The herald., 1896-10-06

on the currency and other political ques-
there may be some delay in the publication
OF their letters. Correspondents are re-
quested to cultivate brevity as far as is
their views.)
BENZ. BUTTERwORTH AS A SILL
vERITE.
Editor Herald: On Saturday evening
last a typewriter Invitation was re-
ceived at my home from the Business
Mems Sound Money club, as follows:
Dear Madam: I take pleasure in re-
questing that you grace the platform
with your presence on the occasion of
the address of Gen. Benz. Butterworth,
Wednesday evening, Oct. Z, 1895. Seats
| will be reserved for yourself and escort
up to the hour set for the meeting.
Please retain and present this letter at
the stage entrance"
Having been acquainted with plain
Ben Butterworth" as a lawyer in Gin
cinati, before he was sent to congress.
wife and I smiled at the title Gen"
placed to the name of one who addressed
his father and mother in the Quaker
style OF thee and thou. We knew him
during war times, but not as soldier.
OF course We were pleased to know that
ne was in this far-away land, and nat
urally enough we felt inclined to accept
the invitation.
But why should We Populists be in
vited to grace the platform" of a sound
money, gold standard political meet
ing, and would 1t be proper and honest
for us to do so, were questions that agi-
tated our minds. While talking the mat
ter over we opened another and more
formidable document just from the post
office, under the frank of "a. o. Bacon,
U. s. S." Its title read as follows:
Senate document s35. In the senate,
Avnr 30 =, ,.v,tv, ,koI
Mr.. Teller presented the following let
ters from Mr. Benz. Butterworth of
Washin : on, D. c., and Mr.. Samuel J.
Ritchie OF Akron. o. upon the silver ques-
ton and upon the general financial pol
icy of the government as of late pur-
sued"
This document we proceeded to read,
as we were desirous of learning how our
old friend, always known in Cincinnati
as liberal, progressive and reforma-
tory speaker, could consistently side
with the mOnopolistic, oppressive gold
money power The letter of Mr.. Butter
worth is dated March 26. 1896. and is ad-
dressed to Hon. Henry NJ Teller. United
States senate. Referring to Mr.. Ritch-
les letter, he says:
He presents the facts and figures, and
with almost brutal frankness, but moth
ing less forcible will arouse, in time,
needful resistance to- the blightirg in
fluences that are keeping general pros
perity in exile and combining to few
the blessings that remain, and each day
making needful reforms more difficult.
I'm travelling through the several
states ] find that persons employed in
the various industries and avocations
of life, those whom Lincoln was accus-
toned to call the plain people, and who
are the salt of the earth and strength
Of this nation, in estimating the charac-
fov eff Of he inf hat hoxy
gained supreme control in this nation,
feel and speak as Mr.. Ritchie does, and
they realize that the representatives of
the monopolistic combines in one form
or another have too firm grip on the
legislative and administrative branches
of the national and state governments
for that grip to be easily torn loose.
Their power in the social circle Is great;
in politics, omnipotent; it is controlling
in business; 1t own or controls the press
and is naturally influential with the pull
pit. So 1t results that they are for the
time masters of the agencies that mold
and guide private opinion and control
public judgment and public action; and
1t results. inevitably, that there is left
to the plain people only beggarly ac-
count of the agencies and instrumental
tiles with which to fight their battles
and protect their rights"
What does this mean?" said to my
wife. 1T sounds very much like Fopu-
lism."
YES" she replied: there must be
mistake somehow or somewhere
But let us read further:
You know that each year our poll
tics becomes more corrupt, and wor-
thy men affect to reject the moral cer-
tainty of the fact, because competent
legal proof is not offered. For all this
they shall be brought unto judgment.
A ~ L. h4f 11nt ttr1v1S
upon which rest the only living hope OF
preserving our form of government are
being surely undermined by the: cor
rupting influences and power Of wealth
in the hands and under the control of
men who either fail to understand or
are Indifferent to the fact that our free
institutions cannot survive long after
such influences become (and they are
fast becomirg) supreme in the land"
well, If Mr. Butterworth talks that
way at the pavilion, Wednesday evening
won't he be called an anarchist?"
"If not" said l. "he certainly will be
if he repeats the following"
"The outlook is not encouraging when
the great corporations of the country
testify that they have to provide fund
to pay ransom to legislative and admin
istrative bandits to prevent leg
islative and administrative spo-
liation. And, on the .,anA ather
mana, nOpOuy tHdt cOi Poi otAViiS
combines and syndicates secure and
hold franchises and privileges, and de-
feat neeGfrl legislation, all in deroga-
ton of tina rights and interests OF the
masses of the people, and do this by the
corrupt use of money. The citizen VINO
does not know of these things is too
ignorant to feel their influence, and the
citizen who is conscious of the presence
of these influences and does not resist
their control does not merit the rights
of an American freeman"
And what will the sound money men
say to the following:
1.-THE conviction is growing that the
demonstration of one-half the money
of the world, no matter what the theo-
retical financiers may say, is-and was
by those who were chief contriverTc of
the manner Of it's accomplishment in
tended to be-a scheme to increase by
legislative enactment the wealth of
those who are already wealthy and the
power Of those already too powerful
But the following cape the climax. 1t
beats all the Populist calamity howl
ers' have said, and still only tells the
truth: \ :
IF it be said our securities will come
pouring home for payment, or be thrown
on the market, and thus intensity the
matter, in case we incist on return
to bimetallism, the answer Is, SO far as
the panic is concerned, that our people
are already at the bottom. and have
been for more than four years; there Is
no lower depth to reach; they have been
standing on bedrock.
1.-THE farmer cannot sell his crops for
A-.. =. l~~,.@ @I<&-,, t,x l.