The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1894-10-10
NEw YoRK PoLITICs.
Gaynor Declines and Hill Accepts n
Nomination.

Nomination.
BROOKLYN. oct. THE following let
ter from Judge Gaynor declining the nom
ination for The office of judge Of the court
of appeals. was made pubic this even
ing:
BROOKLYN. Oct. >, 1894.
''TO the Hon. J. W Hinckley:
Dear Sir-The reasons which | public
~ assigned for not wishing to become the
nominee for governor precludes me from
accepting another pace on the ticket as
may be seen by recurring To them, and 1
am, therefore. constrained TO decline the
nomination for judge Of the court Of APP
peas. as grateful as I feel for it, and as
much as l should ike to hold a place Of
so much usefulness. This would sufficie
but l feel impelied to say more The
voice OF the plain. everyday people is to-
day. for cause. an actual, living voice.
Yea. it is. anG Il ever was in the history
OF the world. and. in a contest in which il
should he summed up / could not be a
candidate fer office and sit silent. as
usage and estiGuette would require me to
do in my present case.
THE center of thought has passed from
the few To the many, and a great peace
full political struggle is row impending in
this country which is to decide whether
the center of power shall be and remain
there also. 1t has more than once seemed
10 me that l should have some part in
lllA1 ElEdl E0ltEcL Mlltl II E1lllt, DftL II
that is not To be. l still hope l may be
able to feel that l have done. not much,
II is true but yet something 10 move my
day and generation forward at least a
Ittle and to better the condition of this
community in which my lot has been east.
Il might stop here. but if | did it would
seem TO me that 1 had left something ap-
prOpriate unsaid in view of recent events.
! am not without feeling, and cannot re-
frain from acknowledging a vibration OF
pain that organizations avowedly work
ing unselfshly for high political methods
and for better government should
affirmativeIy refuse to indorse my noElll-
nation in advance of my acceptance or
refusal
ION the other hand. the wholly sponta-
neOus manifestation of the general de-
mOcracy of the state toward me, which
/ never expected to see. and which ] can
only interpret full approval of my
past public conduct, has made upon me
an impression too profound to ever be
effaced. Circumstances do not permit me
to accept the nomination they nave ten
dered 10 me. but my hand and my heart
go out TO them all the same
1T is now nearly five years ago that
I Openly objected. as an individual citi-
zen, to political methods which | deemed
low. base and unmanly, and to official
acts which 1 deemed heartless crimes.
involving as they did spOliation of the
peoples hard-earncd money for the en-
richment of a few, who followed politics
as trade and made public officials their
mere tools. l felt that l had a right to
speak, for. in the face of gross wrongs
to the people among whom
lived, had sat silent
for fifteen years, and silence often gives
the right 10 speak; but, Furthermore,
from an impulse which 1 cannot define.
or a reason which is too inscrutable to
assign, 1 found myself unable to sit
silent longer The history of the four
years Of effort which ensued. by appeal
to courts and to public opinion l cannot
now even summarize, but In this hour in
which my name is being tossed back and
forth by contending political factions, and
I'm which l have broken asunder the bonds
of my perplexity and seen my duty clear.
i beg 10 say in Justice to myself. and 1
trust with due mildneSS and without any
egOtism, that, throughout it all, | was
never helped in money or otherwise by
any politician or political organization
whatever; and that IL in the end / finally
prevailed IL was solely because the peo-
pie honest and unselfsh, understood me
and recognized that at all events 1 was
trying TO do right.
lowing nothing, therefore, to politicians
or political organizations, and remember
ing that whatever little l have done 10
lift government up was done as a private
citizen. / do not value any office 80
high as to wish to achieve II against the
opposition Of those whom / have supposed
would be my friends.
IF ] thought that the withdrawal of
my name would injure Senator Hills can
vasS / would try 10 see some way to allow
It to remain, for his recent development
in the national senate places him With
the foremost public men Of his day. Be
tween him and his opponent he should
and ] trust viii prevail.
Though this letter takes me away from
a promotion in the line Of nay taste. ]
have written IL without regret. for it
keeps me in line with my past I write
Ii 10 the hurt Of no man, but in justice to
all men. truth and to myself.
To thine self be true.
And II must follow, as the night the day.
Thou canst not then be false to any man.
"W. j. GAYNOR."