The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1884-06-12
Your Uncle Sammy Thinks
He is Too Old
To Undertake The Necessary
Reforms.
The Letter of a Patriot
Statesman.
But the People Will Have
Him.

-
communication from Samuel j
TiIden has been gwen the AS
ISOLATED Press:
NEW YORK. June 10. 1854.
To Daniel Manning, Chairman o
the Democratic State Cono:nt' on
Ne1o York.
In my letter of Ju, Is, 1880, ad'
dressed TO the delegates from the
State Of New York to the Demo
cratic national convention, I said
"Having now borne faithfully my
full share of labor and care in the
public service, and wearing the
marks Of its burden, l desire moth
ing s0 much as An honorable dis
charge. l wish to lay down the
honors and tolls of even quasi
party leadership, and to seek the re.
pose of private life. In renouncing
the nomination for the presidency,
I do 30 with no doubt In NV mind as
to the vote of the State of New York
or of the United States, but because
I believe that it is remuneration Of
re~eie ction 10 the presidency. To
those who think my denomination
and reelection indisL eDssbe 10 an
effective yindication of the right
Of the people to elect their rulers
violated In my person. have &C.
corded as long a reserve Of my de.
cision as possible, but l cannot over
come my repugn8nce to en-
ter iptO q new engage
ment which involves four years
of ceaseless toll. The dignity of
the presideniial Office lie above any
merely personal ambition but it
creates in me no illusion. Its value
is its great power for good to the
country, as L said four years ago, in
accepting the nomination, Knowing
as l do, therefore, from fresh ex-
perience, how great the difference
Is between gliding through an official
routine and working out re orm of
systems and policies, IL is impossible
for me to contemplate what needs to
be done in the federal administra-
ton without an anxious sense
of the difficulties of the undertak-
ing. If summoned By the suffrages
of ny countrymen to attempt this
work, I shall endeavor, with Gods
help, to be the efficient instrument
of their will. Such a work of renes
walton, after many years Of misrule,
such reform of systems and poli- |
cies, to which I would cheerfuily
have sacrificed all that remained to |
me of health and lite, lie now, I fear.
beyond my strength. ;"
My purpose to withdraw from
further public service and the
grounds of Is v ere at the time we'll
known TO you. Though respecting
my wishes yourselves, you com"
to me an appeal from
many valued friends to reEn-
Huish that purpose. I reiterated
my determination Internationally.
In the four years which have
since elapsed nothing has occurred
TO weaken, but everything to
the considerations which
induced my with travail from public
life. To all who have addressed me
IN the subject, my intention has
Oeen communicated. Several Of my
friends under sanction
If their own names. have publicly
stated my determination to be ir-
'evocable. That L have occasion
low to consider the question is an
went for which I have no respons-
bility. The appeal made to me by
he Democratic masses with sp
'arent unanimity to serve them
nee more, is entitled to
he most deferential considera.
ion, and would inspire the
deposition to do anything de sired
# me if it were consistent with my
Judgment of duty. I believe that
here is no fundamentally in
Iumsn society so potential in it's
Influences upon mankind for good
II evil, as the governmental ma.
hinery for administering justice,
md for making and executing laws.
Not all the eleemosynary institutions
# private benevolence to which phi.
may devote their life
re so fruitful In benefits as
he rescue and preservation OF this
from the perversious
hat make it the instrument OF con~
piracy, fraud and crime against the
most sacred rights and interests Of
he people. For fifty years, as pri-
rate citizen, never contemI Iating
n official career, have devoted
t least as much thought and effort
o the duty Of influencing Alright
he action of the governmental IN
titutions of my country as to all
Their ebjects. I have never &C cepted
ficiai service except for q brief
letiod for q special purpose, and
My when the occasion seemed to
equire from me that sacrifice of
rivate preference to the public
Welfare. I undertook the state ad-
of New York because
! was supposed that in that way
My could the executive power be
rrayed on the side of and interest In
Storms, to which, as a private citi-I
en-, had given three years of nv
lie. accepted the nomination for
he Presidency in 1876 because of
ne general conviction that my can
idacy would best present the issue
I reform, which the Democratic
A. ~-0-14 Il