Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1882-05-17
CONVENTION PROCEEDINGS.
GEN. BEAVERS SPEECH.
Declaring That He Has Not
Bargained For Any Political
Influence.
HARRISBURG, MAY 10.

HARRISBURG, May lO.
Following is General Beavers
speech to the convention after his NOM
ination:
Representatives of the Republicans
of Pennsylvania | am here in obedi-
ence to your summons, in answer to
your request. The committee OF your
body who have conveyed that request
have also informed me of your action
in naming me as the candidate of the
Republican party of Pennsylvania for
the suffrages of the people in the ap-
election ola Chief Magistrate
of our Commonwealth. | am not in
sensible to the distinguished honor
which you have conferred upon me
by the voice of this great convention.
TIE man would be strangely lacking
in the feelings which are common to
our humanity whose heart could fail to
be stirred by pleasurable emotion in
view of this action. And yet you will
allow me 10 say, and will no doubt as
sent to the saying, that this nomlna-
ton is an empty honor unless you fair
ly represent in its bestowal the free
will and the untrammeled choice OF
your great constituency lid | not
believe this was the fact you could not
prevail upon me to stand as the repre-
sentative of the grand political party
whose whole past history is the best
guarantee of lis future policy. If you
do not believe this is the fact | pray
you cancel this nomination here and
now and select some gentleman whom
you and / can join in supporting as the
true exponent OF the pure Republican
ism and the unbiased choice of a major
ity of the party
NOT POLITICIAN.
| am not much of politician. |
have but little political experience,
and consequently lay no claim to the
sagacity which large experience brings,
bnt have faithfully and earnestly en-
deavored to learn in the preliminary
canvass which has resulted in this
nomination what the wishes of the
masses of the Republican party were
in regard to it. have not sought in
dividual support nor bargained for po-
litical influence, but | have been solic-
itous to know the popular will. Be
lieving that you have registered that
will and given utterance to the voice
of the people, / accept this nomination
not boastfully, not unthinkingly,
but under keen sense of the respon-
sibility which popular confidence i'm
plies and begets. | have carefully
noted the instructions under which
some of you have cast your votes to-
day, and whilst 1 am painfully aware
that | fall very far short of the picture
of the man whom you were instructed
to support for this nomination, | am,
nevertheless, impressed with the fact
that the people in many parts of the
Commonwealth have set up high
ideal to which they expect the nominee
of this convention for the office of the
Chief Magistrate to attain. | cannot
expect to reach the full measure of
their high standard, but will come
only so far short of it as the ability
which God has given me, backed by
an honest purpose and an earnest eff
fort, will enable me to reach
NO PLEDGES AS TO THE FUTURE.
/ have made no pledges to living
man as to what my future course shall
II
ter, except this: In the approaching
political campaign the harmony and
success of the Republican party shall
be the one great object of desire and
effort on my part, and if your action
should be ratified at the polls the
welfare of the whole people shall be
the prime object of my solicitude,
their will, my inspiration and my high
est aspiration to obey their commands as
legally expressed. You will pardon
these personal remarks, ordinarily out
of place, but the circumstances under
which we meet, and the evident mis-
understanding of my position by many
right thinking people, render them
not only appropriate but necessary.
And now as to~the principles which
you have enunciated as expressive of
the sentiments of your constituency.
They are not only correct as principles,
but they must be faithfully and hon
estly carried out in practice. They
are not only beautiful as sentiments,
but they must regulate and control the
life of the party. The question for Us
is not, are they radical but are they
right? They are right, and therefore
we can advocate them, stand by them,
and insist upon their practical applica-
ton in party government and in the
legislation which will give them life
and efficiency Public trust means
public service. He who accepts it be-
comes the servant of all and in admin
istering it he enjoys most who serves
the best.
FOR THE WHOLE PEOPLE.
This is not the time nor the place
for the discussion Of the details of the
principles which you have announced
rs the matured thought of the party.
If life and health are spared propose
to carry the standard upon which they
are inscribed into every county of the
Commonwealth, and with the aid of
hose who believe with me that they
are veritics, to bring them before every
intelligent thinking man in the Safe.
This standard which you present is
The tri-color Of harmony. Of purity in