The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1876-10-21
MN. JOnN u. OBEWiY DECLINES
AGAIN.


phia. Penn. and Informing me OF my
nomination tor ia" house uf the
Ihrtieth general assembly. by The Demo.
cratic convention oi thc Fii,ic,h senate
rial district, IN session at .Ionesboro. sep.
tcmber 18th, wrote to you. September
10Th. ms follows:
AFTER declining the nomination of the
first Jnnesboro convention. concluded
10 not again become candidate for any
office. ! have not changed my mind.
However. in compliance with requests
made by friends. in kilograms and letters
received by me at Philadelphia, added :;
But VIII not make public my con-
clusiOn in reference to the nomination
made by the convention. until | shall
have returned To tsiro."
TO the editor of the BULLETIN | wrote:
"In hosting the ticket. take occasion
TO say, that Mr.. o. has not indicated his
intention TO remain on the ticket but
that You have reason to believe lie will
! not-that. after declining the first nnmi-
nation. he notified his friends that he
would moi. under any circumstances. he
| a candidate for any Office again"
! w uttl NIt'c dbpNt, "
almost Immediately follow my letters to
Southern Illinois, or else at that time |
! would have anticipated this formal de-
J clination oi The nomination ot the Jones
boro convention of september 18Th.
In explanation OF my action in this
regard lake this opportunity To say a
few words.
The Democratic convention that met
at .Ioncsboro, August 81. nominated me
for the house-tld so without solicita.
ton on my part. | hal not asked any
delegate to that convention for his vote.
The nomination was not sought by me.
1t sought me. ! was battered hy il. for
it was unanimously rendered by the
delegates in the convention at the time
the vote was taken. and all the delegates
who Withdrew before the nomination
was made. were. | have been assured.
also in favor of my candidacy.
After the ticket had been made and the
convention had adjourned. large num-
Der OF the very best men in the district,
men whose Democracy nas never been
doubted for moment. formally. in care
fully written papers. requested me to re-
fuse to accept the nomination. giving a.
| reason for the request, HAT Col.
| ToNncS and Mr.. Albright We're not
proper men 10 occupy places on n Demo-
cratic ticket in reform canvass. These
petitioners, protesting friendship for me
and confidence in my integrity, announced
their intention to be careful to refuse to
vote for me il should refuse to accede
the prayer Of their petitions. This
threat was a high compliment, and /
trust appreciated it at its full value.
Indeed, felt very much battered 10y the
good opinion Of so many good men con
veyed to me in a manner SO unique--a
good opinion 50 intense that il scoyned
to ask my colleagues on the ticke,
to leave it because they were
| objectionable, and overwhelmed me by
aD appeal that should not shock The
confidence of the good Democrat. 10y ac-
! cepting Il nomination That hsd huen unan-
imously rendered 10 me by the Democ-
racy OF the Fiftieth distriCt--to not accept,
because Col. Townes and Mr. Albright
had been nominated al the same time.
This was an outhurst of political virtue so
| refreshing aud so altogether peculiar in its
manifestation. that at once acceded to
the request OF the petitioners. refused
| to go on the ticket of August 81 aud, at
the same moment, came TO the conclu.
sion. that, il ! were too good for that
| ticket, was not good enough for any other
that might be substituted for il. In other
! words, arrived at The determination
| that would not again become a candi-
date for any political office. BY that con-
| clusion | have concluded TO stand That
| | could be elected 10 the house. have no
doubt: but 10 secure nv election
| would be compelled to devote all nv
time between this and election day to
canyasslng the district. This | cannot
do. There is wider field in which am
called TO labor, and one in which |
will not be compelled TO combat
the vulgar falsehoods Of unscrupulou.
adversaries before too many voters Of my
own party from whose eyes the scales of
rSce-prejudice have not yet fallen. and
with whom, | regret TO say, shallow
Drained and dishonest men are still very
potent.
] thank the convention for the COM
pliment il paid me by 1t. nomination
but feel obliged 10 decline il. and there. |
tore hereby place my leclinslion in yonr |
hands.
Believe mr, with many ss.Hrsrcc, d, |
NV respect,
Very truly your obedient servant.
JOIN II. OxEyIr.