The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1894-05-23
WHERE BUTLER STANDS.
Answer to Mr.. Mitchelps Alliance Cate
chlam.

NHEhE OU lLEIh S1ANUSs
| Answer to Mr.. Mitchelps Alliance Cate
\ chiam.
From the Columbia Register.
Senator Butler has ritten the follow
ing reply to tho questions propounded to
him by the Farmers Alliance:
WASHINGTON, D. G., May 12, 1894.
! Mr.. T. P. Mitchell, chairman Executive
Committee, IS. A., Woodward, S. c..
My Dear Sir: Some days ago / received
the following letter from you:
"Hon. NJ. G. Butler, Washington, D.
C.-Dear Sir: AS chairman of the Execu-
tive Committee of the State Farmers
| Alliance it was made my duty by reso-
Hutton to PROFOUND the following Ques
tions to ali candidates, and request q
written answer to same, and as You are
candidate for the United States Senate !
submit them to you and would be pleased
to hear from you in regard to same at
your earliest convenience.
HFirst. Will you discuss the Alliance
demands in the coming campaign, par
ticulariy those relating to the finances of
the country, and defend them against the
enemies Of our Order?
'sSecond. Will you pledge loyalty to
the demands Of the National Farmers
Alliance aud Industrial Union, above
loyalty to party caucus, and vote against
any and all candidates who decline to
commit themselves to this extentf
Yours respectfully,
Chairman Executive CON-, f. s. A."
In reply to request from me, you
transmitted the following as the platform
or demands Of the Farmers Alliance of
South CAROLINA:
First. We demand national currency,
safe, sound and flexible, issusd by the
General Government only, full legal.
tender for all debts, public and private,
and that without the use Of banking cor
porations, just, equitable and efficient
means Of distribution direct to the people
at tax not to exceed 2 per cent. per
annan, to be provided as set forth in the
sub treasury plan Of the Farmers Alli-
ance OF q better system; also by pay.
! ments in discharge Of its obligations for
public Improvements.
We demand the free and unlimited
coinage Of silver and gold at the present
| legal ratio Of 16 to /.
Wedemand that the amount of circu-
lating medium be speedily increased to
not less than $50 per capita, exclusive of
legal reserve.
We demand graduated income tax.
We demand that our national legiela-
ton shall be so framed in the future as
not to build up one industry at the ex-
| pense Of another.
We believe that the money Of the coun-
try should be kept as much as possible in
the hands Of the people, and hence we
| demand all national and State revenues
oh ha 1iVntfoH fhn
| penses Of the Government economically
and honestly administered.
We demand that postal savings banks
he established by the Government for the
cafe deposits of the earnings of the peo-
pie, and to facilitate exchange.
LAND.
Second. The land, including all the
| natural sources of wealth, is the heritage
Of the people and should not be monopo-
/ lized for speculative purposes; and alien
ownership Of land should be prohibited.
|, All land now held by railroads and
other corporations, in excess Of their
actual needs, and all lands now owned by
aliens should be reclaimed by the Gov
ernment and held for actual settlers only.
TRANSPORTATION,
Third: Transportation being means
of exchange and public necessity, the
/ Government should own and operate the
railroads in the interest of the people.
The telegraph and telephone, like the
post Office system, being a necessity for
| the ,trapsmi ission of news, should be
owned and operated by the Government
in the interest of the people.
Taking up the questions of your letter
in their order, beg to say in response to
10 GrokT mill f1iConoo nnhlin
ton the people may desire to have dis
cussed, and as the Finances of the coun-
[;try'' are legitimate and proper subjects
for discussion, will discuss them with
pleasure and without reserve. I will
refer more fully to the last point of your
inquiry, whether I will s'defend them
against the enemies of onr (your) Order"
when come to discuss the Alliance plat
form. T don't quite understand, how
ever, whether you mean to ask me
whether will defend the Finances of
the country against the enemies of your
Order, or the Finances Of the country" as
proposed by the Alliance. I assume you
mean the latter.
Replying to your second question,
bag to say that in my political life have
peYer allowed any caucus, or society or
organization, to bind my conscience, and
shall not do go in the future, Caucuses,
or societies, or organizations of any kind,
which seek to bind the political consci-
ence of any free American citizen, are, In
nv Judgment, inimical to that freedom
of conscience and political action, so
essential to the preservation of the Re-
publican institutions, have attended.
many c3ucuses of the Democratic party,
to which belong; have never heard
the suggestion that any mans conscience
or political action should be bound by
them.- I never will so far surrender my
individual judgment as to be bound by
any CAUCUS. am loyal to the principles
taiG that loyalty so long as it adheres to
principles think conducive to the bes.
interests of the people, not a day longer.
I have beoa under the impression that
the Farmers Alliance Was not a political
organization, but an Industrial gnion'
for the protection of the farmers against
impositions from other sources. 1 do
not believe in secret political organiza
tions. We had sad experience some
years ago with them. Whatever con-
Germs the political welfare of our people
should be open to the fullest, freest, most
public discussion. In order to prevent
impositions on the people, the light must
be turned on from all points of view. I
recognize 10 nHSLoT III tulS CouuGry, OK
cept the people. Caucus rule should not
be allowed 70 hsurp the rule of the peo-
ole, ! will, therefore, say will pledge
my loyalty to the demands Of the Ali.
ance, 80 far as they meet the demands of
my Judgment, and can not hold them
above loyalty to party caucus, because
make no pledges to "party caucuses,"
and deny the right of "party caucnses,'
or any other Gaucpses, to command
pledges from me to surrender my con-
science and judgment to its dictation.
Coming nov to the demands, permit
me to say, by way of preface, that there
seems to be very grave misapprehen-
sion in the minds Of some people as to
the power of caucus over Its members.
I haze attended Democratic caucuses
since I have been in the Senate, but
nobody ever dreamed of binding any
member Of the caucus to vote against his
Judgment. For instance, Democrats and
Repu blicans differ WIDELY among them
selves on Anoncial questions. A caucus
is held for consultation and financial
topics are discussed, but in the Senate
and House each man votes as bis judg-
ment dictates some may favor the free
and unlimited coinage OF silver at one
ratio or another; some may favor the
sub-treasury plan of The Alliance, and
after consultation in caucus they vote
for or against either proposition, when