The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1894-09-05

| MARTINSBURG, w. Va, Aug. %
| The Hon. w. L. Wilson was nominated
| here today by the most enthusiastic
! convention that was ever held in the
! Second congressional district. Upon his
arrival from Washington he was seized
| by the enthusiastic democrats, who were
at the train to receive him, and carried
! bodily to a carriage in waiting and
| hauled by hand to the Central opera
| house, where the convention was held.
His reception amounted to more than
| an ovation. The convention was the
largest ever held in the district and by
far the most enthusiastic. Mr.. Wilson,
! after being introduced, spoke as fol-
| lows:
The honor to which you summon
me today is not new one for
| me to receive at your generous
| hands. SO many times has it come
! TO me in the past-neVer coldly or grudg-
| inSly-that should vainly seek for new
| and stronger language in which to assure
| you Of my increasing gratitude for your
! approval and support But if fitting and
| sufficins words are slow to come 1 beg
] you not to doubt that 1 am more deeply
| moved and more affectiOnately touched
] by your affection today than 1 have ever
|
| end one of the greatest and mOnStrOus
! struggles that has marked our political
] history, and it comes in such a way to
/ stamp with your approval, as cOnStitu-
/ ents and democrats, the services which
| your representative was called upon to
| render for the supremacy of democratic
| principles and the fulfillment of demo-
| cratic pledges. 1t is no mock affectation,
| for nothing could be more blamewOrthy
! or criminal on my part on this occasion,
| but the simple candOr which is due from
| me to you when l say that but for what
| seemed duty and call growing out of
| that struggle. / should gladly ask at
/ your hands an honorable discharge from
| further public service and permission to
| take my place once again in the ranks
| of the militant and ever-faithful demo-
| Gratis of the Second congressional dis
trict.
In other campaigns I have accepted
| this trust at your hands with a full
| knowledge Of the labor and strain re-
| quired for a thorough canvass of so
| large and so stOutly contested a district
| as our own, but always with confidence
] in my ability 10 meet that labor and
| strain. Today 1 cannot have that con-
| fidence, and in view of the large and dan
| gerous drafts made upon my strength
! and health. L shall be constrained to ask
| at your hands some remission of the Ia
| bors of public canvassing. which L have
| heretofore so greatly enjoyed. I shall
| not, however, be a drOne in the ap-
| preaching contest, and shall spare no
! effort to meet personally, if not upon the
/ hustings, as many Of the people as I can.
| "Fellow-citizens, this is enough for NE
| to say of a personal nature. There are
] other thoughts that fill your minds to-
| day. BOundlesS as is your kindness to
me, it is something beyond kindness to
| me which has gathered this great con-
| vention and great assemblage. The con-
| n Cd DO nc
| charged by the people with duty clear,
| unmiStakable, tranScendant 70 secure
| from the grasp of private and selfish
| hands the power O. federal taxation; to
| lift from the backs of the American peo-
| pie that burden of tribute to privilege
and monopoly which under thirty years
| of republican legislation had grown con-
| stanty heavier until it far exceeded
| their legitimate and necessary taxation
| for the support of government: 20 re-
| claim and make forever sure that harit-
! age of American youth which is the true
meaning and priceless boon of democratic
| institutions, equal opportunity in a land
| of equal rights. This was the inspiring
mission which the democratic party mad
| long sought from the American people,
| power and authority to perform To this
| mission the immediate representatives Of
| the people gave themselves earnestly
| and faithfully. In that work they were
| at all times cheered and encouraged by
their great leader. who for eight gears, in
defeat and victory. handled in the move
| ment for tariff reform. While he scrupu-
! lousy abStained from Interference with
the work Of those intrusted with the re-
! form legislation, he was insistent, in
season and out of season, in urging that
the pledges on which he had come into
power should be fulfilled in the letter and
| the spirit, and that he blessings of re-
4 duced and just taxation should be fully
and honestly secured to the American
people.
In this great work your own represent
| alive, thanks to your kindness in grant
ing him a long public service, was as
| signed an important and most arduo1s
part. No man could fifty undertake TO
frame a revenue bill for nation OF TO-
| 900 people unsurpassed in worth and in
| the magnitude and variety of their in
| dustrial and commercial interests, to
| purge monopoly from that system, to
| replace class eXaction by public taxation,
| privilege by equity, to Tighten the burden
| of the people, to secure larger rewards
| for their labor and freer play for their
industry, without being appalled, by the
| greatness of the trust commit I'd to
| him, and the thickening difficulties in the
! way of its successful performance. No
! man could worthily approach such work
| without putting away from him any
| petty personal ambition and any selfish
concern for his political future. No man
| could hope for any measure of real sue
| cess who was not willing to dedicate to
such task every power Of body and
| mind, with an humble invocation for
| strength and wisdom from the unfalling
| source of strength and wisdom.
II cannot claim to have risen to the
| full hight of this duty, but have never
faltered in the belief that you, my
friends and constituents, expected and
desired me to enter upon my work in
| this spirit to persevere to its close. L
| knew that you were tariff reformers
without reservation. | knew that the
| democrats Of West Virginia were not
| protectionists. But even If had
known otherwise / should not have gone
aside one step from what was to me
| the clear pathway of du.y to all the
| people. You know, for you have fol-
| lowed with watchful interest the
varying history of our attempt at tariff