The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1908-08-14
That Is the 0vershadowing
Question.
REPUBLICANS RESPONSIBLE.
All Present Abuses a Result Of
Their Acts, and They Are Im-
potent TO Correct Them.

Mr.. Clayton and Gentlemen OF the
Notification Committee: | can not ac-
cept the nomination which you official
" tender, without first acknowledging
my deep Indebtedness to the Democrat
ic party for the extraordinary honor
which 1t has conferred upon me. Hav-
ing twice before been candidate for
the presidency, In campaigns which
ended In defeat, a third nomination, the
result of the free and voluntary act OF
the voters of the party, can only be ex-
plalned by q substantial and undis-
puted growth in the principles and pol
icies for which l, with a multitude OF
others, have contended. As these prtn-
ciples and policies have given me what
ever political strength possess. the
action of the convention not only re-
news my faith in them, burt strengthen
my attachment to them.
A Platform ls Binding.
shall, In the near future, prepare
more formal reply to your notification.
and, in that letter Of acceptance. VIII
deal with the platform in detail. 1t Is
sufficient, at this time, to assure you
that am In hearty accord with both
the letter and the spirit OF the plat
form. | endorse 1t in whole and In
part, and shall. If elected, regard Its
70 topo q bipJtpU upap me And
may add. platform Is binding as to
what 1t omits as well as to what 1t
contains. According to the democratic
idea, the people think for themselves
and select officials to carry out their
wishes. The voters are the sovereigns; /;
the officials are the servants. employed
for fixed time and at stated salary
to do what the sovereigns want done,
and to do 1t in the way the soycreixns
want 1t done. Platforms are entirely
In harmony with this democratic idea.
A platform announces the pa1y's pO-
sitiOn on the questions which are at Is
sue; and an official is not at liberty to
use the authority vested In him to
been submitted to the voters for their
approval. If one Is nominated upon
platform which Is not satisfactory to
him. he must II candid, either decline
the nomination, or, In accepting It, pro-
pose an amended platform In lieu Of
the one adopted by the convention. No
such situation, however, confronts your
candidate. for the platform upon which
/ was nominated not only contains
nothing from which | dissent, but II
specifically outlines all the remedial
legislation which we can hope to se-
cure during the next four years.
Republican Challenge Accepted.
The distinguished statesman who re-
ceiyed the Republican nomination for
president said. In his notification
speech: "The strength Of tho Republican
cause in the campaign at hand is the
fact that we represent the policies es-
sential to the reform Of known abuses.
TO the continuance of liberty and true
prosperity, and that we are determined,
as our platform unequivocally declares.
to maintain them and carry them on
In the name of the Democratic party.
! accept the challenge, and charge that
the Republican party is responsible for
all the abuses which now exist In the
federal government, and that It II i'm
potent to accomplish the reforms which
are imperatively needed. Further. l