, 1882-10-28
Judge Burke's Letter Of Acceptance.
SEATTLE. Oct I6 1Ss

nate me as candidate for the position o
Delegate to Congress from this Territory
Under any circumstances l should b.
deeply impressed with such mark Of IN,
confidence and regard of body of repre-
sentative Democrats, such as recently as
| sembled IN convention at Vancouver. bu,
| appreciate the honor all the more high.
ly, because the nomination came to me
not only unsought, but against nv ex.
pressed wishes. II | we're now to consul,
my personal feelings, interests, or con-
venience, l should certainly decline this
nomination In the early days of the Re
public, it was maxim in politics that nc
man should seek or decline an Office. |
have hitherto generally regulated my con-
duct in politics upon the principle of this
maxim; and | think it my duty to observe
it in this instance. If it be true, as our
Republican friends delight to tell us, that
cur party is in hopeless minority, then
| should feel bound by double du.y to
stand as the candidate of the party.
First, would owe it as a duty to the
Territory TO aid in keeping up the party
organization as wholesome and necessary
check upon the party in power; and sec
ondly, would owe as duty to the party
that had honored me, to uphold and con-
tend for it even in the presence Of inevi-
table defeat. 1t would be base in the ex.
treme, to desert a friend, or party in the
hour of trial or misfortune. Nominees
are not wont in our day, to decline nomi-
nations rendered by a party as well able
to elect as to nominate. But if party or
ganlzations have any higher aims than
merely TO skirmish and scramble for Off
css, to scheme and struggle for place,
men should be as ready to uphold them
IN the minority as in the majority. In
deed, as general thing, men who stand
by a party having no substantial favors
to bestow, do so from principle; while
there is always large number to be
found in the ranks of the party in power,
who fight for it and shout for it, not so
much for the good that is in it, as for the
good they can get out of it. There never
has been time in the history of our Ter
ritory when the public interests 50 imper-
itIvely required, as they do now, an able,
enlightened and powerful opposition to
check the growing and dangerous tenden-
cy of the party in power towards Hboss-
ism" and machine methods with all their
attendant political abuse. Party mana
gers seem to have caught the infection
that is now, in the States, degrading the
public service, debauching the public
morals, and scandalizing the nation If
We would keep the politics of our Terri
tory free from the demoralizing influence
Of the "boss" and the machine" We
must endcavor to obtain something like an
equal division of the political power, and
keep the party that happens to be domi-
nant for the moment constantly on its
good behavior.
The great question in politics to-day
is tEe reform of the Civil Service, and
that question concerns us as deeply as it
does the people of any other part OF the
country. The cry comes to US from three
great States OF the Union that the nomi-
nations Of the candidates Of the Republi-
san party in each of those States was pro
cured by fraud and the corruption ct pat
ronase. The voice of the people is stl-
fled, their wishes disregarded, and their
sblest and most upright leaders thrust
aside by an unscrupulous cabal who have
gained control of the party machine.
An eminent Republic has thus char
acterized the condition of affairs in New
York and Pennsylvania:
.The events in both states show that
no graver political peril now confronts the
country than the complete suhJuSatIon OF
the Republican party by INSCRIPTIONS
cabals. which bribe with public employ
ment, and pay their way by iilching from
the public treasury This is an evil
which will end in violence unless conclu-
s:vely rebuked by the people at the polls.
And this rebuke Will be administered by
the defeat and overthrow of the cabais
and the success Of the Democratic party
and if the Democratic party fails TO catch
the ;nspiration Of the hour, TO become
thorouohly imbued with the Importance
Of this great question Of civil service re-
form. it will, in its turn, be hurled from
nouer as in such case it wonld richly de-
sarva to be. But the Democrats are IN
full sympathy with the spirit OF this great
| movement. A great Democratic Senator
and leader, Senator Pendleton, OF OHIO,
has already brought forward measure OF
the first importance in securing reform
Of the civil service, and under his able
enlightened advocacy the measure VIII
doubtless be adopted.
This. then, is no time for the Demo
cratic Marty Of Washington Territory to
abandon the field. Let the party organ
iza,ion be maintained. Let the party
| everywhere throughout the Territory take
a firm and pronounced stand against
.sbossism" and machine methods IN poi-
| tics against political cliques and caoals'
and the result will be that our Territory
viii be saved from the politica. dem'rai-
ization that seems to have overtsken So
MANY of the states. The Democratic
party will thus have something to con-
tend FOR of infinitely more Importance
than this or that office.
In regard to our admission as a state
would say that in my Judgment 1t is a