The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1876-10-20
MILLING MILLER.
The Reply of the Executive Commit
tee.
MARIETTA. Oct, -, 1876.

DR. II. '. NJ. NJ ILLkR-Slk: or
purpose Of promoting the election of
tho democratic nominees for presi-
dent, vice-president and congress
man, many good and true democrats
of this county determined to have
mass meeting and barbecue at this
place on the 2Sth of the present
month. The undersigned were ap-
pointed committee to invite speak
ers TO address the people at that
meeting, and in dischargiug our dn'
ty we addressed to you polite note
requesting you to honor US and the
people with your presence on that
occasion. Our note WAS private
communication, expressed in res
spectful terms, and we had a right
to expect al answer from you by
the same method Of communication,
either accepting or declining the in
vita,ion, and there the matter would
have ended. But instead of such
courteous answer, which we had a
right to expect from one occupying
your high social position, you have
taken 10 notice OF our invitation ex>
cept to publish in the Atlanta Con-
stiiution a very strange and Ill
timed letter, in which you discuss
questions entirely foreign to the cor
respOndeuce which we opened with
you, and which we are not willing
should pass without notice from us.
After svowing your desire for honest
democratic government, and your
interest in the triumph Of democratic
principles, you proceed to say to us ::
"But if you have been led to sup
pose that | am ia favor of the crea-
ton or maintenance of an 'organiza-
ton unknown to the law, which is
intended or calculated to wrest from
the people the power to choose their
own representatives, you have mis-
taken my position" We are at a
loss to know what you intend by this
sentence. We know of no such an
organization in this region Of the
State. Certain it is, that we did not
represent such an one when we adj,
dressed you. We did not hint, in
the remotest degree, that we desired
yoGr presence at the meeting
alluded to, to advocate any such an
organization. There was nothing in
our note which you could torture in
to the idea that ~e wished you to
favor anything but the maintenance
of sound democratic principles, and
the election of worthy democratic
candidates, fairly selected, according
to the law and usaSes of the party.
The democratic party is an organiza
ton intended and calculated to prc>
mote these desirable ends, and it
was that aud that alone that we de-
sired you to speak for, aud you pubs
lish an answer, in which you state
that you cannot accept an invitation
without promising a short explains
ton. You speak truly when you
said we had mistaken your position.
We supposed that you were a demos
crat, bat now find, that you are not
in line or sympathy with the demo-
cratic party.
If by the sentence before quoted
from your letter, you intend to
charge that the democratic party of
the 9TH congressional district, who
are laboring to secure the election of
Tlden, Hendricks and Dabney, is
an organization unknown to the
law, and intended or calculated to
wrest from the people the power to
choose their own representatives, "
you misjudge the motives, and utter
an unfounded accusation against as
COED and true men as there are in
the State, whose patriotism is quite
as heavy as your own, and whose
devotion to good government is far
more reliable than that of any polt>
ical mischief-msker or party disOr>
ganizer, come from what quarter he
may. In another part of your letter
you give your estimate OF the value
of Recommendations or nomina-
tons" and then add: But when
under any name they assume to dc
tate to or dominate the conscienoes
and control the votes of others, their
fellow citizens, their equals in intel
ligence and integrity, they impu>
IDENTIFY attempt an usurpatlon of the
rights Of the people, and open wide
the door to Intrigue, to fraud, and to
corrupt political traffic Now, doc
tor, what do you strike at in this SEN
tenceY Are you simply beating the |
air Are you merely combating an
or do you mean that you
cannot attend our meetings as a |
speaker because our nominations are
Of the kind you condemn 7 TiIden
and Hendricks were fairly nomina>
ted at st. Louis, and Dabuey was
fairly nominated at Dalton, and |
these are the nominations which ,
we are endeavoriug to confirm at the |
ballot-box. Now, doyou mean to
charge that these conventions, in
placing these candidates before the
people, assumed to dictate to, or
dominate cousciences and control /
the votes of Others and that there
fore they 'impudently' attempted an