma
.jority of my party, when different
policy has. commended itself, as pre-
terablc to my judgment.
SO far as | am aware, my only Of
fetal act which has been adversely
criticised is that, after having labor
ed against the increase of salary act,
l received the compensation it pro-
vidcd. We both well know, and
everybody may know, that five times
in the history of our government sim
liar laws have been enacted, and that
in every prior instance the pureSt
statesman in the country received the
full compensation. And why not?
During the present session the House
passed Il bill repeating the mileage
allowance, and have thus reduced the
salary materially below the sum fixed
when the present Congress was elect
ed. If this becomes a law, are we
entitled to demand the amount of de-
felt? Assurcdly not. In my dclibcr-
ate judgment, as members are bound
by reduction, so, too, are they en-
titled under any increase. l have
studiouSly avoided saying anything
in public either in Justification or vim
dication OF my course relative to this
mattcr-pericctIy content to let time
and reflection determine. in the minds
of the people Of our District, which
may bcthe more desirable position for
their Representative to takc-to re-
ceivc the entire salary whicl, may be
provided by law, from time to time,
or to return portion Or the whole
of it to the treasury, because the pop
ular breeze may happen to blow
gale in that direction. BY my own
convictions in this matter | stand;
and never have, and never will, apol-
oglzc to amy man or party Oh earth
for the course of action which has to
me seemed both manly and upright.
With as few heart burnings as is
possible for any man to leave the arena
of politics-with deep sense of
gratitude to the Republicans of the
Third District who have SO nobly
stood by me through two contests
with III earnest desire for the contin-
ued supremacy of Republican princi-
plcs-allow me, very dear sir, to con-
clude by thanking You, from the
depths of my heart, for the warm
and generous support you have uni
forlnly given me, in candidacy and in
official action, both as a friend and
as a public journalist.
VERY CORDIALLY YOURS,
w. &. DOMAIN.