The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1880-10-14
Gen. Weaver's Letter of Accep
tance


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 I'M
sought by me, accept the nom nation as q
solemn duty. The convention is to be
congratulated upon the grea, work accom-
plished in the unihcation 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 this significance: 1t is
a great labor movement, composed of earn
est people, who earn their bread by honest
toll. whether of hand, head or heart; and
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
sch evements of our organization that lie
Just in the future; for when labor is pros
porous, every other element of society
feels the impulse CT 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 'mirable 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 tie duty of man to earn his
bread in the sweat of his face, it becomes
the grat duty of civil government to foster
industry. All laws, therefore, which
place a premium upon idleness, whether
OF men or money, unjustly 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 OIL
paper, should be issued by the supreme
authority of the nation, and be made 8
full legal tender in payment of all debts
public and private.
The system which now prevails, gives
into the hands of banking corporations alb
solute control over the volume Of the cur
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 Oft the
bonds the banks must 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 o
banks of issue, and the substitution of lie
gal tender treasury notes for their circula
lion. Pay the bonds according to con
tract, and as rapidly as possible.
Seven hundred millions of the public
debt become rcdeemable at the option O
the goverement during this and the ensu
ing year. Two funding bills are now pen
ding before congress-one introduced b,
the Democratic, and the other by the Re
publican leader of the house, whereby 1t l
proposed to deprive the people OF twent.
and thirty years of lawful right to pa.
said bonds. This is crime against the la
borer and the tax payer and should caus
wide spread alarm among all classes.
The annual surplus revenues, and tn
idle coin now in the treasury, and tha
which must continue to accumulate, if the
silver law approved Feb. IS 1878, shall b
honestly enforced, are ample to pay ever,
dollar of the seven hundred millions, botl
principal and interest, within the next si1
| wears. There is not the slightest excuse
for funding these bonds, except 10 perpet
uate the debt as the basis of an iniqultou
banking monopoly. 1t must be apparen
to all that the great moneyed institutions
and other corporations, now have coniro
of nearly every department of the govern
ment, and are fast swallowing up the prof
its of labor and reducing the people to {
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 classe
in America: First the producers; second
those who manufacture our raw material
and prepare them for use; third, the dia
tributors of these products. Each shoult
be protected in the legitimate fruits ant
profits of their labor, but should not b.
permitted to extort from and enslave tn
other.
The great problem of our civilization
is, how to bring the producer and consu
mer together. This can only be done b.
providing an adequate circulating medium
and by rigid regulation Of inter state com
merce and transportation. This was wisel,
forseen by the trainers of the constitution
and accordingly by the Stb section of arti
Gle first, congress is clothed with powe
"To regulate commerce with foreign ma
tions and among the states" This powe
: imposes a corresponding duty upon con
gress to see that 1t is enforced.
The two great agents Of commerce ar
money and transportation. 1t Is undenla
BILE that both ofthese great agents are I'm
der the absolute control of the monopolies
By controlling the volume of the money
tie banks fix the price of all labor an
i
render competitor impossible, and contro
absolutely the price of transportation.
This places the people between the up
per and neither millstones, and grinds then
to poverty and ruin. 1t results in tn
wholesale robbery of both producer an,
consumer Who is able to controvert thi
stupendous fact? Farmers, plantere, an
laboring men of the United States, / be
Seech you TO open your eyes at once to thi
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 o.
hese great questions.
The Republican and Democratic plat
forms are either silent with regard t.
these vital issues, or they have pronounced
in favor of the monopoles and against tn
people. With fifty millions of peop
| iookinp them in the face and pleading 70