The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1884-05-01
BUTLER AND HIS PLATFORM.
I" He Has Nothing 10 Cover Up-His
Record Stands Before the Country
for Twenty Years Past, and
Any Man May Look ut II.
lie Demands To-day for tho People
Equality Of Right, Equality Of bur-
dsns, Equality Of Privileges. and
Equality OF Powers"


from the Newaygo Mich Tribune.l
THE following correspondence explains itself,
and furnishes the first authoritative statement
q the views Of Benz I. Butler upon the ques-
people. say authoritative. because, after re-
ceiving his letter, wrote asking the privilege OF
pnbllssn I'm the entire correspondence. and re-
ceived the following CHARACTERISTIC reply:
WASHINGTON, ID. c., April 10, 1894
my DEAR SIR: ! never write any letters
&C.,. "BENJ. r. BUTLER.
This correspondence Is not published as
boom for Gen. Butler, but to enable men OF
OIL parties TO act intelligently regarding his pro-
will certainly be an all absorbing one In most Of
the coming conventions. -Editor 7ribune.I
Letter to Gen. Butler.
NEwAYGo, Mich, Feb. 81, 1884.
Hon. b. F. Butler, Lowell, Mass:
DEAR SIR: l offer no apology for address
Ing you. While in one sense a stranger, yet
In another you are well known. While by no
means perfect character or In great danger
OF translation. la Elijah, yet sincerely be-
lieve that you are an honest man and true TO
the interests OF the masses of the people.
have just been re-reading your speech made
Sept Il, 1873. ut Terre Hautc Ind, and pur-
pose publishing the same, for ind in 1t the
most logical and scathing review OF the finan-
cial legislation Of the few years preceding
It's utterancc ! have ever seen. was Re-
publican until 1873, and then joined the
Greenback party. In 1852 an alliance was
formed by the Greenback and Democratic
parties, and Begole was elected Governor. l
was chosen Chairman of the Grecnback State
Central Committee. We won q decided VIC
tory. aud In April, 1883, emphasized the same.
In these elections each party maintained its
organization and individuality, and for this
reason was successful. The outlook Is now
peculiar in this State. have been feeling
the pulse of the people little of late,
and find the blood all looking forward, and
there never was as favorable an opportunity 10
completely defeat the dominant party 4 ! now.
Az you are aware, the National G recnback Con.
vention is called Tor May 70, at Indianapolis.
shall call our State convention, after con
sultation with the committee, for an early
day in May, and we shall have the largest
and most enthusiastic one ever seen in Michi-
gan. The people are ripe for revolution,
General, but need leader, bold, brave, and
defiant, and yet shrewd and farseeing, one
who Is = platform in and of himself, and can
organize the elements OF opposition, oil of
them, into an overwhelming protest against
the present order Of things. Gen. Weaver
possesses many Of these traits of charac-
ter and Is the idol OF our party, but
It Is no fiattery to say that you
more largely represent them. am
stranger, rs / said, and yet 10 believe l
can see how you may round up your years of
labor and win fame as lasting as the
principles you contend for. l am only in
this fight because / believe in freedom and
equality Tor all men and women under the
flag. / write you at this time hoping that
you may feel at liberty to give me your
honest yiews-I mean not couched in such
language as to cover up idcas-and IL you
stand to-day by your Tcrre Haute speech,
construed Of course in the light Of the Inter
vcning years and the present and In view OF
your pas. record and uttcrances in peace and
war, and will consent to step forth and lead
the PEOPLE out Of the wilderness, believe we
shall sec such an uprising in Michigan and
the country In your favor, II placed upon a
ticket with Gen. Weaver or some equally
true man, and one of like belief as your own
as shall shake up the remains Of the old
parties worse than any Western
b lizard or Southern cyclone has
of late disturbed the country
where their path lay am not visionary
principles, but cling to the old way, and are
too proud to Join party they have not aided
In creating. The same principles under another
name, and with standard bearer possessing
the elements OF popularity In himself. can be
made the rallying cry of the near future.
do not say that such man can be elected
President, but l believe the Democracy
would not darc-and the young blood in same
would not destre-to make a nomination an.
tagonistic to such candidate, and il 1t did,
defeat would be as certain as death and taxes
Excuse the length of this letter. am In ear
The time Is short, the exigency great, and l
hope to hear from you fully. Respectfully
yours, WILLIAM d. FULLER.
Gen. Buffers Reply.
Boston, March II, 1884,
DEAR SIR: ! am Obliged to YOU for your
very frank and outspokcn letter. which I
found on my table on my return from Wash.
ington. aud take an early opportunity to
acknowledge its receipt.
agree with you fully, that have all the
imperfections incident to poor human
nature. ! congratulate myself that have
had the strength of mind to resist tempta-
tions. Placed In command. nearly a quarter
of century ago, of the United States forces,
wherein | captured three cities-the first
three cities ever held by the United States
troops in the war of the rebcilion-I 80 man
aged affairs that, although clothed with un-
limited power, practically autocractic, after
more than twenty years inspection of what
have done, and after many of my acts have
been brought into review Of the courts
OF the country, and the Supreme Court
Of the United States, have been sns-
tanned In every one OF them, and every
money account. although l have received
and disbursed many millions for the United
States, has been sett'ed in my favor by the
accounting officers of the treasury. When In
Congress, had the good fortune to escape
investigation. didn't find myself involved
either In the Pacific Mail or Credit Mobilier.
or star route combinations. Having lived
for nearly quarter OF century under the
microscopic investigation OF bitter enc mics
Of every act of mine, public and private,
am yet permitted to walk the streets without
any molestati0n save the senseless clamor
of the satanic portions of the newspaper
press. which, seeing my opportunities for
wrong doing. and knowing that they could
not have resisted the temptation to do wrong
IL they had been in my place, naturally
believe that | did as they would have done.
Scales can only weigh to the extent to which
they are adapted, and you cant weigh load
of hay on q fishmongers scales.
Now. as to my Terre Haute speech. / have
no copy of II, and don't know one word oil
what was in 1t from actual remembrance but
do know that stand by every word of 1t,
because have not found any occasion in DO
litical life to ''go lack" as the phrase Is
upon myself, in any political course may
have taken. or to substantially change my
political views as applied to the subject then
In hand.
When, owing to the fact that Mr.. Garfield
and Mr.. Cakes Ames, whom had known long
and well, upon their oaths testified in exact
opposition, and one or the other OF them had
committed perjury, because, with the unlim.
tied charity described by ST. Paul, which be
lieyeth all things, and hopcth all things, /,
was impossible to reconcile the two stories
told by the two men-I found 1t necessary
and convenient to support Hancock for Pres
ident, yet | did not reverse myself as to any
of the opinions held as a Republican. and
especially upon the question of guaranteeing
equality of right and power under the Gov
eminent, to be exercised without being dis.
turbed, intinidated, or interfered with by
any one, which was given to the freedmen OF
the South. | held then, and hold now, that
this Is Democracy. II II is not am no Dem.
ocrat. because my political platform upon
all political subjects Is, In a few
words: Equality OF right, clualit,
OF burdens, equality of privileges, and
equality Of powers in all men under the law.
That platform energctically and courageously
administered covers all sorts and conditions
of men, and is the solution OF all politica
questions as to the right of every citizen
and the duties of the Government to protect
him I'm those rights.
The necessities of the Government in carry
ing on the war to preserve the Union brought
capital of every description into conjunction
with the Republican party. Tao device oil
Mr.. Chase to bring the banks into line with
the Government, and SO legislatiny that they
could make great usury out OF the Govern