The Van Buren press. [volume] (Van Buren, Ark.) 1859-1914, 1896-06-27
ADDRESS OF ACCEPTANCE.
Speech of Hon. Dan w. Jones Accepting
the Nomination for Governor.
Gentlemen of the Convention.


has been brought about by any personal
magnetism possessed by me, or through
the influence of any special exertion on
my part. | rather believe that my
declaration at the outset that / was
determined to stand by the principles
upon which our party was founded and
by means of which it has accomplished
every victory it has won, and that
under no circumstances conceivable
would l depart therefrom, struck a
responsive chord in the great throbbing
heart of the people and brought them to
my support would not have become
candidate upon any other platform.
would not accept office of any kind
upon any other. had learned that in
the very incipiency of its formation the
Democratic party recognized the un
alienable right of the people to the en-
joyment of life, liberty and the
pursuit of happiness. 1t denounced
every exercise of power which en-
croached upon this right. 1t set itself
in deadly hostility to every law which
fostered one class of citizens to the
detriment of others. 1t demanded that
the Federal Government should coin,
freely and without limit, the gold and
silver bullion of the people, without
discrimination against either, and that
while Congress might regulate their
value it had no power to strike from the
coinage either the one or the other of
these precious metals. 1t denounced
National banks and all banks of issue
and declared the making of money to be
a purely Governmental function which
could not be delegated to corporations
or individuals, under any pretense
whatever. Believing in these principles
became Democrat and as such have
acted and voted all the days of my man
hood. | could see no security for the
happiness and prosperity of my fellow
men, nor prospect for perpetuity of my
country's government, except through
the maintenance of these principles.
When, therefore, it became manifest
that men who had been entrusted by us
with the administration of Government
had departed from the faith and were
not only enforcing unlawful presidents
set by Republican administration but
We're actually advocating their adoption
by the Democratic party when | looked
around me and beheld the destination
of my couatrymen and the despair
settling over my country, while a horde
of plutoerats were reveling in gains
tilched from the people by means of
plutocratic laws, and We're demanding
that these laws be made perpetual and
when | witnessed the lamentable fact
that large number of our citizens who
had always been associated with the
Democratic party were open advocates
nf haraaptnp / at
refrain from joining with you, my
eountrymen, in taking up arms
against this sea of troubles, and, by
opposing, end them.
Previous to 1898, no man calling him
self Democrat had ever dared to
intimate that the crime against
humanity committed by John Sherman
in 1878 could ever be condoned or
justified. No man calling himself a
Democrat had ever dared to say that
there could be any discrimination
against either gold or silver as the
money of ultimate redemption in this
country. No man calling himself a
Democrat had ever dared to advocate
National banks, or to favor the issuance
of interest bearing bonds in time of
peace. But in 1898 our evil fortune
cast upon us a President who has dared
to do and to say all these things, and he
and his followers call it Democracy. l
could not submit to this imputation
upon my party. could not join the
enemies of my people. | could not
stand upon gold standard platform, or
support gold bug for President, even
though a National convention should
declare that way. raised the standard
of old Democracy, bid defiance to the
Cleveland Sherman Rothschild and
the Devil variety, went before my
people upon that issue, and we are here
today victorious and happy. God be
praised
But, my countrymen, the battle has
just begun. Let me impress upon you
that your most important duty lies just
ahead, The money power never sleeps
and Is utterly INSCRIPTIONS. Be care
full, extremely careful, in the selection
of delegates to the National convention.
Put no man on guard this time but an
out and ont, free and unlimited, 16 to
1, uncompromising silver man against
whom all the gates of hell cannot
prevail. There is work to do at
Chicago and only such men as that can
do it. The destiny of our country is
hanging in the balance. The veal or
woe of mankind is at stake. God and
humanity demand the utmost vigilance
and fidelity upon your part. | trust
and pray that you will make no mistake
i'll the performance of this your most
sacred duty.
By your action today You have made
me your candidate for your chief
executive Office. accept the trust with
the full determination when elected to
faithfully discharge every duty pertain
ing to it. | recognize the fact that |
will be your servant and not your
master, and that shall be required to
guard the interests of the State with
jealous care and recommend to your
lawmakers such measures for that
purpose as, in my estimation, will be
most conducive to that end. / shall do
this with an eye singly to the progress,
prosperity and happiness of the whole
people.
Inasmuch as it is matter of exceed
ingly great Importance, | will here say
that l shall favor some additional
reforms in our election laws. Much
has already been done in this direction,
but more remains to be accomplished.
The practice of fraud and violence in
elections is demoralizing in the extreme,
and we must not stop until it is com
pletely eradicated. shall indulge in
no reflections upc' the past Ours has
been conditioa l9f ? theory. The
fifteenth amendmer . 10 the Constitution
of the United States precipitated upon
us an avalanche of ignorance and in
competency, from beneath which we
have had to bhndly dig our way out.
We have not always acted wisely, but