The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1875-08-20
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RESPONSE 70 An IRRITATION 70 ADDRESS. PUB
Lie MEETING laH,s yviEwbt on II az 1ouReis o.
THE GOVERNMENT ACTION OF THE PREslpBAS
AND Mr.. DUNCAN CRITICISED.
AN Invitation was extended to General
Benjamin r.. Bother to be present and de.
liver an address at the pnbIic, meeting, under
the auspices of the Legal Tender Club, to be
held Mt the Cooper Institute on or about
September; l.. In response to this letter
has been received by Eugene Beebe, secre.
,ary OF the Club, Ia which General Butler
explains that he cannot accept the invita-
ton, and giving his views upon financial
matters. rf.ssi. -
hi RESPONSE OF GENERAL BUTLER.
BosToN, MASS, August 10, 1875.
Ms Dear Sir,-EngagemeDts long since
made would make II Impossible for me 10 be
present on September at the. meeting at
Cooper Institute. need not tell you or my
friend Mr.. Schcll how much sympatbize
with YOUR movement. All my utteraDces,
pnblic and private, have been in that direc-
ton. I am unable to comprehend. appreciate,
and much less admire, that system OF govern
meat finances which has SO wrought upon
| the business and production Of the country
that over 100000 workiDgmen aud women
who desire productive employment have
not had it for the last two years, and oy
which the production which they would have
added TO the wealth of the country dunng
that time is lost. s.a-.,.,r,&
How the country is to grow rich enough
to pay its debts BY the non-productlon OF It's
able. bodied workers is something that can
not comprehend. Assuming that each one or
| that number, skilled and unskiiled, could
! have averaged So per day for the working
DAYS of the past year-and that suppose
you will agree with me Is little enough-tnen
| we have lost 81 zoo, 900 600, or about equal
! TO half Of the national debt, by their enforced
idleness. to say nothing of the loss OF the
morale Of the workingmen AID women. HOW
| long men in active business, and property
| holders, and holders Of those Kinds OF pro-
perty which are open to the tax satherer,
| will permit a system Of financial adminlstra-
I ton to go on by which their property shall
depreciate SO per cent. in its value. while the
owners of property such as notes, mortgages,
and bonds, which are untaxed because not
open to the tax. gatherer, have their property
appreciate and escape taxation, is problem
which the good sense of the people Of this
country will solve the coming presidential
election.
| Regretting that cannot be with you and
| elaborate these views as should be glad to
do in New York city, whose docks are de-
serted by shipping, whose stores are I'M:
rented, and whose dweIling-honseS have
been 50 deprecated as hardly TO meet the
mortgages upon them, and where, | think,
sound financial doctrines are as much needed
as anywhere, my necessities compel me to
forego this, which would be pleasure to me,
and. / trust, a profit TO Others. l am in
formed that MIR. Duncan, Of Duncan, Sher-
man g. CO., went to Washington when the
currency bill was before the President to
advise him to veto it, because it was neces-
sary 10 depreciate values. The President dld
veto the bill. Values have been depre.
ciated-I trust 10 an amount entirely salts.
factory to Messrs. Duncan, Sherman q Co.,
however little their creditors may relish the
process. l have the honor to be, very truly
yours. BENJAMIN L. BUTLER.
To Eugene Beebe. Esq, secretary of the
Legal.Tender Club, No. 1893 Broadway,
New York. ... -