The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1881-08-02

"
Hoping you will accept this high trust
and honor, we would be pleased to hesr
rom you at your earliest convenience.
JAMEs~B. STEADMAN.
E. F. WILLIAMS.
ALLEN 0. MYERS.
Bookwalter's Reply.
To Gen. ]. B. Steadman, Evan F. Williams
and Allen o. Myers, Columbus, Ohio:
SIRs: Your letter of the 1Ath inst.
was duly received informing me of my
by the Democratic Conven-
ton for the office of Governor Of Ohio.
To say that l am deeply sensible OF the
honor your Convention has conferred
upon me would be to express very I'm
perfectly the feeling with which regard
your communication. 1t is at once an
honor and a responsibility by which no
man can fail to be gravely impressed to
be chosen as the standard-bearer of the
party which has been led, aud gloriously
led, in its past conflicts by the wisest
and noblest statesmen of the time. /
cannot hope to bring to the task the same
measure OF wisdom, skill and elequence
which they have displayed, but happily
the greatness OF the party and the cause
which it represents must in any case
overshadow the personal attributes OF
its candidate, whether they be Of the
highest or humblest order.
AND IN ACCEPTING, AS I DO, THIS TRUST
at your hands / rely for success not on
any talent of my own, but upon the in
herent and preslstent force Of Demo-
cratic principles and the zeal and fidelity
in their defence which the Democratic
party of Ohio has uniformly displayed.
The platform adopted by your Conven-
ton has received my attentive. consider
alton, and in the spirit sud substance OF
it's utterances l most heartily concur.
1t embodies, in my opinion. the reforms
for which there is an imperative demand
in the character and the scope OF our
legislative policy, and 10 the objects and
purposes for which the Government is
administered. Unless these reforms are
accomplished we must drift further and
further from the true aim and intent oi
popular government. Legislation, which
should be directed solely and etricrly to
the interests of the many. tends more
and more in these times toward subserv-
ience to the few. No doubt this will
exist in al communities, and has its
sources independently of party organi-
cation. But in our own State and under
the auspices of the party in power, i
has become
MORE DANaERoUsLY PREVALENT THAN EVER
BEFORE.
1t is the belief to which l have evel
adhered and have often given expression
to, that the functions OF the government
should in no case be exercised in behal
of any section or class to the detrimen'
of any other Still less is it justified in
yielding them to the service of corpor.
ations and powerful monopolies entrenct
ed in their own wealth and abundantly
capable of self-protection as against the
mass of the people, and particularly the
agricultural and mechanical classes
These have no concentration or organi.
zstion, and none but numerical power
and their solo defense and safeguard
against aggression and wrong lies in the
fidelity of their representatives. Among
tue many cases in point, the
MANAGEMENT OF THE CONVICT LABOR
of the State, TO which your platform a!
udes, is a noteworthy one, and here, as
elsewhere, reform is plainly called fol
to the end that the government Of th'
State. if it cannot directly aid the labor
ing classes. shall not present itself in the
character of their enemy and oppressor
The fifth resolution of your platform
relates to a question Of vital interest and
expresses in brief and plain terms op'
position to legislation of a merely sump
tuary chara cter. This, if I understand
it rightly, does not imply hostility to
rational and practical measures for the
abatement of any evils with which 80.
ciety is afflicted. 1t may be well, how
ever, to remember that in free country
the object of oil law is the maintensnce
and not the abridgement Of the rights
Of the citizens The a,tempt to govern
too much or too minutely in these par
ticulars must eventually defeat Its own
end.
THE PRESERVATION OF SOCIAL ORDER
and wholesome restraint and contro
of the elements of danger to commu.
nifty which cannot be wholly removed
are objects eminently desirable in them
selves, possible of attainment and prop.
erly within the scope of constitutions
Legislation. 1t Is much to be deplored
that all well disposed citizens. including
those at opposite extremities on this
question, cannot be brought up on com.
mon ground for the accomplishment o.
what is or what ought to be common
object. The proper adjustment of the
tariff system of the country is matter
which gravely affects the welfare of oul
own and every other State. Viewed
only in an economic light, civilization
is but the development and organization
of the
VARIED INDUSTRIAL PURSUITS,
and it has come to be regarded as al
most an axiom in political economy tha
the prosperity and maintenance of any
special industry is dependent upon the
perfect CO ordination and harmoniou:
! adjustment of all legislation. There
fore, this subject should be of suct
character as will ever keep in view this
well balanced relation Of the many parts
which 60 to make up the vast economic
schemes of the nation; to the end tia
our home industries may attain to tnt
highest degree Of prosperity and sue
cess, thus guaranteeing the employment
/ of the largest amount OF useful anG
profitable labor in each branch of indus
try and
AT TIE HIGHEST RATE OF COMPENSATION
1t is no doubt true that hasty and revo
lutionary measures, however sound ir
principle, are always to be deprecated
and especially in this case where inter
ests so vast and complicated are involv
ed. The declaration Of your platform
upon this subject not only ombodies the