The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1884-06-26


Convention, General Butler says:
LOWELL. MASS. June IL, 1884.
GENTLEMEN OF THE CoNvENTIoN-l re-
ceived at your hands official announcement
of the action of the convention at Indianapo-
course of political events the choice Of a
convention of representative men of any
considerable portion of my fellow-citizens
can Ns sShfsr; = would @ TEA ss s fSf sratefS acknow
edgement, Sven though 1t might be selec-
ton upon questions which commonly divide
the political parties. Views upon such ques-
tions may have been inherited, or be an out
growth of measures merely of administration.
The great questions you present are higher
and grander than any mere political measure.
very elistenoe Of the Repnbic and the ea estab
hshfnent of democratic representative Gov
ernment hung trembling upon the issue of the
or may ever know, by the wisdom born of i'm
perious necessity financial system, spring.
ing from patriotic impulse to save the Ma
tion's life, and resgue the hope of free institu-
tioas. for all men, from going down forever in
dafhfess and death. was devised by the great
RepSsSoan sDG MEG a to be- nads mist
for the people and by the people, had been
That system 6f finance. for free people, in
its Infancy saved the life of the nation, per-
ishing without it. and broke the chains which
Awfd try with i war % raging, s a prosperity It had
never known. 1t enabled the people to assess
upon themselves and pay taxes OF an extent
possible for the Government to repay three
fold all it received in loans from any creditor,
or gave to him security more profitable and #,
world, and made the financial system of our
Government at once the envy and admiration
This was done by legal-tender currency,
while questions as to its ability were raised by
the very form Of legislation by which it was
| In the minds of many wise, patriotic men
whether a legal-tender currency, inexpen-
Of Of the mate material on which it was coined, was
| within the constitutional competency and
power of the legislative branches of the Gov
That question having been three times sub.
mitted to the Supreme Court of the United
States, the very highest tribunal of constitu-
tonal construction, was at last decided in the
| affirmative with such unanimity as to show
that there might have been possible reason
| able doubt against it.
those who thought and acted with you,s al
though not of it, was to support and sustain
peoples currency, you well say, was desig-
mated by it's friends by the pet name OF the
Two years ago did myself the honor to say
| that currency so commended by the merit
! of its great deeds, wrought for the peoples
AND 6y bn 5ne scb
| court, and the decision about to be reaffirmed,
| was an accomplished fact, never again to be
| might well say: .'See, the end of our labors
| in this regard has come; let US rejoice, let
those who aided in this great work press on
to deal with equally important unsettled and
| necessary measures for the welfare of the
| ssThe leraI-tender having become the very
foundation of, as well as a measure of value
entertwined with all the business of the peo
pie, the engine of prosperity of the Nation. II
disturb, causeIessly, a financial question
| which has been SO set at rest, with the assent
ton Ii NJ of the right Of man man to o hold his brother
man in slavery"
/ Therefore, 1 said, ST am glad that this ques
| ton is no longer part in political c0nsidera
ton, and craftsmanship may now turn from
it, as the country has turned from the ques
tions of slavery and war" But, alas, thu
rectionists of false ideas of the dead past dut
up the moldering remains of contention from
the peaceful graves where they slept, AM
formulated into platform by party con
vention, to revivify and agitate controversial
hinder and delay the business energies of ou
people, with apparently but single object, t.
extend system of purely paper currency, is
ernment indeed, but for private emolumen
and gain to the cOrporators, which currenc
is made valuable only because it is made r
| deemable in the very greenbacks which thi
ghoullike agitation seeks to repudiate, ovel
throw and destroy.
prescience and wisdom of a statesman, by tn
iron hand of the soldier, sustained by tn
Democracy of more than generation age
had wholly crushed out, and in the hope O
the wise and good, had buried forever, as on
of the grevious errors of administration whic
had insidiously crept into the Cover
the destruction of the people. As
Democrat, taught in the Jackso
school in my early youth, with my judgmeI
matured by many years converse in publ
affairs, aided by earnest and deep study, wit
the intensity of purpose which topic of sue
magnitude, affecting every interest of tn
peOple-nay, it may be the very existence {
free institutions am constrainet
were it the last act of my life, in view OF tn
attempt to undo what Jackson had SO we
done, coming from whatsoever quarter it ma
. to say to you, gentlemen, there seen
a wisdom, indeed a necessity for the furtht
continuance of your organization in this r
newed exigency, and therefore upon this CO
but two of us. we ought to stand togeth'
| against this great wrong, and call upon O
| true men to stand with us, either inside or on
J side, as the case may be, of the other polite
, organizations which may aim to perfect 9TH
1 measures for the good of the country.
, / thank you for your suggestion that
other matters toward which your organizatio
turns the interest of labor; the preservatic
J of the lands of the people for the benefit
the people; the control of the agencies create
the people: to regulate and control syste
of interstate commerce, which shs
9 control and cheaper the transportatio
of persons, freight and intelligence, and
{ | protect all in their just rights, and confne
!. to their true duties, to the end that there m,
1 be in this country equality of rights, equali
+ of burdens, equality of privileges and equ'
ity of powers to all persons under the law-h
been the political rule of my life. have Il
= = honor to be, with personal esteem, very I