The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-06-02
WHARTON BARKER ACCEPTS.
HIS LETTER OF REPLY TO PoPU,
LIST COMMITTEE.

AOODVe0 at C1nclnnatl-h1s views
on the Concentration of wealth
and NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Arbi-
tratiOn in the Settlement of Labor
Disputes-ASainst the Administra-
ton Policy in the Philippines.
Philadelphia, June LIN his let
ter of acceptance of the nomina-
ton for President by the Middle-of-the-
Road Populists, addressed to the Commit
tee of Notification, Hon. Wharton Barker
of Philadelphia, says among other things:
"Gentlemen-As it is my duty so il is
my pleasure to accept the nomination ten
dered me by the Peoples Party National
, Convention, and in so doing / assure you
| gentlemen that standing upon the plat
| form adopted at Cincinnati my unceasing
| effort will be to so comport myself during
this campaign, and so act, if elected Presi-
| dent that may not be judged unworthy
| of the trust reposed in me. And as is
meet, l make this an occasion to declare
my beliefs my aims, my purposes, with
out reservation and with such explici!neSs
as 1 may. For 1t Is not only eminently
| fitting, but it is the duty of a candidate
| for the Presidency to present his views
on questions of public concern in such
shape that the great public whose suf-
frageS he seeks may be able to learn be-
| yond question what views he entertains,
what policies, If entrusted with
office, he would lend himself to
carrying out and so judge for
themselves, not in blindness, but with
full understanding. of what he represents,
| of his claims for their suffrage. So do
present this exposition of my political
| faith, sure that Populsts hold in the COM
mon with me, sure that it will find accept
ance with the great body of the American
people, sure that when it does this will be
a better and happier land to live in. For
| the measures we urge are conceived with
the purpose of establishing on this earth
| a rule of justice and love in place of a
| rule of greed conceived in the spirit
| breathed by Him who preached the Ser
mon on the Mount, conceived in the spirit
on which democracy is founded, may be
measured by the test of brotherhood, OF
| justice of fairness and not to be- found
wanting. If ii can be proven that anything
| we advocate does not stand this test we
| will abandon its advocacy; anything pro-
posed to better the lot of mankind, tried by
this test and not found wanting We will
not hesitate to advocate. For we stand
| for earnest and sincere devotion for the
| Fatherhood of God and the Brotherhood
| of Man, in real spirit and truth and in
accordance with the great mandate: Seek
| We first the Kingdom of God and His
| Righteousness.
On the subject of the concentration of
wealth, Mr. Barker says:
I'VE see in this nation, dedicated to
the working out on earth and in human
| government of the principles of the
brotherhood of man, a vast concentration
| of wealth in the hands of those who bend
| their energies to despoiling their fellow
men. We see a rule of selfishness and
| greed supplanting a rule of love and
brotherhood, we see money exalted above
man. We see vast production of wealth
and few who toll not, save to despoil
| gathering greater and greater share Of
| that which is produced. Actually the toll
| er may reap more than a score of years
| ago: relatively to that which his labor
| produces he reaps less. For the specula-
| tive cliques who wax fat by living upon
others are managing to reap a larger
share. And so we have an ever widening
| gulf separating the few from the many,
| have an ever widening sep
| aration of our people into House-of-
| Have and a House Want-have that
growing contrast of riches and poverty,
that growth of an oligarchy out of touch,
out of sympathy with the people, that Is
the entering wedge destructive of Demo-
| cratic government
Mr.. Barker's statement with regard to
| taxation is as follows:
| THAT men should contribute to the costs
of government in proportion to their means
we hold to be self-evident truth. But In
| the raising of the federal revenues this
truth has not been followed. One per cent
of our people own one-half of the national
wealth, and while they pay approximately
| one-half of the local taxation, they pay but
an insignificant part of the national rev.
enues. For those revenues are largely
| raised from taxes on articles of general
consumption, articles of which the rich
consume no more than the poor. AS con-
sequence we have the dollar of the poor
man taxed more heavily than the dollar
of the rich. Indeed, such taxes on con-
sumption amount to per capita taxes.
| With such taxes we have a taxing of the
man and not the dollar. 1t is not equitable.
| IL Is not fair. We have the poorer of the
nations citizens required to pay a larger
percentage of their earnings than the rich
er citizens are required to pay of their in
come from adcumulations. 1t is not right
| We should tax the dollar not the man
Justice demands this, we stand for it."
On the subject of compulsory arbitra-
ton of labor disputes, Mr.. Barker makes
this statement:
THE boycott, as the strike, is an inter-
| ference with trade, check to industry.
| TO the accumulation of wealth, to pro-
gress. But so long as we can see no
| wrong in permitting employers to Cypress
| wage earners, we have no right to see
any wrong in wage carners organizing
the boycott and the strike as defense
against such oppression. The remedy is
| to sec wrong in permitting employers to
Cypress, to trample on the interests of
wage earners. When we see fit to pro-
tect the wage Garner from oppression at
the hands Of the employer, then we can
interdict the boycott and the strike, right
ly make both illegal. stand for compul-
sorry arbitration of labor disputes
OF the Philippines he says
II come now to express my views on
some questions not touched on in our
national platform. which l took occasion
to speak of before our convention prior to
my nomination, and which it is meet that
/ should refer to now, for my views on
|