The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1880-07-02


New YoRK, june Is, 1880.
70 tie Deiegates from the State Of Ecw
Iork 10 tie Democratic National Com
genti0n
Your first assembling IL an OCCASION
on which it is proper for ms TO state to
you my relation TO the nomination for
the Presidency, which you aud your as-
sociates arc commissioned TO make in
behalf Of the Democratic party Of the
United States. Having passed my
early years in an atmosphere filled with
traditions Of the war which secured our
National Independence, and of the
struggles which made our continental
system government for the people, /
learned 70 idolize the institutions Of my
country, and was educated 70 believe it
the duty Of a citizen Of the republic TO
take his fair allotment Of care and trou-
bic in public affairs. | fulfilled that
duty to the best Of my ability for forty
years as II private citizen, although dur.
ing all my life giving at least an much
thought TO public affairs as to all other
objects / have never accepted official
service except for brief period for "a
special purpose, and only when OCCASION
seemed TO require of me that sscriiice
Of private preleie ence to public interest.
My life has been substantially that of
private citizen. II war, presume, the
success Of efforts in which as private
citizen had shared to overthrow the
corrupt combination then holding do
minion over our metropolis, aud
TO purify the judiciary which had
become It's tool, that induced
the Democracy Of our State in 1874 To
nominate me for Governor. This WAS
done in spite Of the protests Of the mi
nority that the part | had borne ia
those reforms had created an antngo-
nisin fatal To me ~, candidate. | felt
constrained to accept the nomination AS
the most certain means OF putting the
power OF the guberna,orial office on the
side Of reform, aud ia removing the
imprcssioa, wherever it prevailed, that
faithfully To discharge ones duty ss
citizen Is fatal TO bis usefulness as
public servant. The breaking up Of
the canal ring, letter infringement of
our public works, large f'.lncriou of
taxes aud other reforms accomplished
during my administrH. hn. i.,tti. doubt
less occasioned NV h'Huittsti'af' Lar ihe
Presidency l,y tI,e Ia ,n.nsary II the
Union. ia tie h"i- that -'n'Ia' i.r,-
c,ssses ~""l.i is si'tii.-i 'o th.. I.-.i'' III
governrnrnt t'rum the sr-Iuiwti,iii i,-s
Of such All undertaking, appalling Is, II
seemed To inv. / iil tp,t fctl Ht lii5trtt
70 shrink.
Ia the CANVASS hich +I.@usi the
D"hocruIic party iri,r,s,iital - fptm ia
tie administration of ,hr federal g.sS
eminent, and the rrstuiarhun .r our
complex political system to tie r"ic
ideas of it's foundetr Upon th'-s,s is-
sues the PEOPLE of the Unit'rl States,
by majority uf more than quarter
of "A million, chose "a mnj''itv Of electors
TO cast their votes for the Demoemtic
candidates fer President and Vice Pres
ilrnt. IL is my right anl privilege
here 10 ray that WAS nominated aud
EtFEAEtA W AlE INaANGNfEN AtfUlhAEiN
free from any engagement in RESPECT tn
the exercise OF It's r'owers or disposal
Of its patronage. Through the whole
period Of NV election to the Presidency
| did everything in my power 10 ele-
vate and nothing to lower ths moral
standards in the complexion Of parties.
by what nefarions means l'ssiS for
false count wAS laid in several States
| need not rcei,e. These are now mat
ters of history about which, whatever
diversity of opinion may have existed
in either of the great parties Of the
country mt the time Of their consumma.
tion, it has practically disappeared. by
the suppression of documentary evi
dence and bY the substitution of fraud
ulent and forged papers pretext was
made for the lerpetration of false
count. The constitutional duty of thS
two Houses of Congress to count the
electoral votes AS cast and TO give ex
preston TO the will of the people as ex
pressed by their suiIrages was neyel
! fulfilled. An electoral commission, fol
the existence of which l have no re
sponsibility, was formed, and to il th'
two Houses Of Congress abdicated thei
duty to make the count hy law, eunct
ing that the count Of tho commission
should stand az final ,nnlesJ overrule,
by concurrent action OF the two Houses
It's false count was not overrnled, ow
ing to the completely of RepublicaI
Senate with Republican majority o
the commission. Controlled 10y it's Re
publican majority Of eight to seven, th
electoral commission counted out mel
elected by the people and counted il
men not elected by the people.
The subversion of the election ere
ated new issue for the decision Of til
people Of the United States, transcend
ing ia Importance all questions of nc
ministration. It Involved the vita
principle Of selfgovernment throug
elections hy the people. The immens
growth of means of corrupt intiuenc
over the ballot box, which is ut the dis
posal Of the party having posses
sion of the entire executiv
administration, had already become
present evil and great danger, tendin
to make elections irrespective to publ
opinion, hampering the power Of til
people to change their rulers and ens
bling men holding the machinery {
government to continue and perpetual
their power. 1t was my opinion
1876 that the opposition attempting
change the administration needed to il
, clude at least two.thirds Of the voter
at the opening of the canyass in ordt
to retain a majority at the election, ]
, after such obstacles had been overcon
tard a rnoiorftxy of the ,aaonla had vote