San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1896-09-09
BRYAN'S LETTER.
HE FORMALLY ACCEPTsTHE N0MI-
NATION.
He Roars Mildly as Sucking Dove and
Says Nary Word About the l6 to L
Il a Letter Without Backbone,
Lincoln, Neb., Sept. 9, 1896.

committees:
Gentlemen: 1 accept the nomination
rendered by you on behalf of the DEM
ocratic party and in so doing desire to
assure you that 1 fully appreciate the
high honor which the honor confers
and the grave responsibilities which
accompany an election to the presiden-
cy of the United States.
So deeply am 1 impressed by the
magnitude of the power invested by
the constitution in the chief executive
of the nation, and with the enormous
influence which he can WELD for the
benefit or injury of the people that
wish to enter the office if elected free
from every personal desire except the
desire to prove worthy the confidence
of my country. Human judgment is
fallible enough when unbiased by sell
fish considerations, and in order that
may not be tempted to use the patron
age of the office to advance any per-
sonaI ambition hereby announce with
all the emphasis which words can ex-
press, my fixed determination not I'M
der any circumstances to be a candi-
date for reelection in case this cam
paign ends in my election.
Il
form adopted by the Democratic ma
tional convention and unqualifiedly en-
dorse each plank thereof.
Our institutions rest on the propo-
sition that all men being created equal
are entitled to equal consideration at
the hand of the government. Because
all men are created equal 1t follows
that no citizen has a natural right to
injure any other citizen. The main
object of government is to protect life,
liberty and the pursuit of happiness,
this purpose must lead the government
first to avoid acts of affirmative injus-
tice and second, to restrain each citi-
zen from trespassing upon the rights
of any other citizen.
A Democratic form of government is
conducive to the highest civilization,
because ii opens for each individual
the greatest opportunities for devel-
opment and stimulates to the highest
endeayor by insuring to each the full
enjoyment of all the rewards of toll
except such contribution as Is necessa-
ry to support the government which
protects him. Democracy is indiffer-
ent to petty greed, it deals with the in
dividual rather than with ancestors,
Democracy ignores differences in
wealth, neither riches nor poverty can
be invoked in behalf Of or against any
citizen. Democracy knows no creed
recognizing the right of each individ-
ual to worship God according to the
dictates of his own conscience, it well
comes all to a common brotherhood
and guarantees equal treatment to all
in through
what forms they commune with their
Creator.
Having discussed portions of the
platform at the time of it's adoption
and again when your letter of notifi
cation was formally delivered, it will
not be necessary at this time to touch
upon all the subjects embraced in the
party's declaration.
Honest differences of opinion have
ever existed and ever will exist as to
the most effective means of securing
domestic tranquility, but no citizen
fails to recognize at all times and un-
der all circumstances the absolute ne
cessity for the prompt and vigorous en-
forcement of law and the preservation
of the public peace. In a government
like ours law is but the crystalization
of the will of the people. Without
it the citizen is neither secure in the
enjoyment of life and liberty nor pro-
tected in the pursuit of happiness.
Without obedience to law government
is impossible. The Democratic party
is pledged to defend the legislation and
enforce the laws of the United States,
and it is also pledged to respect and pre-
serve the dual scheme of government
instituted by the founders of the re-
public. The name United States was
happily chosen. 1t combines the idea
of national strength with the idea of
local self government and suggests an
indissoluble union of indestructible
states. Our revolutionary fathers
fearing the tendencies towards central
ization, as well as the danger of disin-
tegration, guarded against both and
national safety as well as domestic
security is to be found in the careful
observance of the limitations which
they impose. It will be noticed that
while the United States guarantees to
every state Republican form of gov
eminent and is empowered to protect
each state against invasion, it is not
authorized to interfere in the domestic
affairs of any state except upon appli-
cation of the legislature of the state,
or upon the application of the execu-
tive where the legislature cannot be
convened.
This provision rests upon the sound
theory that the people of the state
acting through their legally chosen re-
representatives. are, because of their
more intimate acquaintance with To-