Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1892-09-01
GEN. BIDWELL'S VIEWS.
Letter of Acceptance of the Prohibition
Candidates.

Letter of Acceptance of the Prohibition
Candidate.
The letter of acceptance of Gen. John
Bidwell, of California, nominee of the
Prohibition party for President OF the
United States, has been given out for
publication. The letter Is long, and
discusses the principles OF the party as
enunciated in the Cincinnati platform.
On the basic principle Of absolute pro-
hibtion, Gen. Bidwell says that the
danger OF monopolistic tendencies men
acing the Government Is not so great
as that of the destructive results sure
to come from the liquor traffic.
1t Is the constant menace OF la
Dor, which creates the wealth OF
the nation, and the traffic is now
sapping and impoverishing the very
foundation of the national fabric. Pass
ing to the question of woman's suffrage
he urges immediate emancipation OF
women. The nation that first gives
woman equal rights with man, he says,
will earn crown of imperlshable glory.
He fears delay, as England will lead.
On the question OF finance he says the
position of the party that the money
should be gold, silver, and paper, issued
only by the Government, is fair and
broad. He also advocates the legal
regulation Of the rates OF interest In all
the States, believing that 1t will do much
to check the tendency to Capitalization
of the money power.
On the question of labor he says: In
order to relieve the labor of the country
Of its abnormal and often congested
condition, there should be the earliest
possible revision and rC rCstriction OF the
immigration and naturalization laws
of the United States. These laws, SO
inimical to American labor and,t best
interests of all, II not so purposely en-
acted have doubtless been kept in force
for partisan considerations for fear OF
detriment to partisan interests, till our
country has become the almost daily
scene Of riots, lawlessness and blood
shed, and not infrequently on such a
scale as to portend, If permitted to go
unchecked, the possible supersession OF
all authority. The discord between
capital and labor cannot safely be al
lowed to continue. No matter what the
cause, IL is imperative TO remove 1t. IL
1t is necessary to have organizations as
defense against capital or competing
labor, such organization should be au-
thorlzed and regulated by law"
On the tariff he says: I'VE must con-
cede that all nations have the right to
levy tariffs. AS Americans we are In
favor Of protecting all American in
terests. The tariff proposed by the
Democratic party and that of the Re-
publican party differ only in degree;
both are sufficiently high to be termed
protective. To the objection that tariffs
have been unequal-that is to say, that
under them the rich pay comparatively
nothing and the masses nearly all the
revenue so derived to support the Ma
tional Government-must be added the
further objection that they are blind
ing and deceptive"
The establishment OF a system of in-
come taxation, he says, could work no
hardship and do no harm. When the
Union needed money most during the
rebellion the income tax was imposed,
and worked like a charm. He con-
| tinues:
1T helped then to save the Union,
and will help TO save the nation now in
another rebellion--the masses against
the classes"
One Of its beneficial results, he argues,
would be the equal distribution OF
wealth, which would 90 far toward heal
ing the dlscord between capital and la
Dor. He advocates government control.
and, II necessary, the government own
srship Of railroads.