The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1884-06-21
THE POLITICAL FIELD.
eUTLER's LETTER OF ACCEPTANCE
Action of Several Democratic State Con.
ventions- Conference Of Independents
The Colorado Senatorship-
Other News
BUTLER ACCEPTS.

lOIuldl announcement VI HIS uoiuInatiOh Wy
the Greenback National Convention, Cen
eral Butler says:
LOWELL, Mass, June E.-GENTLEMEN OF
THE COMMITTEE: received at your hands the
official announcement of the action of the
convention at indianapolis with deep sensi
bIlity. In the ordinary course of political
events the choice Of convention OF repre-
sentative men of any considerable portion
me this the highest, honor they
full Acknowledgements, even though it
might be selection TO represent the
which commonly divide political parties.
Views upon such questions may have been
Inherited, or an outgrowth or measures merely
OF administration. The great questions you
present are higher and grander than any
mere political measure. Nearly quarter
o. century ago when the very very t ex,
establishment of a democratic representa-
tive Government hung trembling upon
the issue of the greatest civil war the world
had ever known or may ever know, by the
wisdom born of an imperious necessity finan-
clal system sprung from patriotic impulse
TO save the Nations life and rescue the hope
of free institutions for all men from gong
down forever in darkness and death. II was
devised by the great and good men OF that
day To whose care the Republican Govern
ment, to be administered for the people and by
the people had been conided. That system OF
finance for a free people in its infancy saved
the life OF the Nation,perislnng without it;and
broke the chains which eDslaved four million
men. 1t gave this country, with war raging, a
prosperity it had never known. Ii enabled
the people to assess upon the nnselves ana pay
taxes of AN extent before unknown IN any
country. 1t made it possible for the Govern,
ment to repay threetold all loans it received
from any creditor, or gave to him Sc
ever issued by any power in the world,
and made the financial system OF our
Government at once the envy and admra-
ton of all men, This was done by the lega-ten-
der currency. While questions as TO its sta
bilty were raised by the very form of egisla-
ton by which il was enacted aud while still
erayer doubts prevailed in the minds of many
wise patriotic men whether legatender
currency. inexpensive i'll fact resting not
which it was coined was within the con-
stitutional competeney ana power OF
the Legislative branches Of the
been three times s1bmRted to the
Supreme Court of the United States. the very
highest tribunal of the country, was at last
decided in the affirmative with such unanim-
ity that there might be no reasonable doubt
against it. one purpose OF your organization
and of those who thought and acted with you,
although not OF it, was to support and sustain
this money as currency OF the people. This
peoples currency, you will remember,
did myself the honor to say that the currency
80 commended by the merit OF its great deeds
wrought for the peoples safety and pros
perity. enacted by the highest legislative
power, adjudicated by such a court ana the
decision aboutto be realtirmed, was an accom-
plished fact never again to be disturbed or
doubted, so that it's friends might well say:
See, che end of our labors in this regard has
come, SO let us rejoice; let those who aided IN
this great work press on, and deal with equally
important unsettled and necessary measures
for the welfare of the whole people The
legal tenGer, having become the very founda-
ton of as well as IA measure of value inter
twined with all busin SIS of the people, the en-
CINE of the prosperity of the Nation,it seems To
me almost "a act of cruelty again TO disturb
finn nj
been set AT rest with the assent OF
all good mcn--as much so as was the ques-
ton of the night of man to hold his brother
man in slavery. Therefore | said | was
glad that that que stion was no iongera part in
political consideration. and statemanship may
now turn from it as the. country has turned
from the questions of slavery and war: but
alas the power of the darkness of error.
The resurrecuonisis of taise IDEAS of the dead
past have dug up the moldering remains OF
contention from peaceful graves where
they slept, aud threaten by rehaSh
of explored resolutions formulated into
platform by "A party convention, to
reyivity and agiJate controversies which
will unScttle commercial values, hinder
and delay the business energies OF CDR peo-
pie, with apparently but a single object-to
extend system OF purely paper currency IS
sued by corporations, established by the GOV
eminent. Indeed, but for private emolument
and gain to the COrporatOrS which currency
itself is to be valuable only because it is made
redeemable in the very greenback which this
ghoul-ke agitation seeks to repudiate, over
Jackson, with the prescence aud wisdom OF
a statesman, by the iron hand of a soldier
sustained By the Democracy of more than
generation ago, had wholly crushed out, and
in the hope of the wise and good had buried
forever, as one of the grievous errors OF an
Administration which had nsidiously crept
into the Government for the ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
of few to the destruction OF people. As a
Democrat taught in the jackson school in my
early youth. with my judgment matured by
many years converse IN public affairs, aided
by earnest and deep study with an intensity of
purpose which topic of such magnitude, al
fecting every interest of the pcople-nay, 1t
may be, the very existence of free institu-
tions-demandS, am constrained, were II the
last act OF my life, in view OF TINS attempt 10
undo what Jackson had so well done, coming
gentlemen, that there seems wisdom,
indeed, necessity. for the further
continuance of your organization IN
fore upon this condensation am with you.
And if there were but two of us we ought TO
stand together against this great wrong and
call upon all true men to stand with us, either
inside or outside as the case may be. of other
political organizations which may aim to per-
feet other measures for the good of the coun-
thank you for your suggestion that in 9th
err matters toward which your organization
turns-the interests of labor, the preservation
of the lands of the people for the benent or
the people, the contro! of agencies created by
the Government to be used for the good of
the people, to regulate and control u system
of interstate commerce which shall control
and cheaper the transportation of persons,
freight and intelligence, and To protect
all in their just rights and confne all to their
true duties, to the end that there may be in
this country equality OF rights, eqalty OF bur,
dens equality of privileges, and equality of
powers to all persons under the law-have
been the political rule of my life. have the
honor to be, with personal esteem, very re-
spectfully your friend and servant
BENJAMIN +. BUTLER.
THE INDEPENDENTS.
NEW YORK. June 1S-The Boston Com
mittee of Independent Republicans met
their brethren of New York and Brooklyn
yesterday. George William Curtis was
chairman Of the meeting. Carl Sehurz in
troduced a series of resolutions identical
with those passed at the Boston meeting,
with an addition providing for a committee
to take up the work of organization In the
Eastern and Western States The general
sentiment of the meeting was that the en-
tire body Of Independents would vote for
vOOd DonNcraf Snch CLEVELAND Or