The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1896-09-15
FORMALLY INFORMED
OF His Nomination to the Vice Presidency
by the National Peoples Party.
SEN. BUTLER WRITES TO TOM WATSON
Tho Letter Indicates shas Butler is
Giving Sincere and Hearty Sup.
port to Bryan and wntson-He
1hinks There was Never So Great
Need of the Party's Existence.

Washington, Sept. 14.-Senator Marion
=. Butler. chairman of th@ Populist Ma
tiohal Committee, tonight mailed the
following letter of notification to Hon.
rhomas Il: Watson. the nominee for
wee President:
Washington, Sept. II, 1896.
Hon Thomas e. Watson, Thorson, Ga
Dear Sir-Such is our form of govern
ment that the citizens of the United
states must shape Its course for good or
IeNll through the agency of political par
lies. When there is no political party
that represents the principles OF good
goyernms 1',,h nt' no party that stands for
risht and the interest of the labor,
wealth producer, and all who strive to
make an honest living by fair and legi-
innate means, then It Is impossible for
The majority of the voters TO express
their Will at the ballot box
When all the political parties stand
Tor the selfish interest and personal gre ed
lut money changers, corporations, trusts
ana monopoiies. as does the Republican
party under the leadership of Grove.
Cleveland, thsn the producing masses
are victims without an alternative
To withhold their votes will furnish
them no relief while to cast their votes
Tor either party is TO sanction their own
spc!iation and to strengthen the power
that oppreSses them.
This was the political situl.i1n IN
lS92, when stern necessity forced or
ganiZed labor, the organized wealth pro-
ducers and others who beli:'ve in good
government and were engaged I'm legiti-
mate business interests TO meet and form
Il new political organization known as
the Peoples party. This new political
party, representing the principles OF true
epublicanism as taught by Abraham
Lincoln, and true Democracy, as taught
! by Jefferson and Jackson, as II spring
I nj Of I..
pie, cast over one million votsS winning
IN i've States within four months from
the date OF its birth.
The Democratic and Republican par
ties no longer represented the principles
UPON which th5y were founded They
had long since deserted the principles
for which our ncestors left the Old
World. and which We're made our in
heritance through blood and sacrifice of
our fathers in the revolutionary war,
and had embraced the odious and op-
pressive methods SO long practiSed un-
der the monarchies and despotislns of
the Old World. The enemies of good
government, the enemisS of the peo-
pies prosperity, and the enemies of
struggling humanity had dominated and
controlled both of these parties for
twenty years. Both of th.se parties had
long since ceased TO regard the interests
OF the masses, and became the agents
through which corporations and trusts
have betrayed the people and have legis-
lated In the interest OF bankers. specu-
lators bondholders and monopolists,
thus ma bling the favored few to alb
so'o the millions OF property earned and
created by the toiling masses.
They have been the agencies for rob-
ping the millions to make the few mil
llonalreS, and. worse than this, they
have placed the welfare and happiness
of the whole nation in the hands of and
ga
powers of the world. The candidates
OF both of these parties for the past
twenty years have been pledged TO the
gold standard, and have used the power
OF the government on the side OF gold
NO matter which party the people voted
FOR their votes were cast for their enc
mics and TO enslaVe themselves. No
matter which party went into power
times grew harder and the wealth of the
many concentrated into the hands of the
few.
Another party. an American party
was wanted. There WAS need for such
a party TO keep alive the American spirit
OF lI76. 20 advocate and enforce the
principles of the Declaration of indie
pendence to advocate the rights of
American labor, and American man
MOOD, to restore prosperity TO a suffering
peopie' ahd 10 rescue a great and rich
nation from the quicksands of bank
ruptcy and ruin. Thus the PEOPLES
party stands for the great principles
OF u republican form Of government
as represented by the forefathers, and
came into existence to restore the gov
ernment to the people
The Peoples party was the first mo-
!itical organization in twenty years that
made honest demand for the free and
unrestricted coinage of silver. Until
the present year both old parties nut
into their platforms demand for the
restoration of silver, but coupled with
IT ambiguous phrases that negatived The
demand. and then rallied the voters of
the West and South for silver and the
Northeast for the gold standard on the
same platform. The Peoples party was
the first political organization that de-
clared against the surrender Of the Gov
ernmental functions of issuing paper
money to national. State or private
banks. The Peoples party was the first
political organization to make definite
and specific. what is meant by opposi-
ton TO monopolies instead of indulging
in glittering generalties. The Peoples
party was the first political party to
nominate candidates for President and
ce-President that were not gold bugs
and did not receive gold bug support.
1t is the only party noe in existence
which. with an undivided membership
and solid front. is demanding legis-
lation for the suppression of monopolIes
and for the equal protection OF all citi-
Zens against the encroachment of indi-
vidual and corporate power. So sue
cessfully has 1t exposed the shortcom-