Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1884-08-07
ticipates in that sense of honor and affec'
tinaato rouard in hardly g. less degree.

ticipates in that sense of honor and affec-
tionate regard in hardly a less degree.
They witnessed your long and honorable
career, sometimes in the faithful perform
ance of high public trusts, sometimes nobly
contending as soldier in the ranks for prin-
ciples and Constitutional liberty, but always
with firm devotion and answering fideli-
ty to the interests and rights of the people,
and now they confidently expect of your
patriotism to yield all professional wishes,
and undertake the labors of their candidate
as on their part the people can securely re-
pose upon the ripe experience of your years
and wisdom to most satisfactorily meet
all the responsibilities of the high office to
which you will be called. The Convention
felt, as the nation will approve, that it was
serving the spirit of the Constitution, when
it designated for Vice-President citizen
worthy and competent to execute the high
est functions of the Chief Magistracy. 1t is
an especial desire of the Democracy, sir, to
see you invested with this particular dignl-
ty, because they know as now all the world
knows, that once you were rightfully given
the title to it by the people and wrongfully
denied it's possession by the successful machi-
nations of fraud and conspiracy, and the
vindication of exact justice will be most
complete when you may be reelected now
so that you may be triumphantly inaugu-
rated to your rightful chair of office. This
sentiment has given direction to the person
al consideration and admiration of the De-
mOcracy so abundantly manifested in the
recent Convention and will stir respon-
sive throb in the hearts Of all good men.
In finishing the grateful office which the
partial favor of these gentlemen, my dis
tinguished associates, has assigned me, per-
NIT US, one and all, to express the highest
esteem and regard. In more enduring exc
81 l,,fxy fho ~ ffoah hoy
pared and personally signed the written
Communication which the secretary will now
read. At this point Mr.. Bell, the Secretary,
read the following address:
New YORK STATE, July %, 1884.
To Hon. T. A. Hendricks, Of Indiana ::
Sir-The honor and pleasure of officially no
tifying you of your nomination as the cam
didate of the National Democracy in the
election about to occur for the office of Vice.
President of the United States, was, by the
Convention recently held at Chicago, con-
ferred upon the undersigned as committee
of that body, designed to represent in our
persons these United Statesand Territories.
| In the grateful performance of this duty we
are entitled to express the admiration of the
Convention and of the party for your long
and well known personal qualities and char
acter, and for your distinguished public ser
vice and maintenance of the principles and
objects which are believed best calculated
to promote the security, happiness and well
fare of the people, and an especial satisfac-
ton in the minds of all good men must fol-
low your election from the reflection that in
your person the testimony will be peculiar
ly given that the American people are never
the conscious or willing instrument of that
great public crime by which, through fraud
ulent returns and fragrant disregard Of truth
and justice, Others were seated in those high
offices to which Samuel J. Tilden and your
self were rightfully chosen in 1876, as we'll
as of the patriotism of your great submis-
sion in confident reliance upon the justice OF
the people for your vindication. An en-
crossed copy of the declaration of principles
and policy, made by the Convention, issub-
mitted with this communication for your
examination, and we may surely expect
your loyal devotion in the cause Of our par
/ ty to accept the candidacy imposed by your
nomination,
(Signed by all the members of the COM
mittee.)
| RESPONSE OF GOV. HENDRICKS.
Mr.. Chairman and Gentlemen of the CON-
n1ittee: cannot realize that a man should
ever stand in the presence of committee
representing a more august body OF men
than that which you represent. In the Ian
guage of another, "The convention was
! large in numbers, august in culture and pat
riotic in sentiment" and may l not add
that because of the power and greatness and
virtues of the party which it represented, 1T
was itself in every respect very great Con-
vention. [Applause.] The delegates came
| from all the States and Territories, and,
believe, too, from the District of Columbia.
| TApplause. They came clothed with the
authority to express their judgment and
opinion upon all those questions which are
not settled by constitutional law, and for the
purpose of passing upon those questions,
and selecting ticket for the people. That
Convention assembled. They decided upon
principles that they would adopt as their
| platform. They selected the candidates that
they would propose to the party for their
support and that Conventions work was
theirs. / have not reached the period when
it is proper for me to consider the strength
and force of the statements made in the
platform. It is enough for me to know that
it comes at your hands from that Conven-
tion, addressed to my patriotic devotion to
the Democratic party. [Applause. l ap-
preciate the honor that is done me. need
not question that, butat the same time that
| accept the honor from you and from that
Convention, I feel that the duties and re-
sponsibilities of office rest upon me also. l
| know that sometimes it is understood that
this particular ofice-that Of Vice-Presi-
dent-does not involve any responsibility,
and as general thing that is so, but some
times it comes to represent very great re-
sponsibilities, and it may be so in the near
future, for at this time the Senate of the
United States stands almost equally divided
| by the two great parties, and it may be that
these two great parties shall so exactly diff
fer that the Vice-President of the United
States shall have to decide upon questions of
law by the exercise of his casting vote.
[Applause.] The responsibility would then
become very great. It would not then be
the responsibility of representing a State or
a district; it would be the responsibility of
representing the whole country, and the OBJ
legation would be to cast the judgment Of
the whole country, and that vote, when thus
cast, should be in obedience to the just eX-
pectatiOns and requirements of the people of
the United States. Itmight be, gentlemen,
that upon another occasion, responsibility
would attach to this Office. 1t might occur
that under circumstances ofSome difficulty
I don't think it will be in the next elec-
tion-but it may occur under circumstances
of some difficulty the President of the SEN
ate will have to take his part in the count
ing of the electoral vote, and allow me to
say that that duty is not to be discharged in
obedience to any set of men or to any party
but in obedience to higher authority. [Ap-
plause] Gentlemen, you have referred to
| the fact that I am honored by this nomina-
tion in a very special degree. l accept the
suggestion that in this candidacy will rep
resent the right of the people to choose their
own rulers-that right that is above all,