The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1880-10-07
Gen. Weaver's Letter of Acce p
tance.

TIC eiRh VI yOoA ASssSA "a WV
23d of June, formally notifying me of my
nomination for the Office of President of
the United States by the united Greenback
Labor party, whose representatives con-
venea at Chico, June 9th, 1880.
| am profoundly grateful for the honor
conferred. Fully realizing the high re-
sponsibility to which l have been called,
and conscious that the position was un-
sought by me, accept the nomination as
solemn duty. The convention is to be
congratulated upon the great work accom-
plished in the uni6cation of the various
Greenback and Labor elements into one
compact organization. This was OF first
importance, and thoroughly prepares our
forces to strike decisive blow for indus
trial emancipation during the impending
struggle.
Our party hath thi signifcance: 1t is
great labor movement, composed of earn
est people, who earn their bread by honest
as the world depends for the comforts Of
life upon the various departments of hui
man toll, SO will every part of society feel
the vivifying influence of the grand
ach 'evements of our organization that lie
Just in the future; for when labor is pros
porous, every other element of society
feels the impulse cf vigorous life.
The three great political parties have
each selected their candidates, and made
formal declarations of their principles. 1t
is now the high duty of every citizen of
the United States to Judge between them;
and after careful inquiry into the aims
and purposes o. each, to determine the or.
ganization with which duty calls him to
act.
The 7mirable platform adopted BY the
convention meets my cordial approval. 1t
is comprehensive, reasonable, and progress
sive-containing those principles OF eco
nomic reform essential to the preservation
Of the liberty and prosperity OF the whole
people.
1t being the duty of man to earn his
bread in the sweat of his face, it becomes
the grst duty of civil government to foster
industry. All laws, therefore, which
place a premium upon idleness, whether
Of men or money, uDjustly discriminate in
favor of capital, or withhold from honest
men the full and just reward of their Ia
Dor, are simply monstrous. Capital should
| be the servant of labor rather than its mas
| ter.
This great truth can never be realized
until there is an adequate circulating me.
dunn. Inasmuch as this circulating me-
dunn is for the benefit of all, its issue and
volume should be sacredly kept under the
control of the general government, with
out the Intervention of banking corpora
tions. All money, whether gold, silver or
paper, should be issued by the supreme
authority of the nation, and be made
full legal tender in payment of all debts,
public and private.
into the hands of banking corporations abb
| ,olrto oopt.o1 ovor Tho yolu mo of tho cuP-
rency, and through this they have the
power to fix the price of the labor and
property of fifty millions Of people. By
provision of law, the method is clearly de-
fined whereby they may, without limit, in
fate or contract the currency at will. Cog
nate to this and part Of the same scheme
stands the system of funding the public
debt. Like national banking, this was
borrowed from the English monarchy. By
this system an enormous non-taxable inter-
test bearing debt is to be perpetuated. The
bonds support the banks and the banks
foster the public debt. If you pay of the
} bonds the banks muat cease to exist.
! Hence, if the national banks are to contin-
ue, we must have perpetuated bonded
debt Both patriotism and sound states
manship loudly call for the abolition ol
banks Of Issue, and the substitution of le
| gal IeuOeE treasury uOteS lOT tuSIT CiICuid'
ton. Pay the bonds according to con-
tract, and as rapidly as possible.
Seven hundred millions of the public
: debt become redeemsble at the option OF
the govercment during this and the ensu-
ing year. Two funding bills are now pen.
ding before concress-one introdnced by
the D,L.clatIc, and the other by the Re-
publican leader of the house, whereby it il
proposed to deprive the people of twenty
and thirty years of lawful right to pay
said bonds. This is crime against the Ia
borer and the tax payer and should cause
wide spread alarm among all classes.
!; The annual surplus revenues, and the
idle coin now in the treasury, and that
which mnst continne to acrrr'n''to. it the
} silver law approved Feb. Is 1878, shall be
honestly enforced. are ample to pay every
dollar of the seven hundred millions, both
principal and interest, within the next six
years. There is not the slightest excuse
for funding these bonds, except to perpet-
uate the debt as the basis of an iniquitous
banking monopoly. 1t must be apparent
to all that the great moneyed institutions,
and other corporations, now have conIrol
of nearly every department of the govern
ment, and are fast swallowing up the prof.
!: its of labor and reducing the people to a
condition of vassalage and dependence
Those monopolies, of whatever class,
headed by the associated banks, are inter.
locked in purpose, and always act in clio.
sest sympathy.
There are three great industrial classes
in America: First the producers; second
those who manufacture our raw materials
and prepare them for use; third, the dis.
tributors of these products. Each should
be protected in the legitimate fruits and
profits of their labor, but should not be
permitted to extort from and enslave the
other.
The great problem of our civilization
: is, how to bring the producer and consul
} mer together. This can only be done by
providing an adequate circulating medium
and by rigid regulation OF inter state COM
merce and transportation. This was wisely
forseen by the trainers of the constitution,
ana accordingly by the Sth section Of arti-
Gle first, congress is clothed with power
"To regulate commerce with foreign ma
tions and among the states" This power
imposes a corresponding duty upon con.
gress to see that 1t is enforced.
The two great agents of commerce are
money and transportation. 1t is undenia
Bile that both ofthese great agents are un-
der the absolute control of the monopolies.
By controlling the volume of the money,
tie banks fix the price of all labor and
property; and the railroads. by combination
render competitor impossible, and control
absolutely the price of transportation.
This places the people between the up
per and neither millstones, and grinds them
to poverty and ruin. 1t results in the
wholesale robbery of both producer and
consumer. Who ia able to controvert this
stupendous fact? Farmers, plantere, and
laboring men of the United States, l be-
seech you to open your eyes at once to this
alarming condition of things.
! am especially thankful that the plat
form of the party which placed me in nom.
ination is open, bold and unmistakable on
these great questions.
The Republican and Democratic plat
| - Al 81 "A Ax,