The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1876-08-12
GOV. HENDRICKS LETTER.
Mdianapoli,, July "a, 1876

| Indianapolis July ~, 1876.
GENTLEMEN II have the honor to aeknowl.
edge the receipt Of your communication. in
which you have formally notified me of nv
nomination by the National Democratic Con.
vention at st. Louis, as their candidate for
the Office Of Vice President Of the United
States. LISA nomination which had neither
expected nor desired and yet recognize
and appreciate the high honor done me by
the Convention. The choice of such body.
pronounced with such unusual unanimity, and
accompanied with SO generous an expression
Of esteem and confidence ought to outweigh
all merely personal desires and preferences
Of my own. 1t is with this feeling, and trust
also from deep sense Of public duty, that |
now accept the nomination, and shall abide
the Judgment Of my countrymen.
1t would have been impossible for me TO
accept the nomination if / could not heartily
indorse the platform Of the Convention.
am gratiied, therefore, to be able unequiyo-
cally to declare that agree in the principles,
approve the policies, and sympathize with the
purposes enunciated in thai platform.
The institutions Of our country have been
sorely tried by the exigencies Of civil war,
and, since the peace, by selfish and corrupt
management Of public affairs, which has
shamed us before civilized mankind. By
unwlse and partial legislation every industry
and interest Of the people have been made to
suffer; and in the executive departments of
the Government dishonesty, rapacity, and
venality have debauched the public service.
Men known to be unworthy have been pro.
noted, while others have been degraded for
fidelity to official duty. Public office has
been made the means of private profit, and
the country has been offended to see class
OF men who boast the friendship of the sworn
protectors Of the State amassing fortunes by
defrauding the public treasury and by corrup.
ting the servants Of the people. In such a
crisis Of the history of the country rejoice
that the convention at st. Louis has so nobly
raised the standard Of reform. Nothing can
be well with us or with our affairs until the
public conscience, shocked by the enormous
evils and abuses which prevail, shall have de.
manded and compelled an unsparing refor-
nation OF our national administration, ''in its
head and in its members In such a refor-
nation the removal of a single officer, even
the President, is comparatively trifiing mat
ter, il the system which he represents, and
which has fostered him as he has fostered il,
is suffered to remain. The President alone
must not be made the scapegoat for the enor.
mites of the system which infects the public
service and threatens the destruction OF our
institutions. In some respects hold that
the present Executive has been the victim
rather than the author Of that vicious system.
Congressional and party leaders have been
stronger than the President. Nc one man
could have created it, and the removal of no
one man can amend it. 1t is thoroughly cor
rupt, and must be swept remorselessly away
by the selection of o government composed
OF elements entirely new and pledged to radi-
cal reform.
The FIRST work of reform must evidently be
the restoration ofthe normal operation OF the
Constitution of the United States, with all
its amendments. The necessities of war can.
not be pleaded in a time Of peace; the right
Of local selfgovernment as guaranteed by the
Constitution Of the Union must be everywhere
restored, and the centralized (almost person
aD imperialism which has been practiced must
be done away or the first principles Of the
Republic win be lost. aN
REPEAL OF THE RESUMPTION CLAUSE.
Our financial system of expedients must be
reformed. Gold and silver are the real stan,
dard Of values, and our national 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
desires a return to specie payments more ear.
nestly than do but l do not believe that
It viii or can be reached in harmony with the
interests Of the people by artificial measures |
Tor the contraction of the currency, any more
than believe that wealth or permanent pros
perity can be created by an imitation oil the |
currency. The laws of finance cannot be dis. |
with impunity. The financial policy |
Of the Government, il, indeed, il deserves the |
name Of policy at all, has been in disregard |
Of those laws, and therefore has dstnrhad |