The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1884-08-20
Grover Cleveland Ac
cepts the Democratic
Nomination for the
Presidency without
"a Waste of Words.
He Recognizes the Rights o
Workingmen and Depre-
Gates that Official Cor
ruption is so Prev
alent.



letter formally accepting the democratic
nomination for President of the United
States, is as follows:
Gentlemen: | have received your COM
munication of July 2S, 1884, informing
me of my nomination to the office of
President of the United States by the ma
tiOnal democratic convention lately as
sembled at Chicago. | accept the nomi-
nation with a grateful appreciation of
the supreme honor conferred and a
solemn sense of the responsibility which
in its acceptance, | assume. Ihave care
fully considered the platform adopted by
the convention and cordially approve the
same So plain statement of democratic
faith and the principles upon which the
party appeals to the suffrages of the peO-
pie, needs no supplement or explanation,
1t should be remembered that the office
of President is essentially executive in its
nature The laws enacted by the legislaN
tive branch of the government, the chief
executive is bound faithfully to enforce,
and when the wisdom of the political
party which selects one of its members
as nominee for that office, has outlined
its policy and declared its principles, it
seems to me that nothing in the Charac-
ter of the office or necessities of the case
require more from the candidate accept
ing such nomination that the suggestion
of certain we'll known truths so absolute
ly vital to the safety and welfare of the
,,atjAn f1hau cannot ha fnn often q =
called or too seriously enforced. We
positively call ours government by the
people. 1t is not such when a class is toll
Grated which arrogates to itself the mana
ment of public affairs seeking to control
the people instead of representing them
Parties are the necessary outgrowth OF
our Institutions, but government is not
by the people when one party tastens its
control upon the country and perpetrates
its power by cajoling and betraying the
people instead Of serving them, govern
ment is not by the people when result
which should represent the intelligent
will of free and thinking men is or can be
determined by the shamelessness of their
suffrages. When an election to office
SildlI bt tuC otlCtticI " 1iiS NotSl9 VI cAS
of their number to assume for a time q
public trust, instead of his dedication to
the profession of politics; when the hold
ers of the ballots, quiCkened BY sense
of duty, shall avenge truth betrayed and
pledges broken, and when the suffTages
shall be altogether free and uncorrupted,
the full realization Of government by
. hn Of hand and of ha
means to this end not one would, in my
Judgment, be more effective than an
amendment, to the constitution disquali-
fying ;he president from reelection.
When we consider the patronage of this
great office, the allurements of power, the
temptation to retain public place once
gained, and more than all the availability
party finds in an incumbent whom d
horde of otficeholders, with zeal born of
benefits received and fostered by the
hope of favors yet to come, stand ready
to aid with money and trained political
service, We recognize in the ineligibility
of the president from reelection, most
serious danger to the calm, deliberate
and intelligent political action which must
characterize government by the people
A true American recognizes the dignity
of labor and the fact that honor lies in
honest toll ContentCd labor is an ele>
ment of national prosperity. Ability to
work constitutes the capital of the wages
of labor and the income of vast number
of our population, and this interest should
be jealously protected. Our workingmen
are not asking unreasonable indulgence,
but as intelligent and manly citizens, they
seek the same considerations which those
demand who have other interest at stake.
They should receive their full share OF
the care and attention of those who make
and execute the law, to the end that the
wants and needs of the employers and
the employed shall alike be subserved and
the prosperity of the country, the common
heritage of both, be advanced. As re-
lated to this subject, while we should not
discourage the immigration of those who
come to acknowledge allegiance to oul
government and add to our citizen pop
ulatiOn, yet as a means of protection TO
our workingmen different rule should
prevail concerning those who if they come
or are brought to our land do not intend
to become Americans, but will injuriously
compete with those justly entitled to our
field of labor. In a letter accepting the
nomination 10 the Office of governor
nearly two years ago, Imade the following
statement, to which | have steadily adher
ed: The laboring classes, constituting
the main part of our population, should
be protected in their efforts. peaceably
to assert their rights when endangered by
aggregated capital and all statutes on the
subject should recognize the care of the
state for honest toll and be framed
with view of improving the condition OF
the working man. A proper regard for
the welfare of the working man being
inseperably connected with the integrity
of our institutions, none of our citizens
are more interested than they in guarding
against any corrupting influences which
seek to pervert the beneficient purposes OF
our government, and none should be more
watchful of the artful Vaccinations OF
those to self~inflicted injuries. In free
country the curtailing of the absolute
rights of the individual should only be
such as is essential to the peace and good
order of tie community. The limit be-
tween the prnper subjects of government
control ana lese which can be more fit
tingly left tc .he moral sense and self i'm.
posed restraint of the citizen, should be
carefully kept in view. Thus laws un>
necessarily interfering with the habits
and customs of any one class of our peo-
pie, which are not offensive to the moral
sentiments of the civilized world and
which are consistent with good citizenship
and the public welfare, are unwise and
veyatious.
The commerce of a nation to a great
extent, determines its supremacy. Cheap
and easy transportation should therefore
be literally fostered. Within the limits