Morning journal and courier., 1884-07-31
HENDRICKS HEARS THE NEWS

Of His Nomination to the Second PIace-Ris Speech in Answer to the Committee.
 SARATOGA, N. Y, July 3O.-A portion of the committee appointed by the recent Dem ocratic national convention for the purpose of notifying the presidential candidates of their nomination arrived in town last night and the balance came this morning. Mir. Hendricks is at the Grand Union Hotel. The committee held a private consultation at 11:30 o'clock and appointed com mittee consisting of Messrs. Villas of Wis
 consin, Waller of Connecticut, Hooker
 of Mississippi and Stockton of New Jersey to confer with MT. Hendricks
 and ascertain which would be the most feas-
 ible hour to make the formal notification.
 The committee returned and stated that MT.
 Hendricks would be ready at o'clock, and
 that the ceremonies would take place in the large parlor of the hotel at that hour. MT. Waller, of Connecticut, introduced a resolu-
 tion extending thanks to Hon. w. V. Villas, chairman, and Nicholas M. Bell, secretary of
 the committee, for the dignifed and inteli
 gent manner in which they had performed
 their respective duties.
 At 2 o'clock the parlors of the Grand
 Union Hotel were filled, when Colonel Villas
 made the addres of notification on behalf of
 the committee.
 At the conclusion of Colonel Villas speech,
 N M Bell read the address of the notifca-
 tion which, with the exception of some al
 lusions to the'great fraud of 1S76," was in
 substance the same as that presented to Gov
 ernor Cleveland yesterday The official no
 tifcation was then handed to Governor Hen dricks, encased in a handsome black Russia leather cover. Governor Hendricks on rising was received with hearty round of applause, and spoke as follows: MT. Chairman and Gentlemen of the Com
 mittee:
 I cannot realize that man should ever stand in the presence of a committee repre- senting more august body of men than that which you now represent. In the Ian guage of another the convention was large in numbers, august in character and pat riotic in sentiment, and may not add to that, that because of the power and the grandeur and the virtues of the party which it represented, it was itself in every respect a very great convention. (Applause.) The delegates came from all the States and terri tories, and, I believe, two from the District of Columbia. They came clothed with the authority and sovereignty of the people, clothed with authority to express judgment 1 are not settled by constitutional+law, and for I the purpose of passing upon those questions and of selecting ticket for the people that convention assembled. They decided upon the principles that they would adopt as their ] platform, they selected candidates that they would propose to the party for their support, and that conventions work was then done. have not reached the period when it is proper for me to consider the strength and force of the statements made in the platform. 1 It is enough for me to know that it comes at your hands addressed by patriotic devotion to the Democratic par ty. (Applause.) appreciate the honor that is done me. 1 need not question that, but 1 at the same time that I accept the honor 1 from you and from the convention, l feel 1 that the duties and responsibilities of the office rest upon me also. l do know some times it is understood this particular office, ] that of Vice-President, does not involve l much responsibility, and general thing that is so but sometimes it comes to repre- sent very great responsibility, and it may be so in the near future, for at this time the Senate of the United States stands almost equally divided between the two great parties, and it may be that these two parties shull so exactly differ that the Vice President of the United States shall have to decide upon questions of law by the exercise of the casting vote The responsl- bility would then be very great. It would not be the responsibility of representing State or district, it would be the responsibI- ity of representing the whole country, and the application would be to the judgment of the whole country and the vote when thus cast should be in obedience to the just ex- pectations and requirements of the people of the United States. Applause. It might be, gentlemen, that upon another occasion grave responsibility would attach to this office. It may come under circumstances of some diff eulty I do not think it will be at the next election, but it may occur under circunstan- ces of some difficulty The president of the Senate will have to take his post in the counting of the electoral votes, and allow me to say that that duty is not to be discharged in obedience to any set of men or any party, i but in obedience to the highest authority. By this nomination in 8 very special de gree I accept the suggestion that in this candidacy I will represent the right of the people to choose their own rulers, that right that is above all, that lies beneath all. For if the people are denied the right to choose their own officers according to their own judgment what shall become of the rights of the people at all? What shall be- come of free government if the people select not their own officers? How shall they con trol the laws, their administration and their execution, so that in the suggestion that in this candidacy I represent that right of the people you have suggested 8 great honor as devolving upon me by the confidence of the convention. As soon as it may be conven- tent and possible for me to do so will ad- dress you more formally in reply to the let ter which you have given me. I thank you, gentlemen, cordially. (Applause)
 This ended the formal part of the proceed