The Labor enquirer., 1884-08-23
BUTLER's ADDRESS. %
The Peoples Candidate for President
Writes Letter to His Constituency
Clearly Defining His Position.
The Record of the Old Parties Held Up
3, Viens-Both are Enemies Of
The Workingmen,

oft-reoe and anxious inquiries, naSten
to give account of my stewardship OF the
politi sal interests with which I was charged.
They were four:
L. Hostility to all monopolies in COM
merce, industries and lands. t:
2. The preservation of the national legal
tender currency of the people, constitution
ally issued by congress. . r.&-
s. The needs of all men and women who
labor in thu production Of wealth, to be
protected ag ainst ttheencroachments OF those
who absorb and consume without pro-
duciEg. - = asS-
- 4 The necessity for reform and correction
of abuses in government, so thas its pressure
on the people would be made as light as pos
sible--its administration effective to guard
the rights OF American citizens at home and
abroad-to lnakeS >lic servants, individual
or incorporate, subservient to the use and
will Of the people only, SO as to restore the
prosperity Of the country, with equal rights,
equal burdens, equal powers, and equal
privileges OF all people. t,,.,,.a ,,I...
: These latter were specially conhded TO me
by the Democratic masses Of Massachusetts,
to- whom alone owe grateful duty for high
consideration and support during years OF
effort in the reform of government, but to
no Democrstic organization whatever. They
were to be presented to the National Demo-
cratic convention for its acceptance and
adoption as the axioms of Democratic rule
as practiced by our fathers. .
/ had intended if these great principles OF
government, by the people and for the peo-
Bile ollv, hsd been cordially received, and
earnestly and honestly adopted by that con-
yention as the political chart Of the Demo
cratic party to have permitted my name to
be presented to the convention for the
-suffr..ges of the people as chief executive to
administer and carry forward the necessary
measures, in which case l should have been
bound BY ita action to support both its
PLATFORM AND NOMINEES.
That l should be placed,in that high posi-
ton l knew was the will of the 15O,Oe9
voters of that common wealth, who had eI-
pressed their confidence by their votes so
could have been a delegate to that conven-
ton if he had dared to breathe aloud that
he was opposed either to the principles l
represented or to my personal candidature.
In thus doing the will of those who sent
me, sought none of the honors of the con-
yention, and interfered with none OF its pro-
ceediags, save to serve as member OF It's
committee ON what should have been its
platform of principles, and not OF expedl-
ents.
Owing to On accident without fault of any
one, reached that committee only after 1t
had teen some hours in session. and then
foune! by solemn vote twice over, that it was
equally divided upon the question whether
in raising the moneys necessary for an hon.
est and econ omical carrying ON of the govern
ment the Democratic party would pledge
itself to tax the people in such manner
only as wolld best promote American en-
terprtse and industry and foster aad cherish
American labor. This division was shown by
repeated votes of eighteen states to eighteen
states in the choice as, chairman one who
should represent the affirmative or negative
of that vital proposition. The committee
failing to elect chairman, remained under
its temporary chairman during the remain
der of its deliberations, with the under
standing that after tariff plank should be
agreed upon, either one or the other OF the
two candidates, Messrs: Converse, OF Ohio,
or Morrison, of Illinois, should be elected
permanent chairman ana present plat.
form to the convention, the tariff plank OF
which should most nearly accord with his
views. - 49,
To find myself holding the controlling
vote in a committee on resolutions Of q
Democratic National convention was not
new or unt1ied position. l had held that
position twenty7four years before in the
charleston convention of 1860, and there
was obliged by my convictions to differ from
both sides. I then presented second mi.
nority report of one which was
ADOPTED BY THE CONVENTION.
At Chicago a subcommittee of eight was
chosen and directed to prepare tarlh
pIanE and submit it to the committee. In
that subcommittee presented a series OF
resolutions which may be thus summar-
lied:
/ That no more revenue should be raised
by any form of taxation than absolutely
necessary for the expenses of the govern
ment. e.
2. That such revenue should be raised by
tariff on imports.
8 That all material used in arts and man
nfactnres, and the necessaries of life not pro-
duce,i in this country, should come in free
but laxuries should be taxed TO the highest
possible point. IL, r. -,
: 1 That the internal revenue tax upon
liouurs. distilled and fermented, and tobac-
co being a war tax, should be sacredly de-
voted to relieve the people from the remain
ing burdens of the war, to wit, the care and
comfort or relief of soldiers disabled in the
wars of the republic, and paying such pen
sions as congress should from time to time
allow such soldiers, and paid into fund for
that purpose, a like fund having been pro-
vided for our sailors. - :,
5. That the laws imposing duties for rev.
enue should be so adjusted as best to pro
mote American enterprise and American in
dustry, to cherish and foster American la
Dor, and not create monepolies,
On submitting these resolutions to the
subcommittee, the first four articles were
agreed to without division, but the fifth,
declaring the duty of the government to so
lay taxes as best TO promote American en-
terprise and American industry and cherish
and foster American labor, failed of. adop-
ton by vote of four to four. : -
From that hour any candidature of mine
in that contention became to me impossible.
The defest of any possible nominee of the
party upon free-trade platform seemed to
me inevitable, even if net desirable. The
influences which caused the change of three
votes out OF seven clearly rs 80
FoRRsHApowED THE NOMINEE.
At the next meeting of my delegation l
requested that my name be not presented,
and Suggested to them to favor the nomina-