The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1878-07-18
A POLITICIANS SPEECH.

General Butler at Newburyport-
His Views ON Greenhacks, Com.
munisms Coaching Clubs, and
other Timely Topics.
lNewburyport Correspondence New York SUM-
The demonstration of the Green
hackers here to-day was attended by
fully two thousand persons, who were
enthusiastic. General B. f. Butler de
livered the principal address. He
said $" More than one hundred years
ago our fathers found It necessary to
unite to protest against wrong and op-
preston, to disinthraIl themselves
from the measures of one King and
his Ministers. Their children meet
on the same anniversary to see wheth-
er they may not disinthrall themselves
from the expressions of thousand
kings and their minisJers-the money
kings-the most powerful monarchs
in the world to-day. Their hands are
heavier upon US than those of King
George were upon our forefathers.
Why is it that in land where, in the
East, the store-hOuses are bursting
with the products of manufacturing
industry, ,and in the West the granaries
are overflowing with the necessaries
of life, there being perfect communi-
cation between those sections, there
are men hungry in the East for the
food that is in the West, and men
naked in the West for want of the
clothes and shoes of the East2 The
evil that causes this can not be reach
ed by sporadic riots and violence. The
starving men who made the riots last
summer effected no alienation of the
public misery. Strikes are below the
dignity of American workingmen.
They belong to another country and
to other institutions than ours. Our
remedy is the ballot. Communist is
the word of reproach applied to work
ingmen who see wrong in existing af-
fairs, and believe in remedying them
as sAbolitionist' was the word of re-.
proach hurled at the men who struck
freedom in the earlier days of this
generation. The same men who call
ed the reformers of other days Abol-
itionists are calling the reformers OF
to-day Communists. Communism in
Europe is the desperate protest of the
downtroddeD and oppressed, and finds
its vent in violent demonstrations and
vain endeavors. Here such a course
is isunnatural. Our people have in their
own hands the power to mold their
condition. All they need is unity and
organization, and they will control.
The legislation of our land has for
many years been exclusively in the
interest of the rich and the few. Be-
cause those few were rich, consequent
ly powerful and united in purpose,
they send their representatives to
make the laws by the aid of their votes
of the betrayed people. Seven years
ago introduced q bill to have the
money OF the country in the hands of
the Government, and not In the hands
of corporations, and I was beaten by
eight votes, if remember Alright, in
the House. But in the majority that
beat me there were more than sixty
five Bank Directors and Presidents,
each of them voting in his own iate
rest, all sent there by workingmen's
votes. You workingmen do not send
men to represent you."
Mr.. Butler then reviewed at length
the circumstances under which, in the
hour Of national necessity, the green
back came into being, and the means
by which capitalists, when it was at
its lowest value. were enabled to con-
vert it into interest. bearing and non-
taxable bonds, together with other
special legislation for the benefit of
the capitalists since that time, the for
nation of National Banks, &C., all
tending to undue imitation of the
wealth of the rich, and the shifting OF
all the burdens of taxation upon the
poor. He protested against being
called a repudiator, saying that al
though the bargain with the capitalists
was an Infamous one, we were fools
enough to send men to Congress who
would make It, and we should pay the
penalty by making good their agree
ment.
From this he proceeded to consider
the peculiar course of legislation in
Massachusetts, affecting her savings
banks. Then he added: /" hold that
every man who has an honest employ
melit, in which he gives the best
thoughts of his mind, or the best Ia