Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1876-08-10


ing is Gov. Tilden's letter Of accept
ance:
ALBANY, July 81.
When had the hon.
or to receive the personal delivery Of
your letter on behalf of the Demo-
cratic National Convention held on
the 2Sth of June at ST. Louis, advls-
ing me of my nomination as the can
didate of the constituency represent
ed by that body for the office OF Pres
Ident of the United States. l answered
that at my earliest convenience and
in conformity with usage L would
prepare and transmit to you formal
acceptance, / now avail myself OF
the first interval in unavoidable Oc-
equations to fulfill that engagement.
The convention before making its
nominations adopted declaration OF
principles which, as a whole, seems
to me wise exposition OF the neces-
sites of our country and OF the Ie-
forms needed to bring back the gov
ment to its true functions, to restore
the purity of the administrator and
to renew the prosperity of the people;
but some of these reforms are so ur-
gent that they claim more than a
passing approval. The necessity OF
a reform in the scale OF public ex-
penses, federal, state and municipal,
and the mode of federal taxation JUS
titles all the prominence given to it
in the declartion of the st. Louis con-
vention. The present depression in
all the business and industries Of the
people, which is depriving labor Of
its employment and carrying want
into so many homes, has its principal
cause in the excessive governmental
consumption under illusions OF a
specious prosperity engendered by
the false policy of the federal govern
ment- A waste of capital has been
going on ever since the peace OF 1865
which could only end in universal
disaster.
The federal taxes of the last III
years reach the gigantic sum OF 81
SOC. OOO, 900. The local taxation has
amounted to two-thirds as much
more. The vast aggregate is not less
than 81 800, 100000. This enormous
taxation followed civil conflict that
had greatly impaired our aggregate
wealth, and had made a prompt re-
duction of expenses indispensable.
1t was aggravated by the most an
scientific and ill-adjusted methods OF
taxation, that increased the sacrifices
of the people far beyond the receipts
Of the treasury. 1t was aggravated,
moreover, by financial policy which
tended to diminish the energy, skill,
and economy of production, and the
frugality Of private consumption, and
induced miscalculation in business
and an unremunerative use of capital
and labor Even in prosperous times
the daily wants of industrious COM
munities press closely upon their
daily earnings. The margin OF pos
sible national savings is at best a
small percentage of the national earn
ings, yet for these IL years the gov
ernmental consumption has been a
larger portion OF the national earn
ings than the whole people can pos
sibly save even in prosperous times
for all new investments. The conse-
uuences of these errors are now a
present public calamity but they were
never doubtful, never invisible. They
were necessary and inevitable and
were foreseen and depicted when the
waves of that fictitious prosperity ran
highest. In a speech made by me on
the oath OF September, 1868, it was
said of these taxes: ~They bear heav-
ily upon every mans income, upon
every industry, and upon every bust
ness in the country, aud year by year
they are destined TO press still more
heavily unless they arrest the system
that gives rise to them. 1t was COM
paratively easy when values were
doubling under repeated issues Of le-
galtender paper money to pay out OF
the froth of our growing and appar-
ent wealth these taxes, but when val
ues recede and sink toward their
natural scale the x-gatherer takes
from us not only our income, not on
ly our profits, but also a portion OF
our capital. do not wish to exag-
gerate or alarm / simply say that
we cannot afford the costly and ruin
Gus policy OF the radical majority of
Congress. We cannot afford the mag
nificent and oppressive centralism in
converted We cannot afford the
present magnificent scale Of taxation.
To the secretary Of the treasury L
said early in 1865 that there is not a
royal road for government more
than for an individual or a corpora
ton. What you want to do now is
cut down your expenses and live
within yea, income Iwould give all
the legerdemain Of finance and finan-
ciering-I would give the whole of it
for the old homely maxim, Live
within your income. This reform will
be resisted at every step but it must
be pressed persistently. We see to-
Gay the immediate representatives Of
the people in one branch Of Congress
while struggling 70 reduce expendi-
lures compelled to confront the men,
ace Of the Senate and the executive
that unless the Objectionable appro-
priations be consented to the opera
lions of the government hereunder
shall suffer detriment or cease. In
my judgment an amendment OF the
constitution ought to be devised, sep
arating into distinct bills the appro-
priations for the various departments
OF the public service, and excluding
from each bill all appropriations for
other objects, and all Independent.
legislation. In that way alone can
the revisory power Of each OF the two
houses and of the executive be pre-
served and exempted from moral du-
ress, which often compels assent to
Objectionable appropriations rather
than stop the wheels OF the govern
ment. An accessory clause enhancing
distress in business Is to be found
in the systematic and insupportable
government imposed upon the
states of the south. Besides the or
binary effects of an ignorant and dis
honest administration, it has inflicted
upon them enormous issues Of fraud
ulent bonds, the scanty avails of
which were wasted or stolen, and the
existence of which is public discred-
it tending to bankruptcy or repudia-
ton. Taxes, generally oppressive, in
some instances have confiscated the
entire income of property, and totally
destroyed its marketable value. 1t
is impossible that these evils should
not react upon the prosperity OF the
whole country. The nobler motives
of humanity concur with the material
interests of all in requiring that every
obstacle be moved to a complete and
durable reconciliation between
kindred population once unnaturally
estranged, on the basis recognized by
the St. Louis platform, OF the consti-