West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1884-06-27
BUTLER'S RESPONSE.
The Greenback Nominee for Presiden.
Acknowledge it, Announcement ny
Expression of Ills Views ON the Currsn
80 Question.

NEW YORK, June FIN response 70 tn,
formal announcement OF his nomination by
the committee Of the Greenback National
Convention, General Butler says:
LOWELL. MASS, June ~ 1884.
GENrLHMES OF THE Conventional re-
celyed at your hands Official announcement
OF the action of the convention al lndianapO
lis with deep s"usibility. I'm the ordinary
course of political events the choice of q
convention of representative men Of any
considerable portion Of my fplow-citiLcns
according To mc this the highest honor they
can confer. would CAL for grateful acknowL
cdgemcnt, even though IL might be a sclec
ton To represent the thought Of such Convcn.
ton upon questions which commonly divide
The political parties. Views upon such QucE-
tons may have been inherited. or be an out
growth of measures merely of administration.
Tue great questions you present are higher
hhd grsndcr than any mere political measure.
Nearly a quarter Of century ago, when the
very existence of the Republic, and the cstab-
lishmcnt of democratic representative Gov
ernnent hung trembling upon the issue of the
greatest civil war the world had ever known,
or may ever know, 10y the wisdom born OF inn
perious necessity q financial system, spring
ing IRON patriotic impulse to save the Ma
ttons life, and rescue the hope of free institu-
tions, for all men from going down forever in
darkness aud death. was devised by the great
and good men of that day, to whose care the
Republican Government, To be administered
Tor the people and by the people, had been
Con6dcd
That system of finance, for free people I'm
It's infancy saved the life of the nation per
enslavcd four million men. II gave this Coun-
Try WIN war raging, prosperity II had
never known. II enabled the people to assess
upon themselves and pay taxes of an extent
before unknown in any country. II made IL
possible for the Government TO repay three
lOid all II received in loans from any creditor,
or gave to him security more profitable and
staple than ever issued by amy power in the
world, and made the financial system of our
Government at once the envy and admiration
of all men.
This was done 10y a lcgal-tcnder currency,
while questions as to its ability were raised by
The very form of legislation by which IL wag
enacted, and while still gravcr doubts prevail
IN the minds of many wise, patriotic men
whether leRH-tCndCr currency, incNpcD-
slNe IN TACT resting not on the intrinsic value
oil the material on which IL was coined WA
within the constitutional competency and
power OF the Legislative branches of the Gov
eminent.
That question having been three times SUB
mittcd to the Supreme Court of the United
states, the very highest tribunal of Constitu-
tional construction, was at last decided i'm the
aihrrnative with such unanimity as to show
that there might have been possible a reason
able doubt against II.
One purpose of your organization, and OF
those who thought und acted with YOU al
though not of IL, was to support and sustain
this money as the currency of the people. This
peoples currency, you well say, was desig-
mated ny It's friends by the pet name of the
"RrCcnback."
Two years ago did myself the honor to say
that currency so commended 10y the merit
OF It's great deeds, wrought for the peoples
safety and rOsp'rity, enacted by the highest
legislative power adjudicatcd by such n
court, and the decision about TO hc TcHtiirmcd.
was AN accomplished fact, never again to be
disturbed or doubted; SO that its friends
might well say: see, the end of our lubors
IN inns regard has come; let us rejoice, let
those who aided ia this great work press on
TO deal with equally important, unsettled and
necessary measures for the welfare of the
whole people
The lcgnl-tcndcr having become the very
Foundation OF, as well as a measure OF value,
entertained with all the business of the pco-
nTOsngTltN
seems to me almost an act of cruelty again to
dIsturh' Caus"lcsSly, financial question
which has been set at rest with the assent
OF All good men, n much as was the qucs-
ton OF the right of man 20 hold his brother
man i'm slavery
Therefore, | said, 81 am glad that this cues
ton rs no longer a part in political considera-
ton, and craftsmanship may now turn from
IT, as the country has turned from the ques-
uons of slavery and war" But alas the
power OF the darkness of the hour. The TJ,sur-
rcctiouists of false ideas of the dead past dug
up the moldering remains of contention from
the peaceful graves whore they silent and
threaten, by a rchash of exploded resolutions
formulated into platform by q party con
Yention, 10 rcvivity and agitate controversies
which Will unScttlc commercial values and
hinder and delay the business energies of our
people, with apparently but single object, to
extend system OF purely paper CURRENCY is
sued by corporations, established 10y the Gov
ernmcnt indeed, but for private cmolument
anu gam TO the cOrpOratOrs, which currency
r. made valuable only because il is made re-
deemablc i'm the very grccnbacks which this
throw and destroy.
Such currency, Andrew Jackson, with the
prcScicnCc and wisdom of u statesman, 10y the
iron hand OF the soldier, sustained by the
Democracy of more than a generation aRo
had wholly crushed out. and i'm the hope OF
the wise and good had buried forever as one
OF the Rrcyious errors of administration which
had insidiously crcpt into the Govern
ment for the ACKNOWLEDGMENT Of q few to-
the destruction of the people. As "A
Democrat, taught in the Jackson
school nm my carly youth, with my Judgment
maturcd by many years converse in public
affairs, aided by earnest and deep study with
me intensity Of purpose which u topic of such
magnitude, affecting every interest of the
propc-nHy. II may bC the very existence of
free institutions demands I am constrained
were n tn" last act of my life i'm view OF this
attempt To undo what Jackson had 20 well
done, coming from whatsoever quarter il may
20 say To- you, gentlemen there seems
n wisdom, indeed necessity for the further
continuance of your organization I'm this RI.
ncwcd cXigcncy. and therefore upon this con.
hesitation am with YOU. And ~ there were
but Two OF us. We ought 10 stand together
true mon 10 stand with ms. either inside or out
side as the case may be, OF the other political
organizations which may aim TO perfect other
measures for the good of the country
thauk you for your suggestion that in
other matters toward which your organization
turns IN interest OF labor: the preservation
OF the lands of the people for the benefit of
the people; the control of the agencies created
BY the Government 10 be- used for the good of
the people. ~ regulate and control a system
OF interstate commerce, which shall
cOniFol ana cheaper the trduspOrtat
OF persons, freight and intelligence aud 10
protect uli boo their just rights and COnnuc all
20 their true duties, 20 the end that there may
DC in this country equality of rights. cuualit.
Of burdens, equality of privileges ana equal
tty Of powers 10 HIl persons under the IHw-ha-
becu the political ruic OF my life. ] have the
honor 20 hr, with personal esteem, very re-
specially your friend and servant
bENJAMtS T. BUTLER.