The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1876-08-11
HENDRICKS LETTER.

SARATOGA, \. Y, Aug. 1.-The 1ol-
lowing is Hendricks letter accepting
the St Louis nomination:
INDIANAPOLIS, July %, 1876.
GENTLEMEN: l have the honor to
acknowledge the receipt OF your COM
municatIon which you nave formally
notified me of my nomination 10y the
National Democratic Convention at
St Louis as their candidate ior the
Office of Vice-President OF the United
States 1t isa nomination which had
neither expected nor desired, and yet
| recognize and appreciate the high
honor done me by the Convention
The choice of such n body, anu pro-
uounced with such unusual unanimlty
and accompanied with so generous an
eNDreSsion of esteem and confidence,
ought to outweigh all merely personal
desires and preferences of my own
IL is with this feeling, and trust also
from a deep sense of puolic duty, that
now accept the nomination and shall
abide the Judgment of my countrymen-
Ii would have been impossible for me
to accept the nomination II L could not
heartily endorse the platform of the
Convention lam gratiiied, therefore,
to be able to unequivocaIiy TO declare
that agree in the principles, approve
the policies. and sympatfiZe with the
purposes enumerated III the platform.
The institutions OF our country have
been sorely tried by the eXiCencies of
civil war. and since the peace by "A self
ish and corrupt management OF public
affairs, which has shaned us before
civilized mankind. by unwise and
partial legislation every industry and
interest of the people have been made
to suffer, and in the executive depart
mput of the Government dishonesty,
rapacity. and venality have debauched
the public service Men known to be
unworthy have been promoted, whilst
others have been degraded for fidelity
TO official duiy. Public Office has been
made the means Of private profit, and
the country has been offended to see n
class of men who boast the friendship
of the sword projectors of the state,
amassing fortunes hy defraudiDg the
pnblic treasury and by corrupting the
servants of the people. In such IL cri-
sis in the history of the country, | re-
iois... that the Convention at St Louis
HAS 80 1blbtN INT vi
reform. Nothing can be well with US
or with our affairs until the public con
science, shocked by the enormous evils
and abuses which prevail, shall have
demanded and compelled an unsparing
reformation of our National Admins
tration in its head and in IFS members
In such a reformation the removal of
a single officer, even the President. is
comparatively a trifling matter, if the
system which he represents, and which
has fostered him rs he has fostered it.
isisuffered to remain. The President
alone must not be made the scapegOat
{, T the enormities of the system which
infects the public service and threatens
the destruction of our Institutions
some respects L hold that the present
Executive has been the victim, rather
than the author of that V ciouS system.
Congressional and partv leaders have |
been stronger than the Pr sident. No |
one man can amend it. 1t is thor
oughly corrupt. and must be swept re-
morseIessly away by the selection of IA
Government composed of clements en-
tirely new and pledgd to radical reform
The first work of reform must evil
tie GcSlOISltIOll vi lllC 4
States. with all Its amendments. The
necessities of war cannot he pleaded
In time of peace. The right of local
seit-government, as guaranteed by the
Constitution, must be everywhere re-
stored, and the centralized, almost Fer
sonai imperialism whicsI has been prac-
tlced must be done away, or the first
principles of the Republic will be lost.
Our financial system of expedients
must be reformed. Gold and silver
are the real standards of value, and
our National currency will not be a
perfect medium of exchange until it
shall be convertible at the pleasure of
the holder. As have heretofore said.
no one desires return TO specie paw
ments more earnestly than / DO. but |
do not believe that it will or can he
reached in harmony with the Interests
of the people, by artificial measures
for the contraction of the currepcy.
any more than believe that wealth or
permanent prosperity can be created
by an initiation of the currency. The
laws of finance cannoS be disresarded |
with impunity. The financial policy
of the government. if indeed it de-
serves the name of a policy at all,
has boen in disregard of those laws,
and, therefore, has disturbed CONNER
ci;tl and business confidence, a. well as
hindered a return to specie payments.
One feature of that policy was the re-
sumption clause of the act of 1875,
which has embarrassed the country by
IA compulsory resumption, for which
no preparation has been made. and
without any assurance that il would
be practicable. The repeal of that
clause is necessary that the natural Cd.
Grafton of financial laws may be restor
ed, that tine busiDess Of the country
may be relieved from its disturbing
and depressing influence, and that a
return to specie payments may be ia
cilitated by the substitution of wiser
and more prudent legislation, which