The Irish standard., 1896-10-10
SEWALL ACCEPTS
An Intelligent Letter Upon the Present
Pressing Issues. III

An Intelligent Letter Upon the Present
Pressing Issues. S
Bath, Me. Oct. Hon Arthur Sewall,
Democratic candidate for vice-president
of the United States, has made public his
letter of acceptance. 1t is as follows:
Hon. Stephen B. White, Chairman, and
Members of, the Notification COMMITTEE.
Gentlemen: / have the honor to accept
in writing, as I have already verbally
done, the nomination rendered by you on
behalf Of the Democratic party as Its can
didate for vice-president of, the United
States. An In so doing 1 am glad first to
express my satisfaction that the platform
of our party which has commanded my
lifelong allegiance, is honestly and fully
declaratory Of all the principles, and espe-
cially of the absorbing financial issue
upon which, as you say, took my stand
when the hours Of triumph seemed remote
and when arrogant money changers
throughout the world boosted that the
conquest OF the American masses was
completed. These principles have oeen OIL
late in allegiance, but only because those
! whom we trusted to maintain them nave
failed to do so. These principles can never
die We have rescued our party from
those who, under the influence of the mon
ey power, have controlled and debased II.
Our mission now is to revive from tms
same power and its fallen allies our own
beloved country. This rs the first and
highest duty imposed by our party,s plat
form; upon the performance Of this duty
all other reforms must wait. The test OF
party principles is the government they
assure; the proof of good government IS a
contented and happy people; the supreme
test Of both is the ability to guide the
country through crises as we'll as to ad-
! minister the government in ordinary
times. Our people now face crlsls--a
crisis more serious than any since the war.
To what shall they turn in their efner-
gency? 1t is true that the present Crisis
| may not involve all equally; that there are
| those.Who do not suffer now and may not
| suffer should the crisis threatened by the
gold standard come on in all it's fury. HUI
| man selfshness makes these deaf to all
appeals, but to those, Fortunately, me
| Democratic party has never needed to ap>
peal to win its battles, nor' does 1t now
save as there are sori1e among them VINO
| can rise superior to, self In the sacrlf1ce
! which such a crisis demands Of every pa
| trfot. We are told that the country mas
standard, and that its wealth. has enor-
mously increased. Granted so, but IN
whose hands? In the hands OF the to1lers,
| the producers, the farmers, the miners, the
fabricato.s in the factories, the trainers
of the nations wealth In peace, lts &C.
which was theirs 50 late as even twenty
years ago? deny 1t. They deny 1t. None
/ affirm 1t save those whose interests II Is
to do so. Whose profit would diminish as
prosperity returns to those on whose dis
tress they thrive? An is indeed rlgnt De-
tween capital and labor. The best money
In the world is none too good for those
who have got 1t, but how Is it with the W
| percent of our people who have got IT TO
get %. How is it with those who must buy
this ,"best money! iii the world with the
products of their own labor? These are
! the people for whom the Democratic party
would iegislate..4 What Is the best money
J for there is the question for all to ask Who
really love this Fland How else can you
increase labor's purchasing power out oy
increasing the price OF labors proauct Us:
| Is it q fair measure of values that In our
great producing section ten bushels OF po-
tatoes must be paid for a dollar, ten bush
4 els OF oats for 4 dollar, six bushels OF corn
\ for a dollar, three bushels Of wheat and
ell other products of the soil and mines
same ratio? Does any fair mind say that
this is honest money that forces SUCH an
4 exchange, and Il it is not a fair, exchange,
4 is IL less than robbery!
This is the condition to which the single
| standard has brought us. Under 1t the ap-
| nraciatton .ot the s"best money In the
world" has increased the wealth OF the
| rich, and fot the same reason has increas-
al the debt of the debtor. So it has been;
under the present standard 1t must con-
1 tinue to be. With these object lessons
! aboutgn1e little need have we for history
and statistics and the stuales o. scnoLaIs.
Little satisfaction it is to us that they have
warned uss long since of the deadly evil
Of the gold standard. It has brought us
/. at 81 to the parting Of the ways. ~ hither
1 shall the people go-in the way that has
led 10 their enslavement, or into tnat
which offers them their only chance to re-
! rain individual liberty, lasting prosperity
and haprHness? Let not our opponents
charge us with creating class distinction.
I Alas for the: republic, they are already
1 here. created by the Republican policy OF
| the last thirty years created by the very
system VIE would now overthrow ana de-
stroy. Nor do we raise a sectional issue.
The nomination you tender repels the
| charge. None know better than that this
| nomination is meant as no personal trlb-
4 ute but as an assurance that our party is
a non-sfctional party. Not by our policy,
| but only by the continuance Of the gold
Lstandard can sectionalisn be revived.
Neither shall our opponents be permit
1 ted, to terrify the people by predictions
| that temporary disturbance or panic will
1 come from the policy. We. propose. The
| American people Will be loyal to the ma
tior1s money; will stand behind and main
! tain 1T at Whatever value they themselves
NAV cut upon it, Once before in the
present generation have our people been
/ called upon to face a mon1entous crisis.
| What then said Mr., Lincoln, the chosen
leader Of the plain people Of the land? Was
! he aWed by threats or weakened by the
willy persuasion Of the false friends who,
as today, pleaded tor compromise with
4 wrong? His answer was; If, our Sense OF
duty forbids this, then let Nssstand by our
! duty fearlessly and effectively. fset us be
diverted by none OF these sophistical con-
triXances whereWith we are so industri-
1 oii1ssay piled and belabored, contrivances
such as cropping for some middle ground
| between right and wrong, reversing the
/ divine rule and calling, not the sinners,
hut the righteous to repentance, such as
tile Innovations to Washing ton, implor-
Ling men to iunsay what, Washington said
Land undo what Washington did; neither
II Iat us be 'slandered from our duty by false
accusations against sus. Let us have faith
] tina ri ilt makes might, and in that faith
i let Us to the end dare to do our duty as
I've understand II. S st US ! 5ssss
we know vel 1.-THE nat ure Of the struggle
I'm which we are engage we are anxious
koiily that Che people ofs he. Kind shall sun-
kdeusfA ma &c, ana I'll ollTs hattle IL won.
I sS y 4 u
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