The Cheyenne Daily Leader

Two important documents will be found in the columns of The Leader this morning. They are the letters of acceptance of John E. Osborne, democratic nominee for governor and H. E. Coffeen, democratic nominee for congress. It is unnecessary to commend them to the careful perusal of the citizens of this state for they will be read with avidity and we believe will produce a profound impression.

The vital issue in the state is good government. During its brief career as a state Wyoming has passed through some of the most remarkable experiences ever known to a state of the American union. At times we have simply had the outward forms of government. Laws placed upon the statute books as the deliberate results produced by the only known law making power have been of as little consequence in the eyes of public officials as so many withered autumn leaves. Official authority always marvelously elastic in Wyoming, has been stretched to limits never before known in times of peace in the American union. A self constituted set of censors was set up to pass upon the moral status of citizens of the state, branding them as criminals, without trial and without recourse. The people have seen a constitutional provision shattered to atoms, the state invaded by armed men whose paid mission was to burn and murder. They have seen citizens of the state shot down like dogs or picked up their half charred remains from the desolated ruins of their humble homes. They have seen their state rights invaded on one plausible pretext or another or without any pretext whatever by federal troops and United States marshals. The people of one section of the state terrorized and browbeaten for no other crime than resisting by force an invasion which was aimed at their lives and property and for attempting to uphold rights which are the dearest birthrights of every free American. They have seen federal interference carried almost beyond endurance and realized that this could only be possible through the active connivance of the men whom they themselves had elected to look after the state's interests in the senate and congress. They already see, and when they do not see they feel, the outcropping desperation of this intolerant oligarchy which with never failing effrontery is again before the people of the state for maintenance in power. Its spies and spotters are being scattered everywhere. Already the timid are being browbeaten, the weak coerced and the resisting crushed. Manly young Americans who see public affairs in their true light and express abhorrence of the clique's tyranny are notified through devious but unmistakable channels that they may suddenly lose their jobs. Concealed in the paw of velvet are the sheathed claws which tear to tatters American manhood and seek to emasculate the liberty of the citizen.

No people in America have ever been confronted with such a critical conjuncture as now impends over Wyoming. With a continuance of the present ring in power no man's liberty or property will be safe unless he bends the pregnant hinges of the knee to the oligarchy. With this blighting power continued a few years longer Wyoming will become a pocket borough like Nevada, its prosperity sapped and its development paralyzed.

The remedy for the evil fortunately is in the hands of the people this fall. They have only to be true to themselves and their American instincts. They owe it to themselves and to their families to resist further encroachments of the oligarchy by administering to it a rebuke in November from which it will never recover.

The democratic party goes into the campaign this year on the side of the people. It is pledged to stand by the people's rights to the last and to the uttermost. Two of its nominees speak this morning in terms which will find a ringing response in the heart of every true citizen. To such music the democrats go into this campaign and from it, advocating such principles, they deserve to emerge in triumphal procession on the 8th day of next November.

DOWN TO BUSINESS.

Official Letters of Acceptance From Two Nominees.

Document Prepared by the Democratic Candidate for Governor.

He Vigorously Outlines His Position on Public Matters.

Mr. Coffeen's Statesmanlike Letter on Burning Issues.

John E. Osborne, the brilliant young democratic gubernatorial nominee, and H. E. Coffeen, the veteran candidate for congress, yesterday forwarded their official letters of acceptance. They are given in their entirety below:

Dr. Osborne's Letter.

Rawlins, Wyo., Aug. 22.-To the secretary of the state central committee, Rock Springs, Wyo. Dear Sir:-I am in receipt of your communication of August 20, notifying me officially of my nomination by the democratic party for the office of governor of the state of Wyoming. In accepting this high honor I deem it advisable, owing to the vital state issues, which are uppermost in the people's minds at this particular time, and an apparent desire on the part of the voters throughout the state, irrespective of party, to ascertain what may be expected of the incoming chief executive, to communicate my views and the stand I propose to take on these issues in the event of my election.

I believe that the duties incident to the all-important office of governor should be regulated and controlled entirely by the provisions and restrictions of our state constitution, as interpreted by a fair minded person. I believe that the laws enacted by the representatives of the masses of the people should be rigidly enforced by the proper officials, regardless of the standing of any person who may be affected thereby. After fair and impartial trial and due conviction I believe that the penalty for all grades of crime, by whomsoever committed, should be inflicted. I do not believe in class legislation or, in other words, legislation which benefits and enriches a few individuals to the detriment of the masses, nor will I under any circumstances lend my influence to such legislation.

The recent invasion into our state by an armed body of men for the purpose of taking the lives and destroying the property of our citizens merits my condemnation, and I believe rightfully merits the condemnation of all true, patriotic, law abiding citizens. After having given this unfortunate occurrence mature and deliberate consideration, I desire to place myself on record before the people as being unequivocally opposed to any and all such violations of the constitution, and if elected to serve the people in the capacity of governor I would utilize every power granted me by the provisions of the constitution to uphold law and order throughout the state, to the end that the lives and homes of our people may be protected and Wyoming's fair name raised from the mire of public degradation into which it has been so cruelly forced by those who should have been its friends in the hour of need.

