The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1884-08-19
BEN BUTLER'S BILLET.
The Cock.eyed Candidate States His
Political Position.
AND ACCEPTS ALL NOMINATIONS
lie Talks About Democratic and Republi-
can Corruption, the Beauties of
Anti-Monopoly, the Virtues
OF Greenbackers, Etc.

i Noluilllnous one, ana is herewith given
nearly in full, only few eliminations of
minor Importance being made:
THE ADDRESS.
| To my Constituents
In compliance with oft-repeated and
anxious inquiries, | hasten to give ac-
count of my stewardship of the political
interests with which / was charged.
They were four:
First--Hostilitie to all monopolies in
commerce, industries, and lands.
Second-lrhe preservation of the ma
tlonal legal tender currency of the peo-
pie, constitutionally issued by Congress.
Ihird-The needs of all men and wo-
men who labor in the production of
wealth, to be protected against The en-
croachihents OF those who absorb and
consume without producing.
Fourth-The necessity for reform and
that its pressure on the people would he
made as light as possible; its adminis-
tration effective, to guard the rights of
American citizens at home and abroad
TO make public servants, individual or
incorporate, subservient to tho use and
VIII oil the people only, so rs to restore
the prosperity of the country, with equal
rights, equal burdens, equal powors and
equal privileges of all people.
These latter were specially confided
to me by the Democratic masses OF Mas
sachusetts, to whom alone | owe CRATE
Iul duty for high consideration and sun
port during years of effort in the reform
OF government, but to no Democratic
organization whatever. They were to
be presented to the National Demo-
cratlc convention for its acceptance and
adoption as the axioms Of Democratic
rule as practced by our fathers.
had intended ifthese great principles
OF Government, by the people and for
the people only, had been cordially re-
ceived, and earnestly and honestly
adopted by that convention as the polit-
ical chart OF the Democratic party. To
have permitted my name to be presented
TO the convention for the suifraQes of
tho people as Chief Executive To admin
lister and carry forward the NECESSARY
measures; in which case should have
been bound by its action to support both
its platform and nominees.
That L should be placed in that high
position | knew was the will of the
10000 voters OF that Commonwealth,
who had expressed their confidence by
thelr votes so unanimously that no man
| rom that State could have been dele
gate to that convention IL he had dared
to breathe aloud that he was opposed
either to the principles / represent or 10
my personal candidature.
In thus doing the will OF those who
sent me, sought none of the honors of
the convention, and interfered with
none OF It's proceedings, save to serve as
a member of its committee on what
should have been its platform of prinoi-
| pies, and not of expedients.
Owing to an incident without fault of
any one, reached that committee ONLY
after II had been some hours In session.,
and then found by solemn vote twice
over, that II was equally divided upon
the question whether in raising the
moneys necessary for an honest and
economical carrying on of tho Govern
nent, the Democratic party would
pledge itself TO tax the people in such
| manner only as would best promote
American enterprise and American in
dustry, and foster and cherish Ameri-
can labor. This division was shown by
repeated votes of eighteen States TO
eighteen states in the choice as chairman,
one who should represent the afirma.
tive or negative of that vital proposition,
| The committee falling TO elect a chair
man, remained under its Temporary
chairman during the remainder of its
deliberations with the understanding
that after a tariff plank should be agreed
upon, either one or the other of the two
candidates, Messrs. Converse, OF Ohio, or
Morrison, of Illinois, should bo elected
permanent chairman and present plat
| FORM TO the convention, the tariff plank
OF Whlch should most nearly accord
with his views.
To find myself holding the controlling
vote in a Committee on Resolutions of n
Democratic National convention was
not new or untried position. | held
that position twenty-four years before in
the Charleston convention in 1860 and
There ! was obliged by my convictions
10 d'tler from both sides. | then pre-
scented second minority report of one
which was adopted by the convention.
AZ Chicago subcommittee of eight
was chosen, and directed to prepare n
tariff plank, and submit il to the com
miuee. In that sub-committee | pre-
sented a series of resolutions. Mr.. But
Ter then proceeds to summarize the plat
form presented by him ut Chicago which
has been before published.
from that hour any candidature OF
ihine IN that convention became to me
impossible.
The defeat of any possible nominee of
the party upon free.trade platform
| seemed TO me inevitable, even IL not de-
sirable. The influences which caused
the change OF three votes out of seven
| clearly fOreshadowed the nominee.
Az the next meeting of my delegation
j requested that my name be not pre-
sented, and suggested to them to favor
the nomination of gentleman whose
length OF public service and long ac-
quaintance with public affairs, and
whose prior consideration in other DEM
ocratic conventions showed that he had
some claims to be considered Demo-
cratic statesman. All of the delegation
who remained faithful to their constit-
uents, and represented the Massachu-
setts Democracy, so voted, and with true
fnsIS'tnGS rmIy in tSo anu ana propriety so stood
Then ensued in the committee strug.
gle of many hours so to frame tarifi
plank that should appear to say what
mine said, and yet not say it, and APP
pear to say the contrary, and yet not
say IL; like the western hunter who
tried To shoot his rifle at something he
dimly saw stirring in the bush, so as TO
hit II II IL was n deer and mss IL ifit was
calf,
With this struggle of ingenuity and
deception, as il for "a prize, of course, |
had nothing tO do, but simply stood hy
my guns. My resolutions were never
again voted upon in the committee, nor
was the tariff resolution in the words in
which IL was presented to the conven-
tion agreed upon In the SUBCOMMITTEE
nt all, but was amended aftor il was
presented to the general committee. Ii
will be observed that mine was substan-
TALLY the Ohio tariff plank, which, when
offered by Mr.. Converse in the general
committee, was also voted down.
although II had been adopted by many
State conventions.
FULL CONSIDERATION NOT PERMITTED.
! ssThrough the courtesy of the Chairman
OF the committee, and by personal in
tercession, obtained the boon of thirty
minutes to present and discuss a charter
! OF the peoples rights Mt an hour crowd
ing on midnight, but before Il could be
printed and laid before the convention,
and with the refusal OF the convention
TO adjourn to the morning, before A
vote was taken upon them. SO eager
were the members 10 get Mt thoir worl,
7 r. \