The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1876-08-10

SARATOGA, N. Y, August 4.-The follow
lug is Thomas A. Hendricks's letter of ac-
ceptance:
INDIANAPOLIS, July "a, 1876.
GENTLEMAN--I have the honor to ac-
knowledge the receipt of your commune
cation, in which you have formally notified
me of my nomination by the National Dem
ocratic Convention at st. Louis, as their can
didate for the Office of Vice-President Of the
United States. 1t is nomination which
had neither expected nor desired, and yet
recognize and appreciate the high honor
done nae by the Convention. The choice of
such body, pronounced with such unusual
unanimity, and accompanied with SO gener-
ous an expression of esteem and confidence,
ought to outweigh all merely personal de-
s'res and preferences Of my own. tits with
tins feeling, and / trust, also, from deep
sense of public duty, that l now accept the
nomination, and shall abide the judgment
OF my counuymen. 1t would have been
impossible for me to accept the
nomination if could not heartily
indorse the platform of the
| Convention. am graii6ed, therefore, to be
| able unequiYocally to declare that agree
| in the principles, and approve the policies,
and sympathize with the purposes enuncia-
| ted in that 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 ofs 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 departments of the
| Government, by dishonesty, rapacity, and
venality, have debauched the public service.
| Men known to be unworthy have been pro-
NOTED, whilst others have been degraded fer
fidelity to official duty. Public Office
has been made the mems of private profit
and the country has been offended
to see class of men who boast
the friendship of the sworn protec
tors of the State, amassing fortunes by
defrauding the public treasury, and by
corrupting the servants of the people. In
such 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 oul
affairs until the public conscience, shocked
by the enormous evils and abuses which
prevail, shall have demanded and compelled
an unsparing reformation of our nationa
administration, "in its head and in it
members" In such reformation the re
moval of single officer, even the President
is comparatively a trifling matter, ii tn
} system which he represents, and which ha
fostered him as he has fostered it, is suffered
: to remain. The President alone must 10
!, be made the scapegoat for the enoi
mites OF the system which infects tn
: public service and threatens the de
/ struction of our institutions. In some re
spects I hold that the present Executiv
[ has been the victim, rather than the autho
of that vicious system. Congressional an
J party leaders have been stronger than tb
/ President. No one man could have create
: it, and the removal of no one man ca
] amend it. 1t is thoroughly corrupt, an
: must be swept remorselessly away by tn
s selection of government composed Of Ell,
c ments entirely new, and pledged to radio:
: reform. The first work Of reform must ey
y IDENTIFY be the restoration of the norm;
e operation of the Constitution of the Unite
e States, with all its amendments. The n
s cessities of war cannot be pleaded in tin
= of peace. The right of local self-gover
i. ment as guaranteed by the Constitution
g must be everywhere restored, and the ce