Daily Kennebec journal., 1884-05-30
POLITICAL.
HAPPY BEN.
Butler Receives the Empty Honor for
President by the National Green.
back C0nvention-SolOn Chase
Gets Two Votes-rhc
Platform.
INDIANAPOLIS, Nav %.


The national greenback convention reas.
sembled at 10 A. NJ. Gen. Weaver presid
ing.
resolution extending sympathy TO union
printers and organized lsbo-s in '.boycotting
fight against the New York Tribune. was read
and referred.
The committee on resolutions made re.
ports.
The minority reports. made by Jones of
New York and Blanchard of Michigan, was
read first.
The report of Blanchard is meeting with
enthusiastic approval for the stand he took
in favor of temperance and woman suffrage
The Jones report differed from the major.
ity report in demanding while Congress shall
issue full legal tender notes they shall be
used in the payment of government debts.
constructing improvements TO reduce trans
portation charges, completing public build
ings, building a navy and for each other pur-
poses as Congress is asked to appropriate
money until the surplus labor is employed, a
profitable home market for the products of
American farms and workshops created and
busin ess done Ion a cash basis
Jones did not insist on the views and there
was no split on the platform.
The majority report contained a lengthy
preamble among other things saying that
Congress had repealed over Sl2, 900 600 an
nual taxes for banks, throwing the burden on
the people to pay the interest thereon Fol-
is the platform:
The first resolution holds the late decision
OF the supreme court on the legal tender
question to be full vindication of the theory
which the greenback party always advocated
and establishes the authority of Congress
over the issue of legal tender notes and de-
nds thn hcts A< e.
national bank notes.
The second resolution denounces as dan
gerous to republican institutions those meth
DDS and policies of the democratic and repub-
lican parties which have sanctioned or per-
mitted the establishment of land, railroad
money and other gigantic corporate monopo-
lies.
The third denounces the policy which has
granted corporations vast tracts of lands, and
demands that they be reclaimed for the peo-
pies use and benefit; also that the alien own
ershp of land, individual or corporate, be
prohibited.
Fourth-Demands congressional regulation
of interstate commerce, denounces the
'poOling" of stock watering and discrmina-
ton in rates and charges, and advocates the
construction of national railroads; also de-
mands the establishment of government
postal telegraph spstem.
Fifth-Demands graduated income tax.
Sixth-Demands the amelioration of the
condition of labor by enforcing sanitary laws
of industrial establishments by the abolition
Of the convict labor system and by abolshing
child labor.
Seventh-Condemns all importation of con-
tracted labor with a view to reduce to starva-
ton wages the workmen of this country.
Eighth-Insist on a constitutional amend
ment reducing the terms of United senators.
Hinth-Demands such rules for the gov
ernment of Congress as shall place all repre-
sentatives of the people on an equal footing
and take away from the committees a veto
power greater than that of the president
Tenth-Declares that the tariff question
has agitated business for 100 years and as
serts it never will be settled unless by aboli-
ton of indirect taxation. This resolution
concludes by saving, give our farmers and
manufacturers money as cheaply as you now
give it to bankers and they can pay high
wages to labor and compete with all the
world.
Eleventh-For the purpose of testing the
sense of the people, the greenback party is in
favor of submitting to vote the amendment
to the constitution in favor of suffrage, re-
gardless of sex. and also on the subject of
the liquor traffic.
Twelfth-It demands that all the disabled
soldiers of the war be equitably pensioned.
Thirteenth-It appeals to all people who
believe in the greenback principles to aid
their cause by their voice and vote.
The majority report was adopted, and the
convention proceeded to select candidates
for president and vice president.
The roll of States was called and C. f.
Cunningham of Arkansas nominated Gen. B.
f. Butler, which was seconded by Chase of
Cal, and by representatives of other States
until Georgia was reached when Carver of
that State nominated Jesse Harper of Ills.
Jones of New York nominated E. P. Allis
Wisconsin.
Atwood of Penn. nominated T. B. Arms
trong of Penn.
The ballot resulted in 1923 votes for Butler;
9s for Harper and few for other candidates.
Solon Chase, although not placed in nom
ination, received two votes.
General Butler was declared the nominee.
General A. NJ. West of Mississippi was
nominated for vice president by acclamation.
committee was appointed to wait on
Generals Butler and West and notify them
of the action of the convention.
The convention then adjourned