Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1884-06-13
$l 90 PER YEAR.

81 )" PEh i EAh.
with judgment of duty. believe there
is no instrumentslity in human society 20
potential in its influence upon mankind
for good or evil as the governmental ma
chinery for administering justice and for
making and executing the laws. Not al
the eleemosynary institutions of private
benevolence to which philantrophists may
devote their lives are so fruitful in bene-
fits as rescue and preservation Of this
machinery from the perversions that make
the instrument of conspiracy. fraud and
crime against the most sacred rights and
interests of the people.
For fifty years as private citizen never
contemplating an official career have
devoted ss much thought and effort to
the duty Of influencing srlght the action
Of the governmental institutions Of my
country as to all other objects. have
never accepted official service except for
brief period for 9 special purpose, and
only when the occasion seemed to require
from me that sacrifice of private prefer
ences to the public welfare. l undertook
the state administration of New York be-
cause it was supposed that in that way
only could the executive power be ar
ranged on the side of reforms to which,
As private citizen had given three
years of my life. accepted the nemi-
nation for the presidency in 1876 because
of the general convictions that my candi-
dacy would best present the issue of rs-
form which the democratic majority Of
the people desired to have worked out IN
the federal government - 1t had been in
the state Of New York. believed l had
strength enough then to renovste the ad-
mlnistratlon of the government of the
United States and at the close Of my term
to hand over the great trust to success
ser faithful to the same policy. Though
anxious to seek the repose of private life.
l nevertheless acted upon the idea that
every power IS . trust and INVOICES
duty,
In reply to the address of the commit
tee communicating my name l depicted
difficulties of the undertaking and liken-
ed my feelings in engaging in it to those
Of . ssQldier entering battle, but l did
not withhold the entire conservation of
my powers to the public service. Twenty
years of continuous msladmlAistration
under the demoralizing influences of in
testine war and bad finance have infested
the whole governmental system Of the
United States with the cancerous growth
of false construction and corrupt prac-
tice. Powerful classes have acquired pc
cuniary interests IN official abuses and the
moral standards Of the people have been
impaired. To redress these evils is the
work of great difficulty and labor and
cannot be accomplished without the most
energetic and efficient personal action on
the part Of the chief executive Of the re-.
public.
The canvass and administration which
it is desired that l should undertake
would embrace period of nearly i've
years nor can admit any illusion - to
their blunders. Three years Of expert
ence in the endeavor to reform the mu-
nicipal government of the city of New
York and two years of experience 10 reno
waiting the administration of the state Of
New York. have made me familiar with
the requirements of such work.
At the present time the considsratlous
which induced my action in 1880 have
become imperative. ought net to a.
sumo task which have not the physi-
cal strength to carry through. To reform
the administration of the federal govern
lnent 50 as to realize my own ideal and to
fulfill the just expectations Of the people
would indeed warrant as they could alone
compensate the sacrifices which the un..
dertaklng would involve, but in my con-
dition Of advancing years and declining
strength, feel no assura nee of my abil
ity to accomplish those objects. am
therefore constrained to say definitely
that cannot assume labors of an admin
istration or of canvass, underwriting in
nowise that best gift of heaven, the eccs.
sion and the power sometimes bestowed
upon mere individual TO communicate
an impulse for good.
Grateful, beyond al, words to my fsl-
low countrymen who would assign such
beneficient function to me, am conssled
by the reflection that neither the demo
cratic partysno the republic for whsss
future that party Is the best guarantee, -
now or ever can be dependent upon any
one man for their successful progress in
the path Of noble destiny.
Having given to this welfare whatever
of health and strength possessed or
could borrow flom the future, and hav-
ing reached the term Of my capacity for
such labor - this their welfare now de-
mands, 1 but submit.
(Signed) SAMUEL J. THpKE.
Stolen Raalroad TIcEoto.
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