San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1884-10-16

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TO Congress" concluded the narrator.
LKsox.
The Sage Of Gramerey Park...His Reply
TO the Chicago Convention Committee.
New York, Oct THE following
is Mr.. Tildens response TO tho com
mittee Of the National Democratic
Convention, conveying 10 him the
resolution OF that body;
GRKysrosr, October, 4, 1884.
"Mr. Chairman and gentlemen Of
the Committee thank you for the
kind terms in which you have com
municated the resolution concerning
me, adopted by the late Democratic.
Convention. / share your convic-
ton that reform in the administra-
ton of the federal government which
is our great National want and is in.
deed essential to the restoration and
preservation Of the government itself,
can only be achieved through the
agency Of the Democratic party nd
installing its representative in the chief
Magistracy Of the United States.
"The noble historical traditions OF
OF the Democratic party, the princi-
Piles in which il was educated and to
which it has ever been, in the main,
faithful, its freedom from corrupt in
fuences which grow up in the prolong-
ed possession Of power and the nature
Of the elements which constitute it,
all contribute to qualify it for that
mission. The opposite characteris-
tics and conditions which attach to
the Republican party, make it hope
less to expect that party will be able
to give better government, that the
debasing system Of abuses, which
during its ascendency has affected
official and public life in this country,
will be reformed.
"The democratic party had its
origin in the efforts of the more ad-
vanced patriots Of the revolution to
resist the perverson of our govern
ment from the ideal contemplated by
the people. Among the conspicuous
founders are Benjamin Franklin and
Thomas Jefferson, Samuel Adams and
John Hancock, of Massachusetts;
Geo. Clinton and Robert r. Living
ston, of New York, and Geo. Wythe
and James Madison of Virginia.
From the election of Mr.. Jefferson,
as president in 1900, for sixty years
the democratic party directed our
national greatness, while it preserved
the limitations imposed by the con-
stitution.
"On the other hand, the republican
party has always been dominated by
principles which favor Legislation for
the benefit of particular classes at the
expense of the body Of the people.
1t has become deeply tainted with
the abuses which naturally grow up
during long possession of uncheck-
ed power, especially in period Of
civil war and false finance. The pa
triotic and virtuous elements in it are
unable to emnnoipate it from the sway
of selfish interests which subordinate
public duty to personal greed, The
most hopeful of the best citizens it
contains despair of its amendment,
except through its temporary expul-
sion from power.
at has been boastingly asserted by
a modern Massachusetts statesman
struggling to reconcile himself and
his followers to its presidential can
didate, that the republican party
contains disproportionate share of
the wealth, the culture and intelli-
gence of the country. The unprin-
cipled Grafton, when tainted by
James II with his personal want Of
conscience, answered: "That's true,
but I belong to party that has q
great deal of conscience" Such rea-
soners forget that the same claim has
been made in all ages and countries
by defenders of old wrongs against
new reforms. It was alleged by the
tories of the American revolution
against the patriots of that day /;
it was repeated against Jefferson and
afterwards against jackson; it is al
legged by the conservatives against
those who in England are endeavor-
ing to enlarge The popular suffrage.
All history shows that reforms in
government must not be from those
who sit serenely on the social noun
tain-tops deriving the benefits of the
existing order of things. Even the
divine Author of our religion found
his followers all among the lowly
minded fishermen. The Republican
party is largely made up of those who
live by their wits and aspire to ad-
vantages over the rest of mankind,
which their daily lives are devoted to
securing in private business. The
Democratic party consists largely of
those who live by the work Of their
hands, and whose political action is
governed by their sentiments or i'm
sglnation. 1t results that Democrats
more readily than the Republican
party can be moulded to the support
of reform measures which involve q
a sacrifice of selfish interests.
"The indispensable necessity of
our times is a change of adminstra-
ton in the great executive Offices of
the country. This, in my judgment,
can only be accomplished by the
election of the Democratic candidates