The New York herald., 1878-09-21
BUTLER AT INDIANAPOLIS.

CONFIDENCE IN THE MASSES OF THE PEOPLE
LxpRtssED-A REVIEW AND DEFi NCE OF
THE PAPER MONEY OF HISTORY.
INDIANAPOLIS. Sep. 90, lS7S
General Butler spoke this afternoon in the ExposL
tion Building for nearly two hours. He com.
menced by saying that the frequency Of our
elections has a tendency to destroy their value
and prevent. tho proper appreciation OF tho privilege
which possessed by the people OF the
United Sntes, and by no other nation In the world
that OF choosing the men whv should administer the
government aud determine the nature OF our laws.
In this land the poople sovereigns In their own
right. He wished It understood That hc was not
one OF those who feared the masses of tho people.
He held that the congregated intelligence among the
masses Is greater than of a fow cultivated men.
Nor ho afraid that the masses would
do any wrong. This country has been
under tho control OF the masses for
the last Nifty years with some few and rare excep-
ho undertook TO say, the people had done wrong
anyboiy--no wrong to capital, no wrong TO them
selves, no wrong 10 tho government or In tho
mont oi tho governmental AFFAIRS
TRE FINANCIAL QUESTION.
There have been two great parties going along upon
certain professed prih cpics which were OF I'm port
nuco time, but have now arrived NJ ~ period
whom other issues sink into lessor importance view
OF tho ono groat Qucstion 0eforc the peo-
pIe-namcy. tnat OF bnancs-and IL may
not be tor tho interest Of tho people to be bound
to either OF those parties any longer with view Of
showing the nature Of financial 10. islation. He
then referred at great length and with consid.
cradle miuutenezs TO tho history OF the
ton OF the democratic party and OF Congress
from tho days Of Monroe aud Jackson down 70 the
present time
In the coursc Of this resume he declared that the
toschin. OF history In this country and Europesn
countries was hat an rredeem emable currency more
easiiy kont At par value than currency redesmabis
In coin
xoSkY IN PAST
Ho attempted to establish this assertion by going
back 10 the days OF ancient Venice and ssid:-Six
hundred years ago she issued a currency nos re-
decmabs In anything, which remained at par
At par, but ss high ss IL, Der Geo,
above gold. Tho continental money with which our
soldiers pad and iiocrues WAS No thor
moro not less than rug money True, the manner Of
It's issuance a mistake and ns form was uud,
but the continental money did good service. Il dis
tribued the expenses Of the OF tho Ks volu
among all the people, and eventually wiped itself out
OF existence without any body being losor THAT
our gresnback currency, which has resulted IN
u tax upon ourselves aud our children which will
is equally urged that the Frencn assisnat ana man-
dato wero specimens VI unredceinaLls paper
monoy, and proved that such money woa'd
have no permanent value; but tho disturbed
condition OF Franco at tho time when
the assignsts were issued makes the argument aud
the comparison unfair aud unjust. The uss.guat was
no better than land warrants, which nobody
would call money; and these French land warrants
were In tho hands Of men who might ono day occupy
the position OF crimuo.s aud tho next day lhe
seat OF political power
FIAT MONEY.
Tho newspapers aud somo political speakers IRE
raising great objection TO tho phrase Gat money :"
but wnat does "1at money" mcanf d. newspapers
know what Il mcans2 Wnou all WAS chsos and
without form aud void, aud darkness covorod tho
earth as pail. God said those words which
Latin '.fdf luz " Lot there be iiah and thero
was light. The mornins stars sang together and tho
earth grew iaithfui and happy. Fiat money means
SIMPLY that Tho Unitod States government should
sHy :-"Lot thoro bo money. Nor,hipg inorr; hing
Icssn
Tue General then referred TO the Southern question:
which he said had boon takob OF politics by P.s
dent Haye-, ana closed with and dcioncs OF
his own political career.