The platform adopted by our party at Rock Springs I consider a very valuable guide for the proper and economical management of affairs of state, restricting as it does the cession of our public arid lands in order that they may remain an open pasture for the herds of the poor man as well as the rich; opposing high protective tariff on the necessaries of life, thereby lessening their cost to the laboring man; discountenancing the force bill that all may vote in accordance with their political belief without the fear of federal interference; advocating the free and unlimited coinage of silver- in short touching upon all important issues, both state and national, in such manner as to advance the best interests of the masses and secure to them that equality before the law and in the administration of justice which should be the inherent right of every American citizen, no matter how humble his lot.

Standing squarely upon the platform, with the state constitution and the laws for my guide, with an unalterable determination to maintain and uphold them to the utmost limit of my power in the event of my election, I confidently appeal to my fellow citizens of the state of Wyoming who have had such recent and flagrant illustrations of the crying need of a radical change in the administration of state affairs.

I am, gentlemen, your obedient servant, John E. Osborne.

Mr. Coffeen's Letter.

Sheridan, Wyoming, Aug. 24, 1892.- To the Chairman and Members of the Democratic State Central Committee-- Gentlemen:-In response to your notification of my nomination to congress by the democracy of Wyoming in convention assembled recently at Rock Springs, let me say briefly that I am pleased with the strong ground taken in the state platform on so many issues vital to the people of Wyoming.

I place liberty and justice above all other things in government. All citizens are entitled to equality of rights, equality of opportunities, and from these shall flow equality of enjoyment. Whatever legislation interferes with these is wrong. Class legislation may be praised most eloquently by those who receive the special privileges, but it is the part of every true citizen to stand for the repeal of all class legislation and the advocacy of such laws as will secure to the laborer the full fruitage of his own toil.

A government that will not protect the weak against the encroachments of the strong is a failure. The influence of rich and powerful syndicates, combines, and trusts have so long held sway in national councils that they have almost subverted our government from its true purposes, and turned it into an engine of power for the building up of millionaires on the one hand, and laboring serfs on the other. This has been done by many unjust laws and policies, the republican party becoming under these baneful influences the champion of every form of monopoly and class legislation. The most iniquitous group of laws to my mind has been the monetary acts of congress, contracting the circulating currencies and expanding when they could the interest bearing forms of debt, and that the European syndicates in league with their Wall street allies in this country might have absolute control of the money volume the demonetization of silver was also added to the many other iniquitous acts of congress touching the money questions.

I scarcely need to say that I am for the reversion of these policies in the interest of the industrial people of our country. The appreciation of money is the depreciation or bridging down of all forms of property and labor-the bringing down in price of everything that money measures. Silver coinage must be restored, not partially but entirely and on the old basis. The cry that we may have too much money as the result is a false alarm sent forth constantly by the organs of Wall street.

On the question of tariff let me say that tariff for the purpose of raising revenue for the needs of government is legitimate, but tariff for the purpose of forcing the people of our country to contribute to manufacturing syndicates, trusts and combines already grown strong, arrogant and dangerous is all wrong and should meet with unanimous condemnation as subversive of the very purposes of good government.

There are other questions of national concern that need constant watching in the interest of our people and although desiring to be brief I cannot well refrain from mentioning the arid land question and calling attention to the position of the Wyoming delegation in congress on that question. I am with those who believe that under the pretense of securing lands for the state their real purpose is to secure vast bodies of land to certain men in Wyoming in league with land grabbers elsewhere. I cannot believe their measures are safe for our people but on the other hand believe them to be dangerous to all small landholders in the state.

Another fact should be mentioned. The general government has had control of these public lands until they have disposed of the choicest portions of the same. We now have reached that condition where the remaining lands need an expenditure of many millions of dollars to construct irrigation works for their reclamation. Shall we now aid the general government to unload the arid lands and the millions of expenditures requisite upon us and relieve themselves to that extent from spending a portion of the revenues they owe the west in reclaiming these arid lands?

In state affairs our people without regard to party allegiance (that should never interfere with patriotic action) have a double duty to perform. First, to send to Washington both to the senate and the house a congressional delegation in full sympathy with the honest settlers and workers in every part of Wyoming and able to work against all schemes of spoliation, intimidation, and threats of martial law to retard immigration. Second, to clean out a state administration that has trampled our constitutional provisions down and with the aid of misrepresentatives at Washington worked both state and federal power to aid and rescue the boldest and most senseless raiders that ever invaded an American state to burn, to kill, and to destroy the homes of the people.

Wyoming must be redeemed in November and settlers rights vindicated. I am, gentlemen, your most obedient servant, H. A. Coffeen.