Weekly Chillicothe crisis. (Chillicothe, Livingston Co., Mo.) 1878-19??, 1881-08-11
HON. {. P. ALLIS,
A Letter of Acceptance which Contain
Thoughts that Breathe and Words
that Burn -

and one that will stir the Wisconsin
Greenbackers to an activity that has
not been witnessed in that state for
many years:
Gentlemen of the State Central Com
mittce; A few days ago, contrary to
my express wishes, the National party
of Wisconsin, in convention at water
town, nominated me as a candidate for
governor, at the fall election. AS l
have as yet made no response to that
nomination, it seems fitting and proper
that l should do so to this audience,
and through them to the people of the
state.
| said the nomination was contrary
TO my express wishes, and may add al
so to my great grief, for high as the Of
flee is, and great as the compliment, l
do not wish it, even if it were possible
to attain it, and moreover the ordinary
accompaniments of political campaign
are very distasteful to me.
In view of all the circumstances of
the case, can but ask, why it is, gen
tlemen, that with two parties in the
lield-parties having the prestige of
battles won, of notable reforms, pro-
jected or accomplished, through decades
of years, and with hundreds of willing
candidates at hand-why is it then, l
say, that, contrary to custom, third
party places an unwilling candidate
before you? Their chances to elect him
is so feeble that it does not express the
significance of the movement, and we
must search elsewhere than probable
success for its real meaning,
The spirit which has prompted this
movement, gentlemen, is not to elect
governors, or build up parties, but is
deeper than any party, and is above
personal ambition or greed of power Or
place. 1t is not in America alone that
the common order of things is dis
turbed, but in all nations of the earth
the cry is going up and the people are
gathering. In Russia, absoluteism is
trembling before the invisible Nihilists.
In Germany, Socialism is the ghost that
haunts Imperialism. Poor Ireland, to-
day, like Tantalus of old, is starving in
the midst of plenty, and in her distress
is gathering sympathy and power, and
England-the mother of oppression
if she will but look, can read the hand
writing on the wall.
"Every child born into the world
has an inborn right to the use of Gods
free gifts TO man, in his air, his water
and his land, and to the untrammeled
fruits of his own industry and toll"
In our own land, though republic,
the mlrmurs and mutterings have be-
gun and are growing louder and deeper,
and occasionally breaking out in Ill
timed threats. In this great country,
stretching from the rising Of the sun
to its going down, and from the pole TO
the equator, with its mountains sweat
ing richness and its valleys flowing fat
ness-here, among fifty million strong
and willing freeman, is there complaint
and of injustice and oppression and of
unnecessary suffering want and crime.
Here, also, where every man is theoret-
ically the peer of every other man, does
the cry 90 up to Heaven, that the rule
of the people is perverted and brought
to naught and that their interests are
but puppets in the hands of parties and
of accumulated power. Searching for
The truth of this charge, what is the
laly that we see at this moment
in the capital of our nation. our hon
ored president, elected by a majority
of ourselves, lies nuttering between
life and death, the victim of an assas.
sins bullet. The wretch who did this
vile deed was neither robber, mur-
derer, or lunatic, but simply poverty
stricken, idle, disappointed oflice-seeker
one of the large and growing class in
our country. In the neighboring city
of New York, we also see at this mo-
ment, a man who, sitting in his Office
with q single word or click of an in
strument, can convulse this continent
man who is not responsible to the
people, yet who owns and controls the
main arteries of their civilization fol
his single benefit and behoof. In these
same two cities and the nsighborine
one at Albany, during the last few
weeks, we have seen distinguished
and honored statesman in lordly pet
tear off and cast behind him that robe
which should have been more honored
in America than was the ancient Ro
mans Sacred Toga, and himself ther
plunge headlong into the foul and dirty
arena in fierce and disgraceful scram
BILE for its repossession. These three
men, representing as they do the three
common phases in our land of abject
and criminal idleness and poverty; Of
greedy, grasping monopoly, and of lord
ly usurpation of power and place, art
but extreme types of the social and
political disorder, that skulks at mid
night and struts at MONDAY through
our land. For months just passed oul
senate itself, the supposed concentra
ton of our wisdom, our dignity, ant
our patriotism, sat and wrangled by
day and by night, over the division Of
apportionment Of the spoils of the ma
ton. If from His high throne the AL
mighty ever had cause to blush for hi
children, it must be when he looked OF
the degeneracy upon which had fallel
the mantles of Jefferson and Calhoun
Of Webster and of Clay.
The legitimate results of all thi
would be: the material interests of tn
people neglected Or abused, and tn
model republic of the world, drifted o
driven upon dangers both seen and un
seen. 1t is not for us to dispute o
question the wisdom or even the pos
sibility of a rule by the people. Gu
ancestors have decreed that here il
America the issue must be tried, an,
the people shall rule, and it remain
for us to carry out that work regard
less of all else. II institutions, or Gus
toms, or laws, or rights have arisen in
imical to a government of the people
by the same peaceable means these in
stitutions, customs, laws and right
must be changed, amended or abro
gated.
There is no half way ground tenabl
in this matter. The rights Of the pee
pie are paramount, the law and custor
must be made TO correspond. If th
good Of the people is sacrificed TO th
party, the party must die, and if mono