Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1880-08-05
Hancock and English Accept.

NcheIai iiahcock mas accepted the
Democratic nomination for President
of the United States in Il letter re-
markable for its terse, pungent and
patriotic presentation of the views
and sentiments of the hero of Gettys-
burg. The most casual and indifier-
ent observer cannot fail to be impress
ed by the marked and striking con-
trast between this letter and that of
General Garfield. While the latter
aims to cover all the ground of differ
ence between the two parties and to
indicate the precise attitude of the
Republican candidate upon all the
leading issues which divide the politi-
cal opinion of the country, its style is
stilted and pedantic and gives unmis-
taxable evidence of having passed
through the hands of numberless poll.
ticians representing every wing and
faction of the Republican party. Its
insincerity and ingeniousness cannot
be disguised under the smooth and
oily persiAage with which it abounds.
What is lacking in the letter of
the Republican candidate is conspicu-
Gus in that of General Hancock. The
noble candor and freedom from reserve
and dissimulation which characterizes
this letter will assuredly make deep
impression upon the intelligent and
conservative thought of the country.
General Hancock's letter is certainly
his own from first to last. There has
been no alteration to suit this man or
that interest. lie has in the frank,
bold language of truth and honesty
spoken with simple directness, and
every word and sentiment in his ad-
mirable letter will be accepted as his
very own. 1t must be disheartening
to those Republicans who have been
in the habit of sneeringly describing
General Hancock as "a mere soldier"
to discover that the soldier has better
and more coherent ideas of govern
ment than the sO-called trained and
fully equipped statesman. General
Hancock fairly challenges admiration
as he lays down his political creed and
traces with clear and cogent reasoning
the outlines of our form of govern
ment. Nothing could be more perspic-
uous, and at the same time more con-
else and incontrovertible than his logic
al recital of the powers and limitations
Of the general government and the
rights and prerogatives of the States.
The sphere of each is 50 plainly indi-
Gated that he who runs may read.
He says: "Powers not delegated to
"the United States by the Constitu.
"tion nor prohibited by it to the States
"belong to the States respectively, or
"to the people" Along side of this
comprehensive portrayal of a general
government with general powers and
State governments with State powers
which is the true substantial basis of
the Union of our fathers, General
Garfield's far-fetched assertion that
"the United States is Nation" seems
puerile and childish. General Han
cocks emphatic and ringing demand
for the faithful and efficient admins
tration of affairs his withering de-
nunciation of force or fraud as instru-
ments for the subversion of the rights
of the people and his resonant declar-
alton that "the bayonet is not a fit
instrument for collecting the votes Of
freemen" will awake an answering re-
sponse in the hearts Of hundreds of
thousands of voters who have heretofore
acted with the opposition. None but
chronic office-holders will quarrel with
his assertion that "public Office is a
trust, not bounty bestowed upon the
holder" This is a new and strange
doctrine and will sound like the strains
of forgotten music in the ears of that
noble army of patriots who have come
to look upon the Federal Offices as
erected exclusively for their benefit
The true road to reform in the civil
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