The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-10-14
CAPITAL FOR LABOR.
ARTHUR SEWALL FORMALLY AC-
CEPTS NOMINATION.

Strong and Clear Cut Dciinement OF Ma
| tIon,s Troubles. The Cause and Remedy.
A millionaire Who Feels for tho
| ToiIers.
BATH. Me-, Oct. G.-The following
is the letter of acceptance OF Hon. Ar
thur Sewall. Democratic nominee for
| Vice President of the United States:
Bath, Me-, Oct. 6
Hon. Stephen II. White, chairman,
and memb bers OF notification commit
tee.
Gentlemen: l have the honor to
accept in writing, as l have already
| verbally done, the nomination ten
dered by you on behalf OF the Demo
csatic party as its candidate for Vice
President of the United States. And
in doing so I am glad first, to express
nv satisfaction that the platform of
our party which has commanded my
lifelong allegiance, is honestly and
fully declartory Of all its principles
and especially of the absorbing finan-
cial issue upon which, as you say, l
took my stand when the hours OF tri.
umph seemed remote and when arro-
CANT money changers throughout the
world boasted that the conquest OF the
American masses was complete"
These principles have been of late in
abeyance only because those whom
we trusted to maintain them have
failsd to do so-these principles never
can die. We have rescued our party
from tn ose who under the influence OF
the money power have controlled and
debased it. Our mission is to now res
cue from this same power and its for
eign alliances, our own beloved coun-
try. This is the first and highest duty
imposed by our party platform; upon
the performance of this duty all other
reforms must wait. The test OF party
principles is the government they as
assure; the proof of good government
is contented and happy people, and
the supreme test of both of the ability
to guide the country through a crisis
as we'll as tc administer the govern
ment in ordinary times.
Our people now face a crisis; a crisis
more serious than any since the war.
To what party shall they turnin their
dire emergency. 1t is true that the
present crisis may not involve all
equally; that there are those who DO
not suffer now and who may not suf-
fer should the crisis threatened by the
gold standard come on in all its fury.
Human selfishness makes those deaf
to all appeals, but to these, fortunate
| ly, the Democratic party has never
needed to appeal to win its battles, nor
does it now, save as there are some
among them who can rise superior 10
self, in the sacrifice which such cris
is demands of every patriot. We are
told that the country has prospered
under the present monetary standard;
that its wealth has enormously in
creased. Granted. But in whose
hands2 In the hands of the toilers,
the producers, the farmers. the miners,
the fabricators in the factories, the
creators of the nations wealth in
peace, its defenders in war Have
they prosperity which was theirs so
late as even two years ago. deny 1t.
They deny it. None affirm it save
those whose interest it is to do SO,
whose profits would diminish as pros
perity returns to those on whose dis.
tress they thrive.
All is indeed not right between cap
ital and labor. The best money in the
world is none too good for those who
have got it, but how is it with the 80
per cent. of our people who have
"got it to get2" How is it with those
who must buy this "best money in the
world" with the products of their own
labor2 These are the people for whom
the Democratic party would legislate.
What is the best money for these, is
the question for all to ask who really
love this land. How, also, can you
increase labor's purchasing power but
by increasing the price of labor's pro-
ducts? Is it fair measure OF value
that in our great producing sections,
ten bushels of potatoes must be paid
for dollar, ten bushels of oats for
dollar, six bushels of corn for dollar,
three bushels of wheat and all other
products of the soil and mines and the
labor of all wage earners at the same
ratio2 Does any fair minded man say
this is honest money that forces such
an exchange, and if it is not fair ex
change is it honest? Is il less than
robbery.
This is the condition 10 which the
single gold standard has brought us.
Under it the appreciation of the "best
money in the world" has increased
the wealth of the rich, and for the
same reason has increase the debt Of
the debtor. So under the present
standard it must continue TO be. With
these object lessons about us little
need have we for history and statistics
and the studies of scholars. Little
satisfaction it is to US that they have
warned us long since of the deadly
evil OF the gold standard. 1t has
brought us at last to the parting of
the ways. Whittier shall the people
go? In the way that has led to their
enslavemcnt or into that which offers
them their only chance to regain in
dividual liberty, lasting, prosperity
and happiness? Let not our oppon-
ents charge us with creating class dis.
tinctions. Alas for the Republicans !!
They are already here, created by the
Republican policy for the last 80
years created by the very system we
would now overthrow and destroy.
Nor do we raise sectional issue. The
nomination you lender repels the
charge. None know better than 1
that this nomination is meant as no
/ narrnnaI trihnte hut &c an assllranca