Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1884-08-20
BEN BUFFERS LETTER.

wire, it being about eight columns
long. We have read and find it not of
sufficient interest to publish in full to
the exclusion of all other matter. lie
arraigns the Democratic party for its
action at Chicago, declaring and show
ing that their platform is one of expe-
diency rather than one of principle.
He also devoies two or three columns
to the short comings of the Republic
can party and concludes that the only
chance for an honest party would be
in the combination of all parties with
Ben Butler as its head. lie lays plans
and suggests ways to defeat both par
ties, or cheat one or the other out of a
part of the electoral vote in each state.
Having been a member of every exis-
ting party he speaks from the card.
After showing his course ut the
Democratic National convention and
how he tried to get some of his views
into the platform and couldn't, he
saws:
The country has had no experience
for nearly quarter Of a century OF
what the Democracy wOnld do if they
had the power, so the people are
obliged TO require the most explicit
pledges from them of intended action,
before we can put the government in
their hand. But the farmer and the
laboring man do know that Demo-
cratic house of representatives has
just appropriated more money than
any other house of Republicans ever
appropriated in time of peace. We
also know that the Democratic major
itv would have made free trade
tariff, containing all the Odious fea-
lures of the present war tariff, so far
as regards its monstrOus Inequalities,
by horizontal reduction Of the tariff
to break down very many rising and
struggling industries, and destruction
of the homes of our wOrkingmen and
the home markets of the American
producers.
Who does not know that the very
| fear of The action of the Democracy
in congress has SO paralpzed American
enterprise and business, that mills are
everywhere closing, mines shut up,
furnaces blown out, and every kind of
employment so curtailcd that the me-
chanic and working men are not earn
ing enough TO support life in comfort;
so that the farmer even, deprived OF ii
home market, and crushed down by
discriminating rates of transpOrta
ton, finds his corn, wheat and wool
lower than it has been within the pres
ent generation. Can the people there
fore trust the machine Democracy with
power, upon shifting, evasive and
deceptive platform!
He then shows up the Republican
party in his peculiar fashion, and
gives his reasons for advising his
friends not to vote the Republican
ticket. As 10 how he would have his
friends do, he says:
| In framing your electoral ticket,
make fusion in all the states with the
supposed minority, and make it upon
this theory; not that you are going to
vote for the electors of any candidate
opposed TO your interests, not that the
friends of the other candidate are go
ing to vote for yours, but agree that
YOU will run the same electoral ticket,
provided the electors who compose il
are as they ought TO be, reputable
men who will be bound by their hon
orable undertakings, which is all there
is that binds the electoral college TO
vote in any direction and then have
il agreed that the electoral vote of the
state shall be divided in the electoral
college according to the number of
votes thrown your candidate, and the
number of votes thrown for the other
candidate on the same ticket. The
number of votes which each candidate
gets will be known with substantial
accuracy long before the Off ciai
count is made. Therefore you will
have every incentive to vote for
YOUR candidate because the larger
number of votes you cast the more
electoral votes will your candidate get,
and the less will the other have. And
those who are voting for the same
electors with YOU will throw as many
votes As they can for their candidate
in order that he shall have rs large a
IA share Of the electoral vote of the
state as possible, neither in fact voting
Tor the candidate of the other. Thus
you will show your strength and hold
the balance OF power.
He publishes the following note at
the close Of his address.
NoTE-l have issued this address AT
an earlier day than had intended. at
the desire of my manv trusted and
valued friends. but somewhat against
my own judgment, because | think
that the peoples campaign should be a
short, sharp and decisive one, and
should not be begun in fact. except
perhaps, skirmi>h or two, until
some thirty days later; and had
hoped to have had the advantage of
a distinct statement of principles by
the Democratic candidate for the
presidency, and ascertained from his
own declarations whether recanting
some of his public opinions he might
not show himself better than the Off
cial action of his party has shown IL