The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1878-09-19
Butler on Greenbacks.
New York Star.

General, how do you fiud the outlook
in Massachusetts ?"
"The situation is encouraging" said
the General, turning up that eye. "The
people have only to be thoroughly in
formed upon financial questions, especi-
ally the Greenback theory, and party
lines and party Prejudices will fail to
hold them in check"
"Are not the two great parties in Mas.
sachusetts thoroughly disciplined and
accustomed to vote as conventions die
tate ?"
"They have been, but are not now;
many Republicans are of opinion that
the interests of their party in 1880 would
be subserved by Democratic majority
in the next Congress. Third party move
ments, or in other words, political move
ments of the people outside of ring in
fuences, invariably succeed best in States
where one of the two great parties has
large majority. This is notably true of
Massachusetts, and the Greenback vote
will, in my opinion, astonish even the
most ardent friends of that movement"
"But don't the people feel the need of
stable and sound currency"
Certainly" replied the General, "and
that is why they want more greenbacks
the best currency the country has ever
had, or probably ever will have. The
people can't be made to understand why
real estate itself should depreciate so or
100 per cent, while mortgages upon the
same property suffer little or no depreci-
alton. Nor can they be made to believe
that bonds should not be governed by
the same laws which have caused
shrinkage in all other values"
"Isn't it unfortunate that your move
ment is managed in so many places by
bad councillors
"That is contingency of all political
or governmental reforms. When Whjg
and Democratic politicians took hold of
the old Abolition party and baptized it
Republican, then, and not till then, did
it become q power in the land. So it
will be with the Greenback party, which
is destined to swallow up, in my opinion,
perhaps both the others. I believe that
a clear majority of all the voters in the
United States, voting outside of party
influences, would sustain the Greenback
theory"
"Do you think the movement is as
strong in Massachusetts as it is in the
West and South 2"
~ cannot tell; it may be stronger" !"
He added musingly: "The movement is
either q farce or a revolution. / am
strongly of opinion that it will be the
latter"
"I have heard speakers advocating re-
SUMPTION" said the reporter, "try to
teach the people what money is by show
ing in one hand $50 coin of the Dutch
Republic, and in the other $40 note of
the late Confederacy, and claiming that
although both Republics are dead, the
coin issued by the one is still good, while
the note of the other is worthless. How
would you meet that argument?"
"The argument is worthless. l would
show its falsity by exhibiting notes OF
other nations whose Governments have
been changed, as was that of the Dutch
Republic, but whose notes are not good
always. The fault was not in the Con-
federate money, but in the Confederacy
itself. There was nothing in it.'
General, do you think you are going
to be elected Governor of Massachu.
setts?"
"That depends" Here the eve turned
around knowingly again. 81 hope so
Stranger things have happened. If the
: people could fully understand the iniqui
, tous schemes of bondholders and theil
, newspaper allies, the result would be by
no means doubtful"