The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1880-06-22
vice president. It is my right and privi-
iege here to say that was nominated and
ELECTED 70 THE pRESIDENcY.

| iege here to say that L was nominated anC
ELECTED 10 THE PRESIDENCY,
absolutely free from any engagement il
respect to the exercise of its powers or tbs
disposal OF its patronage. Through the
Whole period of my relation to the presil
dency did everything in my power to
elevate, and nothing to lower, moral stan
cards in the competition of parties. By
what nefarious means the basis for false
count was laid in several of the states
need not recite. These Sare now matters
of history, about which whatever diversity
OF opinion may have existed in either of
the great parties Of the country at the
| time OF their consumm alton has practi-
eally disappeared. I refused to ransom
IRON the returning boards of the southern
states the documentary evidence by the
suppression of which, and by the substi-
tuition OF fraudulent and forged papers, O
pretext was made for the preparation of
raise count. The constitutional duty of
the two houses of congress to count the
electoral vote as cast. and to give effect to
the WILL OF the people as expressed by
their SURFACES. was never fulfilled.
THE ELECTORAL COMMISSION,
tor the existence of which I have no re-
sponsibillty, was formed, and to it the two
houses OF congress abdicated their duty to
MAKE the count by law enacting that the
count OF the commission should stand as
1nal unless overruled by the concurrent
action OF the two houses. It's false count
was not oyerruled. owing to the completely
OF hepuplcan senate with the Republi-
can majority OF the commission. Controlled
by Its Republican majority Of eight to seven,
the electoral commission counted out the
eIoQt0d ha
the men not elected by the people. A
subversion OF the election created q new
issue for the decision of the people of the
United States, transcending in importance
all questions of administration. 1t
involves the vital principal of self govern
ment through elections by the people.
The immense growth of the means of
corrupt influence over the ballot box
which is at the disposal of tho party hay-
ing possession of the executive administra-
tion had already become present evil
and great danger. tending to make
elections irresponsive to public opinion,
hampering the !power of the people to
change ttheir rulers. and enabling the
men holding the machinery of government
to continue and perpetuate their power.
IT WAS MY OPINION
in 1876 that the opposition attempting to
change the administration, needed to in
clude at least two-thirds of the voters at
the opening of the canvass. in order to
retain majority at the election Ii after
such obstacles had been overcome, and q
majority of the people had voted to change
the administration of their government,
the men in Office could still procure false
count, founded upon frauds, perjuries
and forgeries, furnishing q pretext of doc
umentary evidence on which to base that
false count, and if such transaction were
were not only successful, but if after the
ALIGNMENT of its benefits were made to its
contrivers, abetters, and apologists by the
chief beneficiary of the transaction,it were
condoned by the people, a practical de-
struction of elections by the people would
have been accomplished.
THE FAILURE TO INSTALL.
the candidates fchosen by the people.-a
contingency consequent upon no act or
omission of mine. and beyong my control
has thus left me for the lasts sthree years
and until DOW. when the Democratic
party. by its delegates In national conven-
Assem- bled, shall choose new leader. the
involuntary but necessary representative
of this momentous issue. AS such denied
the immunities OF private life without the
powers conferred by public station; SUBJ
iect to unceasing falsehoods and calumnies
from the part:sans of an administration
laboring in vain to justify its existence, IL
have nevertheless steadfastly endeavored
to preserve to the Democratic party
of the United States the sup
preme issue before the people for that
decision next November, whether this
shall be a government by the sovereign
people, through elections, or government
by discarded servants holding over by
force and fraud. And / have withheld no
sacrifice and neglected no opportunity to
uphold, organize, and consolidate against
the enemies of representative institutions
the great party which alone, under God,
can effectually resist their overthrow.
HAVING NOW BORNE FAITHFULLY
my full share of labor and care in the
public service, and wearing the marks of
its burdens, | desire nothing so much al
an honorable discharge. / wish to lay
down the honors and tells Of even quasi.
party leadership and to seek the reposeeof
private life. In renouncipg a renomina.
ton and reelection indispensable to an
effectual vindication of the right of the
people to elect their rulers. violated 10
my person, have accorded as long
reserve of my decision as possible, but /
can not overcome my repugDance to enter
into new engagement which involves
four years of ceaseiess toll. The dignity
o. the presidential Office is above merely
personal ambition, but it creates in me no
illusion. Its value is as great power for
good to the country.
SAID FOUR YEARS AGO.
In accepting the nomination: Knowing
as 1 do, therefore. from fresh experience
how great the difference is between Gid
log through an oficial routine and work
ing out reform of systems and policies,
it is impossible for me to contemplat
what needs to be done in the federal ad-
| ministration without al anxious sense of
| the difficulties Of the undertaking. III
summoned by the suff ages of my coun-
| trymen to attempt this work shall endea-
vor, with Gods help, to be the efficient
| instrumen of their will. Such work of
renovation, after many years of rnisrule,
such reform of systems and policies to
which [ would carefully have sacrificed all
| that remained to me of health and life is
now. fear. beyond my strength. With
unfeigned thanks for the donors bestow-
ed on me, with heart swelling with emo
tio1s OF gratitude to the democratic masses
for the support which they have given TO
the cause | represented aud their stead
1 fasf oop6dapna in ouaru