The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-08-11
GENERAL HOVEY In 1886.
His Letter of Acceptance of the Nomination
for Congress in the First District.

Below will be found the letter Of acceptance
written by Gen. A. P. Hovey. in accepting the
congressional nomination in 1886. It is matter
the Journal republishes it:
G~entlemen-I hav Q the honor to acknowledge
the receipt of your communication OF the 10Th
ult., informing me that the Republicans Of the
First congressional district of Indiana, on the
29th of July, 1856, selected and nominated me as
their candidate for Representative for Congress
of the United States. and inclosing copies of the
resolutions passed by said convention. l accept
the nomination, and approve the resolutions.
1t may not be improper to state my views
more &C large upon some OF the subjects referred
to in the resolutions
I do not agreed in full with the theory of civil
service proclaimed by the President, and far
less with the action of the administration in ig-
noring and trampling that service under foot.
| am opposed to quasi life tenures Of Office, save
those provided for in the Constitution. and be-
lieve that every person holding an Office. wheth-
er Democrat or Republican, should have the
right to enjoy the same for the full term for
which he may have been commissioned until he
forfeits it by some illegal act, and do not be-
lieve that either religious or political opinions
can constitute such illegal acts. The thought
that political parties are to Mexicanize our COY
ernment, and fight for Office and place. only, is
too degrading TO be entertained by any man who
loves his country. Let 1.-THE spoils go to the
W y JC}diul IL OulCCS ohI1lt lucy
are legally vacant. The immediate surrender OF
all the Offices of the government to a successful
party ia the bride offered by demagogues, and
can only lead to fatal results. Let the examples
OF the South American republics be a warning.
As long as our parties divide FOR the sake of po-
litical principles the Republic is safe, but when
the contest is for Office only. we are making a
wide departure from free institutions and the
practice OF our fathers
The President has placed himself in opposi-
tiOu IN a Dam0eratic H0nSa 0f RanraGenfativaa
and a Republican Senate. and sueeringly vetoed
pension bills passed by large majo:ities of both,
on technical and trivial pretenses. Widows
aud orphans must suffer to permit the great
head OF the Nation TO ~ventilate his wit and over
ride the legislative branch of our government.
He has already vetoed more bills than all the
Presidents from Washington down Now let
US look at some of these vetoes from an equita-
BILE standpoint:
A soldier has volunteered to defend his coun-
try and taken the oath prescribed by the arti-
cles of war. He must serve for the period of
his enlistment. Desertion before the expiration
of the term is a disgrace, to which may be added
the punishment of death. He Is compelled to
serve though the government should pay him
nothing, and his family should be In want and
restitution at home. As a matter Of fact, in the
late war he received his pay in greenbacks,
which were only worth about thirty-fve cents
on the dollar. when he was entitled TO have that
dollar paid in gold. If such q contract bad been
made with q private person, no court OF law
would refuse to give Judgment for the loss sus-
tanned by the payment made In deprecated cur
rency; but now the President narrowly scans
every little pension bill with a technical micro
scope, and refuses to the widow and the orphan
q few dollars per month that should, In all hon
esty. have been paid to the dead soldierl L am
most emphatically opposed TO such statesman
ship. The country depends upon the volunteers
for its protection and defense. and every law
passed in their favor should be most literally
construed.
There is one class OF men that, in my judg-
ment, have been most shamefully treated-the
men who fought, conquered and acquired a .erri-
tory as large as an empire. They have brought
millions into the treasury OF the United States,
and they are yet unrecognizsd and many of
from the Rio Grands to the halls Of the Monte
zumas. The man who never served knows
nothing Of the privations and sufferings Of the
common soldier.
I cannot concur in the efforts made by the adj
ministration to demonetize silver. How could
such an act DO done without injustice and loss
to the holder of the silver. The government has
received for each dollar 100 cents In value.
Would 1t be just upon the part Of the United
States to pass any law that would lessen that
value unless the government should redeem
such deprecated coin in gold, dollar for dollara
No such justice has yet been suggested or
dreamed Of by this administration Wall street,
with her bankers and brokers, would grow
richer and fatter, whilst the laboring man would
u IL BlN0E QOlidE u uOWh w oOOab q ~
csntsl There can be no disturbance of the
currency by the government. either in green
backs. silver or gold, that will not result in loss
to the classes who are not brokers, bankers or
millionaires. The greatest loss would naturally
fall upon the laboring class, who receive a large
part of their wages in silver.
The greatest question of the hour and the age.
which Is now just beginning to show Its head
above the political horizon, is the question Of
labor. The adjustment between capital and la
hor will re1uira oil tho E1adom forhaa ira ra and
patriotism or our wisest and best men. The
question is surrounded with great difficulties,
and will. be found Of no easy solution. The
rapidity with which millions are now accumu-
lated. the tendency OF favoring and fostering
great monopolies. the greed of gain, and the
widespread intelligence amongst the working
classes, present phases and problems of life un-
known to any formAr period 10 the history of
the world. Members of Congress will have
much TO do in the solution OF these grand prob
lens, and they should be men familiar with ev-
cry condition of life. and in morality and hon
esty beyond the reach Of the millionaire. We
should pause when we remember how the Ro-
man purple was once sold for corn. Does not
history repeat itself, and is there no danger
rowl We must not forget that we cannot hope
to find a political panacea in anything not
founded on the principles Of right between man
and man.
1t is the duty of every elector to choose the
best men, whoever they may be, to aid In the
adjustment of this important question, which
rises above all party and party names of the
past. An sristocracy of wealth must not DO
built upon the ruins of our institutions, nor q
thouehtless and blind force used to paralyze ana
destroy the progress OF our wonderful Nation.
Law should always shield and protect the feeble
aud the weak. and curb and restrain the strong
and aggressive. We should not forget that cap
ital is the child OF labor, AID that neither capital
nor labor can prosper and continue unless the
relations between the two shall be harmonious.
No duty is more plain than that a child should
protect its parent. aud capital. being the off
spring Of labor. should protect and shield the
working classes. Like the Siamese twins, their
separation would be the death of both and an
archy would inevitably follow.
have the honor to be your obedient servant,
hryrN - Hovpv