Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1904-08-19
Mr.. Chairman and Gentlemen of thu
AT EsOpus, N. Y, August 10, 1904

Mr. Chairman and Gentlemen of the
Committee:
have resigned the Office of chief
Judge of the court OF appeals OF this state
n order that may accept the response
bility that the great convention you rep
resent has put upon me- without possible
prejudice to the court to which ! had the
3 honor to belong. or to the eminent menu
bers OF the judiciary of this state, OF
whom may now say as private citizen
am Justly proud.
: At thevery threshold Of this response
and before dealing with other subjects,
4 must, in justice to myself and to re-
lieye my of gratitude, express my
profound appreciation Of the confidence
reposed in me by the convention. After
nominating me and subsequently receiy-
ing communication declaring that ]
regarded the gold standard as firmly
and irrevocably established, a matter
concerning which felt 1t incumbent
upon me to make known my attitude so
that hereafter no man could justly say
that his support had been secured
through indirection or mistake, the con-
yention reiterated its determination that
! should be the standard bearer of the
party in the present contest. This mark
Of trust and confidence | shall ever ,es-
teen as the highest honor that could be
conferred upon mean honor that,
whatever may be the fate of the cam
paign, the future canin no Legree lessen
or impair. AAs-k M Y ~
The admirable platform upon which
the party appeals to the country for its
confidence and supportc clearly states the
principles, which were SO well condensed
Ia the first inaugural address Of Presi-
dent Jefferson, and points out with force
and directness the course to be pursued
through their proper application in order
to insure needed reforms In both the
legislative and administrative depart
ments of the government While I'M
hesitating in its promise to correct
abuses and to right wrongs wherever
they appear or however caused; to in
vestigate the several adminlstrativede de-
partments Of the government, the con-
duct Of whose oficials has created scan
dals, and to punish those who have been
guilty Of a breach of their trust; to OPP
pose the granting Of special privileges
by which the few may profit at the ex-
pense. OF the many; to practice economy
in the expenditure of the moneys Of the
people, and to that end to return once
more to the methods of the founders Of
the republic by observing in disbursing
the public funds the care and caution a
PRUDENT individual observes with re-
spect to his own; still the spirit of the
platform assures conservative, instead
OF rash action the protection of the In
nocent as well as the punishment OF
the guilty the encouragement of indus
try. economy and thrift; the protection
Of property and guarantee of the en-
forcement for thebeneft Of all OF mans
,inalienable rights, among which, as said
In the Declaration OF Independence, are
"life, liberty and the pursuit Of happi-
ness Liberty, as understood in this
country, means not only the right of
freedom from actual servitude. impris-
onment or restraint, but the right of one
to use his faculties in all lawful ways,
to live and work where he will and to
pursue any lawful trade or business.
These essential rights Of life, liberty and
property are not only guaranteed to the
citizen by the constitution Of each Of the
several states, but the states are by the
fourteenth amendment TO the constitu-
tion Of the United States forbidden to
iepriye any person of any one of them
without due professor law.
Occasionally, by reason of unneces-
sary or impatient agitation for reforms,
or because the limitations placed upon
#the departments of government by the
constitution are disregarded by officials
desiring to accomplish that which to
them seems good, whether the power ex-
lists In them or not, 1t becomes desirable
to call attention to the fact that thepeo-
pie, in whom all power resides, have
seen fit, through the medium Of the con-
stitution. to limit the governmental
powers conferred ard to- say to depart
ments created by it: THUS far shalt
thou 60 and no farther To secure the
ends sought the people have by the con-
stitution Separated and distributed
among the three departments of gov
ernment---the. executive, legislative and
judicial--certain powers, and it is the
duty OF those administering each de-
partmentsot to act as to preserve, rather
than to destroy, the potency of the CO.
ordinate branches of the government
and thus secure the exercise Of all the
powers conferred by the people
Thomas Jefferson. in letter to VIII.
liam O.sJarvis. touching the perpetuity
OF our Institutions. written many years
after he had retired to private life, said:
IF the three powers of our government
maintain their mutual independence Of
each other II may last long, but not &C
IL either cali assume the authority Of
the other" 1t must be confessed thai
In the course of our history executive.
have employed powers not belonging Il
them; statutes have been passed tha
were expressly forbidden by the consti
tuition and statutes have been set asid,
as unconstitutional when II was dificnil
to point out the provisions said to b,
offended against in their enactment; al
<his has been done with good purpose
no doubt, but in disregard, nevertheless
Of the fact that ours is q government O
laws, not OF men, deriving its Just pow
ers from the consent of the governed
H we would have our government con