The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1894-05-23

caucus unless he chooses voluntarily to
be so bound. No oaths are administered,
no pledges exacted as requisite of party
fealty. If there were I would never
attend caucus.
In regard to demand "first" of the AL
lance, I will say that the sub-treasury
plan has been abandoned because it was
found to be practicable and unconsti-
tuLional, and therefore it is unnecessary
to discuss it. In my judgment "better
system" would be attained by the repea,
OF the 10 per cent tax on State banks
circulation, and trust that the Alliance
will take that up and make it one of its
demands" Icannot, of course, discuss
ton, but take the liberty Of handing you
one of my speeches delivered in the SEN
ate at the last extra session, in which
have attempted to elaborate the argument
in favor of the repeal, and beg you to do
me the favor 10 examine it. think you
will find that if this taxshould be repeal
ed we would have "a safe, sound, tleXi-
BILE currency" and enough of 1t.
favor "the free and unlimited coinage
of silver and gold at the present legal
ratio Of iG to l." and advocated it in Con-
gress before the Alliance was organized,
and am gratitied to know that the Alli-
ance has adopted my platform on this
subject.
Fifty dollars per capita is not too much
currency for country like ours, but the
trouble with our present financial system
is not so much the per capita amount of
currency as theinequality of its distriCu-
ton. Some sections Of the country have
much more than $50 per capita, while in
our section I doubt if we have 81 per
capita. If in our State we could be guar
anteed $40 per capita, if so much was
necessary for the transaction Of our bus
mess, I would compromise on that; we
should then have about S20,000,00O Of
currency in circulation in South Caro-
lima, whereas I doubt If we now have
S2,O0O,OOO. If, by the repeal of the 10 per
cent tax, the States should be permitted
to authorize banks of circulation, we
should have just so much currency as
our local wants require and no more
but we should have enough.
favor an income tax and shall have
an opportunity of voting for it in the
pending tariff bill. I concur in the de-
mand that the money of the country
should be kept as much as possible in
the hands of the people, and that all Ma
tional and State revenues shall be limit
ed to the necessary expenses of the Gov
ernment, economically administered.
This is good, sound doctrine, and hear
tily subscribe to it.
1 can see no objection to "postal savings
banks," although q measure of that kind
would be largely tentative in this coun-
try and should be adopted with caution
and circumspection.
The second general demand, as to the
public lands, is sound and In accordance
with true Democratic principles.
The third general demand ''that the
Government should own and operate the
railroads in the interest Of the people,"
and that "the telephone aud telegraph
should be owned and operated in the in
terest of the people" would, in my iudg-
ment, be impolitic and unwise. have
always understood that the Alliance was
opposed to the further increase Of the
"bonded debit of the Government, and
T agree with the Alliance in that PROPOSE
ton. The Government could not pay
cash for the one hundred and ninety odd
thousand miles of railroads and the vast
mileage of telegraph and telephones. The
rate of taxation necessary to raise the cash
would destroy the people, and the only
alternative to put the Government in
ownership of the railroads, tslegraphs
and telephones would be to issue eight
billions Of bonds to buy the railroads,
and nobody knows how many millions
TO buy the telegraph and telephone sys-
TENS of the country. is the Alliance pre-
pared to urge the creation of such bond
ed debt upon the present and future
generations, and thereby perpetuate the
national banking system Indefinitely ?
If so, I can not 60 with it. The Govern
ment now has control and supervision Of
the railroads by and through the Inter-
State commerce commission, and the ex
pertinent has not realized the expecLa-
tions of its friends. The ownership CT
the railroads in dcspotic governments is
justified on the ground that they are
military necessities for the rapid mobili-
zation and transportation of armies. It
has not redounded to the interest of the
people, for freight rates are so per cent.
higher in those countries than in this,
and they are consequently great burden
upon the masses Of the people. I believe
T have now made full and complete an.
swers 70 your inquiries, in general and
in detail,
If anything has been omitted will
gladly supplement what have said if
you will call it to my attention. Very
truly yours, M. G. BUTLER.