The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1877-06-21
THE CAMPAIGN OF 1877.
Address of Stephen Johnston, of Piqua,
Candidate for Governor of the In
dependent Party.

PIQUA, ONO, June 18th, 1877.
To the Executive Committee of the Iadepend-
ent Party Of the State Of Ohio:
GENTLEMEN:--By the action of your
party at its State Convention at Columbus
on the 9th inst was nominated as your
candidate for the office of Governor of the
State of Ohio.
The selection, think, should have been
devolved upon some one more able to do
justice to SO good cause, but it was your
voluntary action, unsought by me, and very
reluctantly accepted, on account of the
responsibility Of the positions involved in
the contest:
Having thus consented, and being COM
paratively unknown in many parts of the
State, and having little or no public politi-
cal record, deem it proper to present to
the party you represent, and to the people
of the State, the position occupied by me in
connection with the principles set sorth as
adopted by your convention.
The declaration of principles set out in
the platform is confined to questions over
which the lawmakers of the States hav
little or no control, but the vicious legisla'
ton, and the policy of the Congress of the
United States and Executive Departments
of the Government in relation TO the cur
rency and the manner Of increasing anG
paying the public debt, have excited the
deepest concern in the minds ofsome of tn,
greatest men of this country. These ques
tions although National, have become 0
such vital interest to the people of tn
State, that they overshadow the improvi
dent legislation Of the State which shoult
not be lost sight Of, and while shall pre-
sent my views in relation to the tinancia
policy of the general Government, as refer
red to in your platform, I shall also deen
it proper to refer to some of the wrongs O
the legislation of the State
The great objection to the financial pol
icy of the United States adopted, is that
is not in accordance with either the interes
or views of the great mass of the people
who, by their services, sacrifices, an
) blood, have saved the Nation from disinte
grafton.
To be specific on this point, mean tha
if either of the great political parties {
the county, after the close of war, ha
! foreshadowed the financial policy that ha
been adopted, including the convertion {
the paper mouey Bonds of the Govern
ment, into coin, and then converting thel
from coin into gold coin, the demonitizatio
of silver, the repeal of the income tax, an
other kindred measurers, in the interest I
the capitalists of this country, and of E,
rope, that the party advocating such mea
ures would never have been placed in pov
er by the will of the people.
To be more specific on this point, mea
g to say that the power obtained by whic
n this legislation has been accomplished, W,
i by holding out promises to the people pr
Tossing opposition to come Of these me-
sures, and no sooner in power than the
promises were disregarded and the peop
e betrayed.
q l refer especially TO the convertion
q bonds into coin by Congress, when in ju
tice and in equity they should have bee
! paid strictly according to the laws und
IS which they We're issued.
}, The passage of the law demonitizing Il
4 silver money Of this country was the mo
extraordinary law ever enacted in this
any other country, when the facts existil
: at the time are all considered, and to Il
reAeoting mind, is cause for great alar