The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1892-08-26
BIDWEIL'S LETTER.
The Prohibition Party's Candidate
Accepts the Leadership
AND DISCUSSES PARTY PRINCIPLES

The Danger of Monopolistic Ten.
denotes Not So Great as the Dan
ger from the Liquor Traffic.
Woman Suffrage Urged and the
Labor Question Dwelt On.
INDIANAPoLIs, Ind, Aug. e6.--Tha
letter of acceptance of General Bidwell,
of California, the nominee of the Pro-
hibition party for president of the Uni.
ted States, has been given out for publi-
cation. The letter is long and discusses
the principles of the party as enunciated
In the Cincinnati platform. On the basic
principle of absolute prohibition Gene
raj Bidwell says that the danger Of
monopolistic tendencies menacing 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 labor, which creates the
, wealth of the nation, and the traffic is
now sapping and impoverishing the
very foundation of the national fabric.
Passing to the question of womans
suffrage he urges immediate emancipa-
tion OF women. The nation that first
gives woman equal rights with man, he
says, will earn "a crown of imperishable
glory. He fears delay, as England may
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 it will dc
much to check the tendency of central.
lzation of the money power,
On the Labor Question.
On the question of labor h$Srys: 'In
order to relieve the labor of this country
Of its abnormal and often congested
condition there should be the earliest
possible revision and restriction of the
immigration and naturalization laws OF
The United States. These laws, SO inim.
lcal to American labor and the best in.
terests of all, if not purposely enacted,
have doubtlessly been kept in force for
partisan considerations for fear of detri-
ment 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 supervision of
all authority. This discord between
capital and labor cannot safely be al
lowed to continue. No matter what the
cause, it is imperative to remove it. II
IL is necessary to have organizations as
adefense against capital or competing
labor such organizations should be au-
thorized and regulated by law"
On the tariff he says: 1--WE must con-
cede that all nations have the right to
levy tariffs. As Americans we are in
favor of protecting all American inter
ests. The tariff proposed by the Demo-
nratir nj ri y nd tIuf ~ fha pap inuY
party differ only in degrees both are
sufficiently high to be termed protec-
tive. To the objection that tariffs bear
unequally-that is to say, that under
them the rich pay comparatively moth
ing and the masses nearly all the reve-
nue so derived to support the national
government-mustb be added the further
objection that they are binding and
deceptive.
ii Favoring the Income Tax.
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
snd worked like a charm. at helped
10 save the union" he continues, "and
will help to save the nation in another
rebellion - the masses against the
classes" One of its beneficial results,
he argues, would be the equal distribu-
lion of wealth, which would go far to-
ward healing the diseord between cap
ital and labor. He advocates govern
ment control, and, if necessary, the gov
arnment ownership of railroads.
On the question Of public schools,
made prominent in the platform, he
says: "The teachings of the American
public school should be In accord with
American ideas and with American
civilization, which, of course, is only a
Christian civilization, but they must be
strictly and absolutely non-sectarian.
The standard Of morality must accord
with our civilization and pervade all the
books and teachings of the public school,
which must not In any phase be school
OF immortality"
On the question Of immigration he
says the doors must be closed in self de-
fense. 1--WE do not want to war against
foreigneri," he continues, 1--WE do not
ask foreigners coming to this land of
freedom to change their faith; we do not
propose to Protestantize and RomaniZe,
or in any manner sectaFize them. But
we do insist that they shall not destroy
cur liberties by any attempt to foreign
ize or anarchize us or our government;
that they should appreciate our liberties
and the privileges that are a condition
Of citizenship they should learn to
speak our national language and to read
and write 1t fairly we'll.
General Bidwell closes his letter with
. resume, adding that there should be
taught in the public schools the princi-
plies of the freedom of the ballot and the
settlement of differences between men
by arbitration.