Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1894-10-11
JUDGE GAYNOR ISOUT

ne REFUSES TO REMAIN ON THE
DEMOCRATIC TICKET.
He Writes n Letter Declining the
Nomination for Judge of the Court
Of Appeals Of New York and Gives
His Reasons Therefor. f
Brooklyn, N. Y, Oct. THE follow
ing letter from Judge Gaynor, declin-
ing the nomination for the office OF
judge Of the court of appeals, was
made public last evening:
Brooklyn, N. Y, Oct. 5, 1S94.-Hon.
j. w. Hinckley, Dear Sir: The reasons
which l publicly assigned for not
wishing to become the nominee for
governor preclude me from accepting
another place on the ticket as may be
seen by referring to them, and l am
therefore constrained to decline the
nomination for judge Of the court of
appeals as grateful as feel for it, and
as much as I should like to hold
place of so much usefulness. This
would suffice; but l feel impelled to
say more. The voice of the plain,
every day people is to-day, IN actual,
living voice, yea, it is, or 1t never was
in the history of the world; and, in a
contest in which it should be summed
up, could not be candidate for Of
flee and be silent, as usage and cti-
quette would require me to do in my
present case.
The center of thought has passed
from the few to the many, and q great
peaceful political struggle is now pend
ing in this country which is to decide
whether the center of power shall
remain there also. 1t has more than
once seemed to me that 1 should have
some part in this great contest when
it came, but if the time is not to be,
still hope may be able to feel that I
have done, not much, it is true, but
yet something to move my day and
generation forward at least q little,
and to better the condition of this COM
munity in which my lot has been cast.
l might stop here, but if did it would
seem to me that had left something
unsaid in view of recent
events. I am not without feeling, and
cannot refrain from acknowledging a
of pain that organizations
avowedly working unselfishly for high
political methods and for better gov
eminent should af1irmatively refuse
to endorse my nomination in advance
of my acceptance or refusal. On the
other hand, the
Spontaneous Manifestation
Of the general Democracy of the state
toward me, which never expected to
see, and which ] can only interpret
as full approval of my past public
has made upon me an i'm
preston too profound to ever be af-
fected. Circumstances do not permit
me to accept the nomination they have
rendered to me, but my hand and my
heart go out to them all the same.
1t is now nearly five years ago that l
openly objected as an individual cit
izen to political methods which /
deemed low, base and unmanly, and
to official acts which I deemed heart
less crimes, involving as they did the
spoiliation of the peoples hard-earned
money for the enrichment Of few
who followed politics as trade and
made public officers their mere tools.
[ felt that I had right to speak, for
in the face of gross wrongs to the
people among whom lived l had sat
silent for fifteen years, and silence
often gives the right. to speak; but,
furthermore, from an impulse which
define, or reason which is too
to assign, I found myself
unable to sit longer silent. The his
tory of the four years of effort which
ensued, by appeal to courts and to
public opinion, 1 cannot now even
but, in this hour in which
my name is being tossed back and
forth by contending political factions
and in which 1 have broken asunder
the bonds of my perplexity and seen
my duty clear, beg to say in justice
to myself, and trust with due mild
ness and without any egotism, that
throughout it all l was never helped
In Money or Otherwise
by any politician OF political organiza-
ton or faction whatever; and that If
in the end finally prevailed it was
solely because the people, honest and
unselfsh, understood me, and recog-
nized that at all events I was trying
to do right. Owing nothing. there
fore, to politicians or political organ
izations, and remembering that what
ever little have done to lift govern
ment up, was done as private citi-
zen, do not value any Office SO high.
ly as to wish to achieve it against the
opposition of those whom 1 had sup
posed would be my friends. If I
thought that the withdrawal of my
name would injure Senator Hills can
vass I would try to see some way to
allow it to remain. for his recent de-
velopment in the national senate
places him with the foremost public
men of his day. Between him and his
opponents he should, and l trust will,
prevail.
Though this letter takes me away
from promotion in the line of my