The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1878-12-05


| back 1t some price.
RepOrter--DO / understand you to
favor the illimitable issue of green
backs
General Butler-I do rot think any
body could possible have understood
me in that way. l have never advo-
Gated it, never have thought IF advo-
ealing it, and it is simply one of the
misrepresentation and lis with
which the public mind has been fed.
I cannot conceive that any sensible
man ever thought of it.
A LIMIT TO THE GREENBACK ISSUE.
Reporter-How FAR do. you favor
their issue?
General Butler-just rs far as
necessary to give the people such cur
rency us is needed for their wants,
and SD far as The United States can
put Them out lor value received.
Reporter-W What would that value
received consist Of?
| General BUTTERFLY Whatever they got
for them that was of proper value.
Would you issue them in
place Of national bank notes?
General Butler l certainly should.
Reporter-Do you favor paying
the bonds in green backs!
General Butler--Whenever the
contrac: will permit it.
Reporter-Some of the Greenback
party advocate in calling in bonds
and issuing greenbacks instead. Do
you favor that!
General Butler-Wherever the
terms of the contract will permit it.
eporser-Uow are you to find out
what are the wants Of trade? How is
that limit to he ascertained
General Butiei-In the same way
that it has always been ascertained.
Whenever there is an excess Of cur
fency, that can always be ascertained.
Then the stoppaye of the issue and
the absorption by taxes will bring it
back to the right limit very nearly.
We absorb 10y taxes Of one sort and
another nearly :. million Il day. 1t is
very easy to adjust the limit of the
currency; u good deal more easy to
adjust it by having it redeemed by
being taken up for taxes, where we
require $500, 100000 Of taxes each
year, than for it to be redeemed and
taken up bv $l37 100000 Of gold,
which we have been ten or twelve
years trying IT, Sc! together for that
purpose. should rather depend upon
the one fund for redemption than the
other. Mr.. Sherman thinks that he
is going to redeem Sl.lOO, 100000 of
bank deposits. bank notes and green
backs with 1927 100000 of gold. l
should quito rs lief try to do it
with $500, O0O, 900 OF taxes. / do not
think either would be quite adequate,
bat there might be Il point found be-
tween the two where taxes would op.
crate better than the small amount
OF gold.
MORE ABOUT TIE GREENBACK PAR
sSTRENTH.
Reporter-Yuu were saying a
while ago that the Greenback con.
gresham held the balance of power
in the house. DO you think they can
dictate the choice of 4 speake.!
General Butler--l do not know how
that will be. l cannot tell whether
they Will desire it. link ii they
desire it they can. Whether they
will or not cannot say, bcause they
have no particular use omore than
one committee. that on banking and
currency. and almost amy speaker of
any party Will give them that.
Reporte.-You were saying the Re-
publ,can5 were III II minority i'll three
n,rthern states. Are the Democrats
in u minority in all the rest1
General Butler-No, Sir. The
Greenhackers hold the balance of
power III all the rest of the northern
states. They hold the balance of
power between the two parties.
Reporier-Do you think there is
any nope OF the Greenback party
eIectlng the next president!
General Butler-I do not know
about that. That is Il thing to he
looked after when we come To it. If
the Gresn''a Jack party .r,ws rs fast in
the future us It has since the last
election, the members are very likely
to make themselves felt then, but
that is "A question which need not be
discussed new.
Repprter-Wil not the presiden-
tial election be the next one to come
up!
General Bn.ler-The next question
that is not the present question.
The present question is how our bust
ness mea may get money enough tu
enable them To 1--we until 1880.
TIE COUNTRY NOT GROWING PROS
PEROUs.
Reporter-Dsn't yon regard the
country rs becn ming prosperous now !
General ButIer-I have not any ev-
Eidence of it.
General Butler-By no means.
That can't 60 OH always. because the
moment We become mole prosperous,
50 tina, our people Can buy what they
want. then The balance Will turn the
Iother way. 1t is not "a sign of pros
periiy when people cannot buy what
they want. L; is i sign of adversely.
land the reason why orr imports are
SO small is that our people are not
able To get what they want. Men ale
leconoinizIng AID putting aside what
they want and what they would use
il they could get it.
Rep rter-Do You think this is ex-
plainesi by Our producing those things
lat home!
General Butler-V-e have for many
fprUdmcsd nj! the necessaries of life at
4 lam