Page:Speeches, correspondence and political papers of Carl Schurz, Volume 6.djvu/382

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&emsp; It is of the first importance that the addresses of Secretary Hay and Mr. Root be answered at once by a man of intellectual strength, character and position. It is a great favor to ask of you, but as no one fills all the requirements so well, I make bold to ask you to do it. 



&emsp; Thanks for your kind letter of August 29th. The orations of Secretary Hay and Mr. Root have been before the public for some time, and, although fine productions, will now drop out of notice when the campaign gets lively. Judging from my campaign experience I doubt whether it is good policy to answer such speeches formally and thus to attract attention to them again. It is better policy, in my opinion, to find out the vulnerable points of the other side and to attack them aggressively.

I am sorry I cannot make any speeches in this campaign, but I intend to write some things which I hope will produce some effect. I shall then take up the weak points in Hay's and Root's speeches incidentally.

One of the most important things now is that the Democrats of this State should make a nomination for the governorship that would give a high character and tone to the campaign, as, for instance, the nomination of Mr. Shepard would. Without a nomination of that quality the chances of success will be slim, unless the Republicans do a more stupid thing than we have reason to expect. 