Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1884-08-28
Cleveland Accepts.
Scared Out Of the.:WO0dS BY Ben. Butler.
The Democratic Leader Unveiled--A
Letter that Binds Him to
Little or Nothing.
Not a Word About the American
Tariff.
The 0ne-Term Suggestion Personal
Liberty Touched UpOn-The
Civil Service.

ALBANY, n. Y, Aug. 19.- Gov. Cleye
! lands letter, formally accepting the Dem
| ocratic nomination for President of the
United States, is as follows:
| GENTLEMEN-I have received your
communication, dated July %, 1884, in
forming me of my nomination to the Of
| flee of President of the United States by
| by the National Democratic Convention
lately assembled at Chicago. l accept the
nomination with grateful appreciation
of the supreme honor conferred, and d
solemn sense of the responsibility which.
in its acceptance, assume. have care
fully considered the platform adopted
by the convention and cordially approve
the same. So plain a statement of Dem
ocratic facts and the principles upon
which that party appeals to the suffrages
of the people needs no supplement or ex-
planation 1t should he remembered that
| the office of President is essentially ex-
ecutive in it's nature. The laws enacted
| by the legislative branch of the Govern
ment the Chief Executive is bound
faithfully to enforce, when the wisdom
of the political party which selects one
| flee has outlined its policy and declared
It's principles, it seems to me that nothing
| in the character of the Office or the ner
cesSities of the case requires more from
the candidate accepting such nomination
than the suggestion of certain well known
truths so absolutely vital to the safety
and welfare of the Nation that they can
not be too often recalled or too seriously
enforced.
GOVERNMENT BY THE PEOPLE
We proudly call ours government by
the people 1t is not such when a class
is tolerated which arrogates to itself the
management of public affairs, seeking to
control the people instead of represent
| ing them. Parties are the necessary out
growth of our institutions, but govern
ment is not by the people when one party
fastens its control upon the country and
perpetuates its power by cajoling and be-
traying the people Instead of serving
them. A government is not by tie people
when result which should represent the
intelligent will of free and thinking men
is Or can be determined by the shameless
corruption of their suffrages; when an
election to Office shall be the selection by
the voters OF one of their number to as
sumo for a time a public trust in
stead of bis dedication to the profess
sion of p litics; when the holders of the
ballot, quickened by sense of nty,shall
arenge truth betrayed and pledges brok
en-, and when the suffrage shall be alto
gether free and uncorrupted, the full
retaliation of a government by the peo-
pie will be at hand.
THE ONE TERM IDEA.
And of the means to this end not one
would in my judgment be more effective
than an amendment to the Constitution
disqualifying the President from re-elec
tion. 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 horde of officeholders, with a
zeal born of benefits received, and foster
ed by the hope of favors yet to come.
stand ready to aid with money and train
ed political service, we recognize in the
eligibility of the President for reelection
most serious danger to that calm, de-
which must characterize government
by the people.
THE LABOR ELEMENT.
A true American sentiment recognizes
the dignity of labor, and the fact that
honor lies in honest toll. Contented la
uor is an element of National prosperity
| Ability to work constitutes the capital
and the wages of labor the income of a
vast number of our population, and this
interest sho'd be jealously protected. Our
workingmen are not asking unreasonable
indulgenceS, but as intelligent and manly
citizens they seek TIE same considera-
ton which those demand who have other
interests at stake. They should receive
their full share of the care and attention
of those who make and execute the laws,
and to the end that the wants and needs
of the employee and the employed shall
alike be subServed, and the prosperity of
the country, the common heritage of
both, be advanced. AS related to this
subject, while we should not discourage
the emigation of those who come to ac-
knowledge allegiance to our Government
and add to our citizen population, yet
as means of protection to our work
ingmen different rule should prevail
concerning those who, if they come, or
are brought to our land do not intend 10
become Americans, but will injHriously
compete with those justly entitled to our
| field of labor. In lie ter accepting the
nomination to the Office of Governor
nearly two years ago | made the follow
ing statement, to which | have steadily
adhered: The laboring classes constitute
the main part of our population. They
should be protected in their efforts peace
ably to assert their rights when endan-
gered by aggregated capital, and all stat
utes on the subject should recognize the
care of the State for honest toll and be
framed with view of improving the
condition of the workingmen."
! A proper regard for the welfare of the
workingmen being inseparbly connected
with the integrity of our institutions.
mono OF our citizens are more interested
than they in guarding against any corr
Irupting influences which seek to pre-
went the benilicent purposes af our Gov
ernment, and none should be more
watchful of the artful Vaccinations of
| those who allure them to self-intlicted
injury.
| PERSONAL LIBERTY.
In free country the curtailment of
! the absolute rights of the individual
should only be such as Is essential to
the peace and good order OF the c0mmu-
nity. The limit between the proper
subjects of governmental control and
those which can 90 more fittingly left tn
the moral sense and self-lmposed re-
straint of the citizen should De carefuliy
i, kept in view. Thus laws unnecessarily
intering with the habits and customs OF
any of our people which are net omen
siye to the moral sentiments OF the CIV
ilized world, and which are consistent
with good citizenship and public wei