The Lake Charles echo., 1883-10-20
Letter from COZ Suo. II. smar.
"THE RETREAT. - VERNON PARISH, La, |
OCTOBER g. 1888. (


Letter from Cob 'S"O. IL. Smart
oTye Pvrpv,r ., Vrpxor P,pIsu 7, ,
OCTOBER s, 1883.
Hon. j. W. Bryan, Edtor Echo:
NM Old and Much Respected Friend
-I avail myself of this opportunity
to return you, ard through you, my
friend of Lake Charles, my slncer c
thanks for the very fatterirg notice
contained in The EcHo of September
90, of my qualifications to fill tne CUB
ernatorial chair Of the great State of
Lo0!sIan. Now, SIR, l have no idea
hat any OF my friends expect TO run
me for hat Distinguished position ;
nor am | vain enough to think myself
competent to i'll ,hAt n,gh and resPon-
sibie Office. But when see old friends
VITO have known me long and well,
speak 50 hattcrlnGIy of my capacl'y
and honest 10 egr'ty, would be dong
violence to every emotion of my bosom
moi to acknowledge nv gratitude Tor
the nigh complement thus pad me.
Nor can | close this letter without as
snring you that you expressed my sen
'Imenis and lee''09S as s'ronG' az a
perhaps more e'egaoIy t"an l c"u'o'
"leo Hon say I'd your ''c't' gu
are wen aware 'nat l had no lhc'Iha-
t,on or deS re 10 aga'n enter i''o Po,l-
,'cS; tnat 'hHoY years IN pune ne
nau iuIIy S"''Sneu my P"I' cal "SP' d
l'"hS' aha no" III my acc mug Cal
/ ""uId mach p elCf '!e Pe"celu' en-
Joymr' OIL private me-
] Lo"w that is the sentiment of my
hear; and | also know | have been 'or
years tr"ing 70 avoid the exciting e'e-
mcnt of Po' Tics. But heretofore, AS
c4nvaSscs become warm | seemed 20
warm up win hem, and | hAve fodld
it exceedingly d'lfico't to rema n quiet
add avoid excitement. | have thought
| was like Old NaPoIeon's war horses,
Of whom it WAS said, W 'en retreating
from Moscow, ard da''' Fl 'liog dead
from cSJunslIo on, yet when theV heard
The war-horn sounded, they WOO d
prick their ears ard champ tne oi,s,
ready for the charge.
| have been Democrat fom nv
boyhood, and nave been a Democrat
because | believed those great and
fundamental principles Of lie Demo
cratic p,rtv. as founded bv the imnor-
fI Jefferson and pra ac ;ced by Madison,
Monroe, Jackson. and | m;ynt siv,
every other Democratic ad dnjnistration,
botG na,ional sod state, from that day
to IN $. were founded on the eyerIast
in~ prfncrplcs o. TRUTH and JUSTICE.
aad will live forever.
Men and Things may rise and fall, |
but principles ave eternal. We, as
Democrats, may be beaten down, las
we have becnD bpt let us stand firmly |
upon principle and we will rise again
with renewed strength.
have been so long and SO devoted
" attached to the Democratic party.
that 7 cannot avoid grievipo over her
reyerses ard rejoicing over ner -
umphs. Hence it is / find it so diff
cult TO be as quiet as nv better iudg
ment dictates TO me | should in my
declining wears: and | regret IT. il
have yoted at fon, 'epn pres deptiat
and | bope | may live to
vote again in 1884 at which time |
trust aod believe |. and all of us, will
reioi, g over a great Democratic yicto1y
trust t,a | NAV vet i've to see
eye,v dcps,tment Of this government
under he full control of The Demo
cratic party, SnouId | do so, | feel
| might say in the lanqu uage of Andrew
Jackson. on leaving the pre ;idcptial
mansion at the close of his second
IL, m. 81 leave nv country prosperous
and bappyn
NV dear sir. feel I have already
written TOO mach oct | trust Won will
pardon me for Yssu.iug Won that it is
with the deepest req ct and mortifica-
tion that | find we are differing so
widely in our choice for a candidate
for governor do not reeolIect of
single instance. in discuss no any great
rniit;cal Interest of tho co1ntry that