The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1895-08-16
HURST'S LETTER OF ACCEPTANCE.

HURST'S LETTER OF ACCEPTANCE.
Il have received your letter of the Sth
inst. formally notifying me of my nomina
ton for Governor of the State by the re-
cent democratic convention, and trans
mittin @ to me a copy of the platform which
it adopted.
Il thank you very sincerely for the
terms of kindly compliment in which you
are so good as to make known to me the
action of the convention, but you do me
no more than justice when you say that
the nomination has come to me without
solicitation or effort on my part to secure
it,
Indeed, for many and cogcnt reasons |
should prefer to continue to labor as a
private citizen for the success of the par
tv, as have steadily done in the past, but
having been selected without agency of
mine as its candidate for the highest office
in the gift of the people of my native
State, | feel that l should not now be en-
tirely controlled by my personal convc-
nence and inclinations and, therefore, |
accept with grateful sensibility the graft
fving distinction with which the convcn-
ton has seen fit to honor me.
I realize that the acceptance of this
nomination carries with it a large meas
ure of responsibility, but my knowledge
of the people of Maryland teaches me that
they are always Just and. tolerant in their
Judgment of the conductof men in public
station when that conduct is regulated by
candor, independence and an earnest and
conscientious sense of duty, and | shall
endeavor so to meet that responsibility
and so to act during the coming campaign
and in the office of Governor should be
elected as to give me IA just claim to their
condolences, respect and approval.
'sIn coming before them for their votes
they are entitled to have "A definite and eX-
plicit expression from me of my views
and purposes in relation to the issues in
VOWED in the canvass, and | accordingly
avail myself of the opportunity which
this letter to make known clearly and
without reserve my sentiments upon these
issues, and, what may be expected of me
in the event of my election
Il have carefully read the platform
adopted by the convention and unhesitat-
inglv approve it, and i'll expressing this
approval it is proper to add that | am not
one of those who look upon party plat
forms rs mere devices to catch votes and
after the election to be disregarded and
ignored, but | consider them as declara-
%
carried into effect, and if | may be par
doned for the comparison, to be treated as
a bill of exchange when once accepted
to be faithfully honorcd.
1.-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 re-
gret that it does, not go as far in the dircc-
ton of free raw materials as the people
hoped for and eXpccted-but am not I'M
mindful of the great difficulties that stood
in the way of the enactment of any law
whatever upon the subject.
Certainly, the law is a great relief from
the burdens and injustice of the NcKin-
lev act, and in view of the universal rcvi-
val of activity and prosperity i'll every de-
partmcnt of business to which it has SO
largely contributed, We may well cougrat
ulate ourselves upon this important
achievement OF our party.
I'VE have reason to be 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 platform de-
clares upon this 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
rcasscssment.
Upon this subject am heartily i'll favor
thy with the declaration of platform and
the reproduction of that declaration i'll
your letter.
"A complete and thorough reassessment
is now imperatiycly demanded, and should
be provided for, without fail, by our next
Legislature.
THE history of our State legislation
shows that longer interval has elapsed
since our last general assessment, under
the act of 1876, than has been allowed to
pass for more than half a century.
We had Il general assessment in 1911,
again in 1852, again in 1866 and again in
1876.
During the nineteen years since this
last assessment such great changes i'll the
condition and valuation of property, real
and personal, have taken place that jus
tice to the people, to the State, to the city
of Baltimore and to the counties abso-
lutelv requires full rcvaluation of all
the. property of all our pcope, carefully
provided for, a. Il business, not a. a lolit-
ical measure.
TN the disturbed and depressed condi-
ton of business and property for the last
two or three years rcasscsSmcnt was
not iudicious, for its results, 50 far from
remcdving the evils complained of would
have led to fresh mischicfs. more even
than those that confcsscdly existed.
For this reason not only did not favor
but actively opposed the passage of a rcas
scssment bill at the session of 1894, and in
tcrcsted myself with many of my fellow
citizens of both political parties to induce
Governor Brown to withhold his sigma
ture from the bill passed by the Senate
and House of Delegates at the session OF
1892
The controlling reasons that then eN
listed for a postponcmcnt of such lc"lsla-
ton have largely, if not 'cntircly, passed
away, and there is no longer any good for
denying to the people this necessary meas
ure of relief.
The primary responsibility for such an
act rests upon the legislature and the in
PREVENTION of the Governor cannot prop
erlv go further, in the first instance, than
and recommendation and the
public expression of his opinion. Indeed,
he should be careful, in the due exercise
of the functions of the Executive, to
avoid everything like interference with
the independent action of the legislative