The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 28, July 1924 - April, 1925 Page: 235

Byran-Hayes Correspondence

THE BRYAN-HAYES CORRESPONDENCE
EDITED BY E. W. WINKLER
XIV
BRYAN TO HAYES
Galveston, May 12th, 1880.
Dear Rud:
I received your letter of the 1st inst some days since. I de-
layed responding to ascertain whether I could accept your kind
offer. I telegraphed you as soon as I made up my mind to de-
cline. And I declined simply because I saw more money going
out than coming in by accepting, & this my financial condition
forbade, (on account of my children & my own peace of mind.)
I should have enjoyed the visit, especially with my daughter, to
you & Mrs Hayes. But in my old age from sterne necessity, I
have learned self-denial; I say this much, because I do not want
you to suppose I do not appreciate your consideration, or that
Section or party had anything to do with my declination. The
truth is, my visits to you have been accompanied with an uneasy
feeling that they subjected you to criticism from some of your
party (& that some of your friends felt this) who were disposed
to make objections wherever they could find an imaginary hook.
Not that I felt I was prejudiced thereby, for on the contrary by
the association I was publicly honored.
Your term of service will in a short time expire, unless you
by the complications that may arise in the Chicago Convention
should be nominated again. I do not expect your nomination;
on the contrary, I think the chances are against it. Yet, I would
not be surprised at such an event. I think it more probable that
if you carry out as far as you can the policy you started with you
may be in the field four years hence. To achieve the latter, I
would (as one friend talks to another) say, let your policy be
most liberal & conservative, Constitutional & non sectional. Make
the public see this, & that in bestowal of office your appointments
are made for the good of the country, & from among the people
whose interests & feelings are to be immediately affected
by the acts of the official. The people have a right to expect

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