The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1876-08-16
GOV. HENDRICKS.
HIS LETTER or ACCEPTANCE
i n D I A n A P LIS,
Jn1u 81 1C-R

by the National Democratic Copven-
ton at st. Logis, as their candidate
for tue office of Viee-President of the
| United States. 1t is d nomination
which | had neither expected nor de-
sired, and yet \ recogMile and Nppve-
ciate the high honor done me by the
| Convention. The choice of such
body, pronounced with such unusual
nnanimity, and accompanied with so
generous an expression Of esteem and
confidence, ought to outweigh all
merely personal desires and preferen-
ces of my own. It is with this feeling,
and I trust also from deep sense Of
public duty, that I now accept the
nomination, and shall abide the judg-
ment of my cOuntrymen. 1t would
have been impossible for me to accept
the nomination, if could not heartily
indorse the platform of the Conven-
ton. am gratified, therefore, to be
able uuequivocally to declare that
agree in the principles. and approve
the policies; and sympathize with the
purposes enunciated in that platform.
The institutions of our country have
been so7ely tried by the exigencies Of
civil war, and since the peace, by a
selfish and corrupt management of
public affairs, which has shamed us
before civilized mankind. By unwise
and partial legislation, every industry
and interest of the people has been
made to suffer, and the executive de-
partments of the Government, by dis
honesty, rapacity and venality, have
debauched the public service. Men
known to be unworthy have been pro-
NOTED, whilst others have been degra-
ded for fidelity to official duty. Pub
| lie Office has been made the means Of
private profit, and the country has
been offended to see q class of men
who boast the friendship of the sworn
protectors Of the State amassing for
tunes by defrauding the public treasn-
ry, and by corrupting the servants of
the people. In such q crisis of the
history of the country, l rejoice that
the convention at St. Louis has so no.
bly, raised the standard of REFORM
Nothing can be we'll with us or with
orr affairs until the public conscience,
shocked by the enormous evils and
abuses which prevail, shall have de-
manded and compelled an unsparing
reformation of our national administra-
ton, Gin its head and its members."-
In such a reformation, the removal of
q single officer, even the President, is
comparatively trifing matter; if the
system which he represents, and which
has fostered him as he has fostered it,
is suffered to remain. The President
alone must not be made the scape- goat
for the enormities of the system which
infects the public service and threat
ems the destruction OF onr institutions.
In some respects I hold that the pres
ent Executive has been the victim ra-
ther than the author. of that vicious
system. Congressional and party lea
ders have been stronger than the Pres
ideut. No one man could have created
it, and the removal of no one man can
amend it. 1t is thoroughly corrupt,
and must be swept remorselessly away
by the selection of a government COM
posed OF elements entirely new, and
pledged to radical reform. The first
work of reform must evidently be the
restoration of the normal operation OF
the constitution of the United States,
with all its amendments. The necessi-
ties of war cannot be pleaded in time
of peace. The right of local self-gov-
eminent, as guaranteed by the consti-
tuition, must be everywhere restored,
and the centralized, almost personal,
imperialism, which has been practiced,
must be done away, or the first princi-
pies of the Republic will be lost. Our
financial system of expedients must be
reformed. Gold and silver are the
real standards of values, and our ma
tional currency will not be perfect
medium of exchange until it shall be
convertible at the pleasure Of the
holder.
As have heretofore said, no one de-
sires return to specie payments more
earnestly than do, but | do not be-
lieve that it will or can be reached in
harmony with the interests of the,
people, by artificial measures for tho
contraction Of the currency, any more
than believe that wealth or perma~
nent prosperity can be created by an
imitation of the currency. The laws Of
finance cannot be disregarded with
impunity. The financial policy of the
Government, if indeed it deserves the
name of policy at all, has been in dis
regard of those laws, and, therefore,
has disturbed commercial and business
confidence, as we'll as hindered a re :
turn to specie payments. One feature
OF that policy was the resumption
clause of the act of 1875, which has
embarrassed the country by the anticf-
patton of a compulsory resumption, for
which no preparation has been made,
and without any assurance that lit
would be practicable. The repeal bf
that clause is necessary, that the natti.
ral operation of the financial laws may
be restored that the business of the
country may be relieved from its dip
turbiug and distressing influence, and
that return to specie payments may
be facilitated by the substitution bf
wiser and more prudent Legislation 10,
which shall mainly rely on judieio as
system of public economies and of
official fetrenchment, and, above all,
on the promotion of prosperity in I'LL
industries of the people.
do not understand the repeal of the
resumption clause of the act of 1875 to
be backward step to our return to
specie payments, but the recovery of a
false step, and although the repeal ma
for time be prevented, yet the deter
miuation of the Democratic party on
this subject has been distinctly de-
clared. There should be no hindran-
ces put in the way of a return to spe-
Gle payments, "as such hindranee,"