The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1884-10-15

ds 4hucn anu relOrIu. he writes, as
always does, an admirable lettel
an However he may have change
ed physically, his mind has not char
Of ged in any degree, Judging fror
IN this latest production. Let the pee
pie see to it that the words of wis
dom spoken by the victim of tn
lie greatest fraud and wrong ever per
y petrated shall be hearkened to, an
that wrong righted. The following
r is Mr.. Tilden's letter in full:
: GRAYsToNE, October z, 1884.
: Mr.. Chairman and Gentlemen Of the Committee
: l thank you for the kind terms il
. which you have communicated the
? resolutions concerning me, adopted
, by the late Democratic Natiena
convention.
t / share your conviction that re,
: form in the administration of the
Federal Government, which is our
great National want, and is indeed
essential to the restoration and pro-
serVation of the Government itself
can only be achieyed through the
agency of the Democratic party and
by installing its representative in
the chief magistracy of the United
States.
The noble and historical tradi-
tons of the Democratic party, the
principles in which it was educated
and to which it has ever been in the
main faithful its freedom from the
corrupt influences which grow up
in the prolonged possession of pow
or, and the nature of the elements
which constitute it, all contribute to
qualify it for that mission.
The opposite characteristics and
conditions which attach to the Re-
publican party make it hopeless to
expect that that party will be able
to give a better government than
the debasing system of abuses,
which during its ascendancy, has
infected the official and political life
in this country. The Democratic
party had its origin in the effort of
the more advanced patriots of the
revolution to resist the perversicn
of our government from the ideal
contemplated by the people. Among
its conspicuous founders are Benz.
Franklin and Thos. Jefferson, Sam
uel Adams and Jno. Hancock, of
Massachusetts,; Geo. Clinton and
Robt. r. Livingston, of New York,
and George Wythe and James Madi-
son, of Virginia. From the election
of Mr.. Jefferson as President in
1900, for sixty years, the Democrat
ic party mainly directed our ma
tional policy. 1t extended the |
boundaries of the Republican foun-
dation of all our national greatness,
while it preserved the limitations
imposed by the constitution and |
maintained a simple and pure syis-
tenn of domestic administration.
On the other hand, the Republi-
can party has always been dominat-
ed by principles which favor legis-
lation for the benefit of particular
classes at the expense of the body |
of the people; it has become deeply |
tainted with abuses which naturally |
grow up during long possession Of
unchecked power, especially in a
period of civil war and false finance.
The patriotic and virtuous element.
in it are now unable to emancipate
it from the sway of selfish interests,
which subordinate public duty to
personal greed. The most hopeful
of the best citizens it contains, de-
spair Of its amendment except thro
its temporary expulsion from power.
1t has been bOastingly asserted
by modern Massachusetts
statesman, struggling to reconcile
himself and his followers to their
Presidential candidate, that the Re-
publican party contains q dispro-
portionate share of the wealth, cul>
ture and intelligence Of the coun-
try. The unprincipled Grafton,
when tainted by James III, with
his personal want of conscience, an
swered: "That is true, but / belong
to a party that has great deal of
conscience Such reasoners forget
that same claim has been made in
all ages and countries by the de-
tenders of old wrongs against new
reforms. 1t was alleged by the To-
ries of the American revolution
against the patriots of that day; it
was repeated against Jefferson, and
against Jackson; it is
alleged by the conservatives against
those who in England are now en-
deavoring to enlarge popular suf-
frage. All history shows that re-
forms in the Government must not
be expected from those who serene
Iy sit on social mountain tops en-
ioying the benefits of the existing
order of things. Even the Divine
author Of our religion found his fol~
lowers not among self-complacent
Phairsees but among lowly- minded
fishermen.
The Republican party is largely
made up of those who live by their
wits, and who aspire in politics to
over the rest of man.
kind similar to those which their
daily lives are devoted to securing 4
in private business. The Democrat
ic party consists largely of those
who live by the work of their hands
and whose Political action il govern
ed by their sentiments of imagina-
ton. 1t results that the Democratic