The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1881-08-04

n. Letter to tho Cemmitte

Hon j ohm w. BOOkwalter to the letter
of the committee appointed by the re-
cent Democratic State Convention, to
inform him of bis nomination for
Governor, was to-day handed to Gen.
j. b. Stead man, Chairman of the Com
mittee.
The following is the correspondence ::
COLUMBUS, O., July IA, 1881.
Hon. John w. Bookwaltsr Springfield. o.:
DEAR SIR: The pleasing duty de-
wolves upon us, as the committee ap-
pointed by the Democratic Convention
which assembled at Columbus, July
13, to notify you Of your unanimous
nomination as the candidate of the
Democratic party Tor Governor of
Ohio.
The convention, consisting of nearly
700 deleR ates, with enthusiastic action
and reposing confidence in your De-
mocracy, patriotism, ability and in
tegrity, passed by several Of the most
eminent and worthy leaders of our
party, and in obedience to what they
believed to be the imperative demand
of the masses and laboring classes, Sc.
lected you as their standard bearer.
Hoping you will accept this high
trust and great honor, We would be
pleased to hear from you at your ear
lest convenience.
GSighC11 JAMES B. STEADMAN,
EVAN Il. WILLIAMS,
ALLRN O'MYERs.
SPRINGFIELD, o., July q, 1881.
To James 3; Steadman. Evan T. Williams and
SIRs: Your letter of the 14th in.
slant was duly received, informing me
OF my nomination by the Democratic
Convention for the Office of Governor
of Ohio. To say that I am deeply
sensible of the honor your convention
has conferred upon me, would be to
express very imperfectly the feeling
with which 1 regard your communi-
cation. 1t is at once an honor and a
responsibility by which no man can
fail to be grayely impressed, TO be
chosen a. the standard bearer Of the
party which has been led, and glori-
ously led, in it's past conflicts, by the
wisest and ablest statesmen of the
time. l cannot hope to bring to the
task the same measure of wisdom,
skill and eloquence which they haye
displayed, but happily the greatness
of the party and the cause which II
represents must in any case overshad
ow the personal attributes of its can
didste, whether they be OF the high.
est or humblest order. And in &C.
cepting, as l do, this trust at your
hands. rely for success not on any
talent of my own, but apon the inhe-
rent and persistent force Of Dem ocrat.
ic principles and the zeal and fidelity
in their defense which the Democratic
party in Ohio has uniformly displayed.
The platform adopted by your con-
vention has received my attentive
consideration, and IN the spirit and
substance OF its utterances | most
heartily concur. 1t embodies, in my
opinion, reforms for WI hich there is all
imperative demand In the character
aud the scope of our legislative policy
and objects and purpcses for which
the Government is administered. I'm
less these reforms are accomplished
we must drift further and further from
the true aim and intent Of popular
government. Legislation which should
be directed solely and strictly to the
Interests of the many, tends more and
more in these times toward subservi-
ence to the few. No doubt this will
exist in all communities, and has its
sources independently of party organ
ization, but in our own State and un
der the auspices of the party in power
it has become more dangerously prev
alent than ever before. 1t is belief
to which 1 have eyer adhered, and
often given expression OF, that the
function Of Government should in no
case be exercised in behalf of any Sec
tien or class to the detriment of any
other. Still less is it justified in yield
ing them to the service of corporations
and powerful monopOlies intrenched
in their own wealth and abundantly
capable of self protection as against
the mass of the people, and particu.
larly the agricultural and mechanical
classes. These have no concentration
or organization, and none but numer-
ical power, and their sole defense and
safeguard against aggression and
wrong lies in the fidelity of their rep
resentatives. Among many cases in
point, the management of the convict
labor Of the State, to which your plat
form alludes, is q noteworthy one, and
here as elsewhere q reform is plainly
called for to the end that the Govern
ment of the State, if it cannot directly
aid the laboring classes, shall not pre-
sent itself in the character Of their
enemy and opPressor.
The fifth resolution of your platform
relates to q vital interest, and express
es in brief and plain terms the position
to legislation of merely sumptuary
character. THE, if 1 understand 1t
rightly, does not imply hostility 70
rational and practical measures for
the abatement of any evils with which
society is afflicted. 1t may be well,
however, to remember that In free
country the object of all law is the
and not the abridgement,
of the rights of the citizens. The at
tempt to govern too much as too mi
nutely in these particulars must inev-
itably defeat its own end. The pre-
servatiOn of social order and the
wholesome restraint and control of
elements OF danger to the community
which cannot be wholly removed, are
objects eminently desirable in them
selves, possible Of attainment, and
properly within the scope of consti-
tutiopal legislation. 1t is much to be
deplored that all we'll disposed citi-
zens, including those at opposite ex-
tremes on this question: cannot be
brought upon common ground for
the accomplishment OF what is, or
what ought to be, a common object.
The proper adjustment of the tafiff
System of the country is q matter
which gravely affects the welfare of
our own and every other State. View
ed only in an economic light, civiliza-
ton is but the development and or
ganization of varied industrial pur-
suits, and it has come to be regarded
as almost an axiom in political econo-
my, that the prosperity and mainten-
ance of any special industry is depen-
dent upon the perfect coordination
and harmonious adjustment of all.
Legislation, therefore, upon this sub
ject should be of such character as
ara, Lon> -, usorr tl.:.