Democratic messenger., 1895-08-17

pleted and sent To Ex-senator John 5
Writ, chairman OF the notification com
mitiee, his letter accepting the nomina
ton.
MIR. siur>t'> Acceptance.
In reply To the committee, Mr.. Hur>
wrote the following letter:
BALTIMORE, Aug -. 1898.
Dcar Sirs have received vouI
letter of the Sth inst, formally notify
ing me Of my nomination Tor Governor
OF the state by the recent Democrat,
convention, and transmitting to me :
copy of the platform which il adopted
thank you very sincerely for tn,
terms of kindly compliment, in whicl
YOU are 80 good as to make known I,
me the action OF the convention bu
you do me no more than justice whel
you 81" that the nomination has com,
TO me without solicitation or effort or
my part TO secure it.
Indeed, Tor many and cogent rea
SONS should prefer To continue To labor
as Il private citizen for the success d
the party as have steadily done il
the past but having been selected
without agency of mine, as its candi
date for the highest office in the gift 81
the people of my native state, | fee
that | should not now be entirely con
trolled by my personal convenience
and incinationS and. therefore ac
cept with greatful sensibility the graft
tying distinction with which the con.
vention has seen fit To honor me.
| realize that the acceptance of thi.
nomination carries with il large mea
sure of responsibility, but my know.
ledge OF the people of Maryland teach
es me that they are always Just and
tolerant in their Judgment Of the con.
duct OF men in public station, when
that conduct is regulated by candor
independence and an earnest and con.
scientious sense Of duty and shall
endeavor so TO meet that responsibility
and so to act during the coming cam.
paign and in the office of Governor,
should ! be elected, as TO give me a
just claim to their confidence. respect
and approval.
In coming before them for their
votes, they are entitled to have a def
mite and explicit expression from me OF
of my views and purposes in relation to
the issues involved in the canvass. and
! accordingly avail myself of the op.
portunity which this letter offers to
make known clearly and without re.
serve my sentiments upon these issues,
and, also, what may be expected of me
IN the event OF my election.
| have carefully read the platform
adopted by the convention, and unhesi-
tatingly approve it; and in expressing
this approval it is proper to add that
am not one OF those who look upon
party platforms as mere devices to
catch votes, and after the election to he
disregarded and ignored, but con
sider them as declarations OF principle
to he adhered 10 and carried into effect.
and, if may he pardoned for the com.
parison, To he treated as bill of en-
change, when once accepted, to be
faithfully honored.
The platform speaks my sentiments
upon the national questions of the tariff
and the currency. As to the tariff law
now in force, am free To express my
regret that it does not 90 Us far in the
direction of free raw materials as the
people hoped for and expected, but
am not unmindtul of the great difficult
ties that stood in the way of the enact
ment of any law whatever upon the
subject.
Certainly the law is great relief
from the burdens and injustice of the
Mckinley act, and, in view Of the uni.
versal revival of activity and rosper-
ity in every department Of business 10
which il has 50 largely contributed, we
may well congratulate ourselves upon
this important achievement of our
party.
We have reason 10 he proud OF the
bold and wise stand taken by President
Cleveland and his administration upon
the silver question, and subscribe
very cordially TO what our state plat
form declares upon the subject
The question, however, which in this
state canvass comes more closely home
to our people and which engages their
attention more than any other is that
of reassessment.
Upon this subject | am in hearty
sympathy with the declaration of our
platform and the reproduction of that
declaration in your letter.
a complete and thorough rea>sesS-
ment is now imperatively demanded
and should he provided for, without
fail, by our next Legislature.
The history of our state Legislation
shows that a longer interval has clap.
sed s:nce our last general assessment
under the Act of 1876 than has been
allowed to pass for more than halt a
century.
We had general assessment in
1911, again in 1852, again in 1866
and again in 1876.
During the 10 years since the last
assessment such great changes in the
condition and valuation of property,
real and personal, have taken place
that justice TO the people, TO the state,
to the City of Baltimore and To the
counties, absolutely requires full re-
valuation OF all the property of all our
people, carefully provided for, as Il
business, not as as Il political measures.
In the disturbed and depressed CON
dltion OF business and property for the
last two or three years reas>essment
was not iudicious, for its results, 50 far
from remcdying the evils complained
of, would have led To fresh miSchieis,
more serious even than those that con
fessedly existed.
For this reason | rot only did not
favor, but actively opposed the passage
of Il reasSessment bill at the session Of
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