The Brookhaven ledger. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1880-07-01

the count by a law enacting that the
count Of he commission should stand
as final. unless overruled by the
concurrent action Of the two houses.
Its false count was not overruled, owing
To the completely 81 a Republican Sen
ate with the Republican majority of
the commission. Controlled by it's
Republican majority OF eight TO seven,
the electoral commission counted out
the men elected by the people and
eouDted in the men not elected by the
people.
That subversion % the election crea-
ted a new Issue for the decision OF the
| people Of the United States transcend,
ing in Importance all questions OF ad-
mlnistrati0u: 10 involved tns vital prIns
clple Of self-goyernment through cleo
tons by the people. The immense
growth Of the means Of corrupt iniu-
euce over the ballot box. which is at the
disposal of the party having possession
of the executive administration, had
already become n great evil and danger,
tending to make elections irresponsive
to public opinion, ~hamperine the pow
er Of the people to change their rulers,
and enabling the men holding the ma.
AANA1 - - - CkA hAAA
and perpetuate their power
II was my opinion in 1876 that the
opposition attempting to change the ad.
ministratIon needed TO include at least
two thirds of the voters at the opening
of the CANVASS, in order to retain a mas
iority at tho election. If, after such
obstacles had been overcome and a ma.
Jority Of the people had voted to change
the administration Of their government,
the men in office could still procure n
false count founded upon frauds, perjn-
ries aud %forgeries. furnishing a pretex5
Of documentary evidence on which to
base that false count, and IL such q
transaction were not only successful,
but il, after the allotments of its bene-
fits were made to its co~ntrivers, abetors
and aDologists by the chief beneficiary
of the transaction, 1t were coHdoned by
the people. a practical destruction of
elections by the people would have
been accompanied.
The failure to install the candinates
chosen by the people, a contingency
consequent upon no act or omission of
mine, and beyond my control, has thus
left me for the last three years, and un-
til now, when the Democratic party,
by it's delegates in national convention
assembled, shall choose a new leader,
the involuntary, but necessary, repres-
entatiye Of this momentous issue, as
such denied the immunities of private
life, without the powers conferred by
public station, subject to unceasing
falsehoods and calumnies from the par
tisans of an administration laboring in
vain to Justify it's existence. L have
nevertheless steadfastly e~ndeavered to
preserve to the Democratic party Of the
: United States the supreme issue be-
fore the people for their decision next
{ Observation-Disclosures this shall be a
r Government by the sovereign people
through elections. or a government by
discarded servents holding over by
+ force and fraud; and | have withheld 20
sacrifice aud neglected no opportunity
to uphold. organize and consolidate
r against the enemies of representative
| institutions, the great party, which
alone under God, can effectually resist
] sheir overthrow.
] Having now horne faithfully my full
. share of the labor and care in the pubs
lie service. aud wearing the marks of its
burdens, I desire nothing 50 much az
= an honorable discharge; l wish to lay
2 down he honOrs an! tolls of even quasi
: party leadership. aud tn seek the re-
/; pose of private life In re-
nouncinQ the reorganization for the pre- 4
J iaencv. I 10 so with no doubt in my
, mind as t0 the vote Of the State of New
York or of the United States. but be-
cause 7 believe that it is a renuncia-
tinn of recollection TO the Presidency.
To those who think my denomination
aud re>election Indispensable to an eff
/. ~fectual vindicatiOn of the right of the
people to elect their rulers. violated in
i, nv person, [ have accorded as long a
reserve Of nv decision as possible; but
I can not overcome my repugnance to
enter into a new engagement which in
: wolves four years of ceaseless toll. The
I dignity of the Presidential office is
above a merely personal ambition,
l but it creates in me no illusions. Its
value is as a great power for good to
the country I said four years ago. in
accepting the nominations:
: "KuowIng as I do. therefore, from
} fresh experience, how great the differ
euce is between gliding through an Of
fetal routine and working out a reform
} of systems and policies. it is impossible
for me to conte template what needs to he
!, done in the federal administration
without an anxious sense of the difficult
3 ties of the undertaking. IF summoned
by the sufrages of my eouptrymen to
attempt this work, [ shall endeavor
2 with Gods help, 10 be the efficient in
strnmeut of their will"
i Such "a work of renovation after many
= years of m~isrule, such a reform of sys-
TENS and policies tc which I
( would cheerfully AVE sacrificed
all that remained to me of health and
g life. is now. [ fear. beyond my strength.
I With unfeigned thanks for the honOrs
| bestowed upon me, with a heart swell>
ing with emotions of gratitude to the
Democratic masses for the support
: which thew have given TO the cause |
represented. aud their steadfast conf
: dence in every emergency, | remain
your fellow-eitizen,
SAMUEL r. TILDEN.