Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1876-08-09
HENDRICKS. LETTER.

HENDRICKS LETTER.
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind, July 4, 1876.
GENTLEMEN IL have the honor to
acknowledge the receipt of your COM
in which you have for
mally notified me of my nomination
by the National Democratic Conven-
ton at st. Louis, as their candidate
for the Office of Vice president of the
United States. It's nomination had
neither expected nor desired and yet
! recognize and appreciate the high
honor done me by the convention.
The choice of such body and pro-
nounced with such unusual unanim-
ity, and accompanied with SO gener-
ally an expression Of esteem and
confidence, ought to outweigh all
merely personal desires and prefer
ences of my own. 1t is with this teel-
ing, and l trust also, from a deep
sense of public duty, that now ac-
cept 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 endorse the platform of
the convention. l am gratified, there
fore, to be able, uneqnivocally, to de-
clare that agree in the principles,
approve the policies and sympathize
with the purposes enunciated in that
platform.
The institutions of our country
have been sorely tried by the exigen-
cies of civil war, and since peace, by a
selfish and corrupt management
OF public affairs has shamed us be-
fore civilized mankind. BY unwise
and partial legislation, every industry
and the interests of the people have
been made to suffer, and made the ex-
ecutive department of the govern
ment dishonest. Rapacity and venal-
ity have debauched the public SER
vice men known to be unworthy have
been promoted, whilst others have
been degraded for fidelity to official
duty public Office has been made the
means of private profit, and the coun-
try has been offended to see class of
men who boast the friendship Of the
sworn protectors of the Government
amassing fortunes by defrauding the
public Treasury and by corrupung
the servants of the people.
In such a crisis Of the history of the
country l rejoice that the Con-
vention at st. Louis has so nobly
raised the standard of reform. Moth
ing 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
reformation Of our National Admin
istration. The removal of single
officer, even the President, is compar-
atively trifing matter.
If the system which he represents,
and wlli0h has fostered him as he has
fostered it, is suffered to remain, the
President alone must not be made a
scape-gOat for the enOrmities of the
system which infests the public SER
vice and threatened the destruction Of
our institutions. In some respects
hold that the present Executive has
been the victim rather than the au-
thor of that vicious system. Con-
gressional and party leaders have
been stronger than the President.
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 Govern
ment composed of elements entirely
new and pledged to radical reform.
The first work of reform must evil
IDENTIFY be the restoration Of the nor
NAL operation of the Constitution of
the United States, with all its amend
ments. The necessities of war can
not be pleaded in time Of peace. The
right of local self-government as
guaranteed by the Constitution, must
everywhere be restored and central
lied. The almost personal imperial.
ism which has been practiced must
be done away with, or the first prin-
ciples of Republic will be lost.
Our financial system of expedients
must be reformed. Gold and silver
are the real standard of values, and
our national currency will not be q
perfect madium of exchange until it
shall be convertible at the will of the
holder. As l have heretofore said,
no one desires to return to specie pay
ment more than I do, but I do not
believe it will or can be reached III
harmony with the interests of the
people by artificial measures for q
contraction of the currency any more
than believe that wealth or perma-
nent prosperity can be created by in
dation of the currency.
The laws of finance cannot be dis
regarded with impunity. The finan-
cial policy Of the government, if in
daod ~ 6noorvoo <hn mama ~ nn1;cv
at ell, has been in disregard Of the
laws, and therefore has disturbed
commercial and business cofidence
as well as hindered q return to specie
payment. One feature of that policy
was the resumption clause of the act
of 1876, which has embarrassed the
country by the anticipation Of CON-
pnlsory resumption, for which no
preparation has been made and with
out any assurance that it would be
practicable. The repeal of that clause
is necessary that the natural operation
of financial laws may be restored /;
that the business Of the country may
be relieved from its disturbing and
depressing influence, and that the re-
turn to specie payment may be avoid
ed by the substitution of wiser and
more prudent legislation which shall
mainly rely on judicious system of
public economies and official retrench-
ment, and above all, on the promotion
Of prosperity in all the industries of
the people.
I do not understand the repeal of
the resumption act of 1875 to be a
backward step in our return to specie
but q recovery of false
step, and although the repeal may for
a time be prevented, yet the deter
mination Of the democratic party on
the subject has been distinctly de-
clared that there should be no him
drance put in the way of q return to
specie payments. Says the platform
Of the st. Louis Convention 1--WE
denOunce the resumption clause Of
the oct Of 1875, and demand its re-
peal.' ! thoroughly believe that by