Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1876-08-16
Gov. THtlcn's Letter Of Accept
:Ancc.

Albany, July 81.
GENTLEMEN-When | had tho
honor to receive the personal deliv.
ory of your letter on behalf Of the
Democratic National Convention
held on the 2Sth of June, at st
Louis, advising me for my nomina-
tion as the candidate of the con-
stituency represented by that body
for the Office of President of the
United States, / answered that al
my earliest convenience and in con-
formity with usage / would prepare
and transmit to you formal accept
ance. l now avail myself of the
first interval i'm unavoidable occupa-
tion to fulfil that engagement.
The Convention, before making
its nominations, adopted declara-
tion of principals which as whole,
seems to me a wise exposition of
the necessities Of our country, and
Of the reforms needed to bring
back the government to its true
functions, to restore purity of adj
ministration and to renew the pros
perity of the people. But some of
these reforms are so urgent that
they claim more than a passing ap-
proval. The necessity of reform
in the scale of public expenses,
Federal, State and municipal, and
the modes of Federal taxation,
justifies all the prominence given
to it in the declaration of the
st. Louis Convention. The present
depression in all business and in
dustries of the people which is de-
priving labor of its employment
and carrying want into SO many
homes has its principal cause in
excessive governmental consump-
ton under the illusions of specious
prosperity engendered by false pol
icies of the Federal government,
a waste of the capital has been
going on ever since the peace of
1865 which could only end in uni-
versal disaster. The Federal taxes
of the last eleven years reach the
gigantic sum of $4,000. .00O, ,000.-|
Local taxation has amounted to
two-thirds as much more. The
vast aggregate is not less than ST.
00,000,000. This enormous taxa
ton followed civil conflict that
had greatly impaired our aggregate
wealth, and had made prompt re-
of expenses Indispensable.
1t was aggravated by the most un-
scientific and illadjusted methods
of taxation that increased the sac
rifices of the people far beyond the
receipts of the treasury. 1t was
aggravated, moreover, by a finan-
cial policy which tended to dimin-
ish the energy, skin and economy
Of production and frugality of pri-
Vatc consumption, and induced mis-
in business and an un-
use of capital and la
Dor. Even in prosperous times the
laily wants of Industrious commu-
lities press closely upon their daily
Tho margin of possible
,ational savings Is at best small
,cr certage of national earnings.
Yet now, for these eleven years
governmental consumption has been
! larger portion of the national
earnings than the whole people can
possibly save, even In prosperous
lines, for all new investments. The
of these arc now ;
'resent public calamity. But they ,
verc never doubtful never invisi-
lie. THEY were necessary and i'm
and were foreseen and de-
,icted when the waves of that fic-
itious prosperity ran highest. In I
speech made by me on the 2lth I
{ September, 1868, 1t was said of 4
hesc taxes: "They bear heavily
pon every mans income, upon |
very industry and every business ,
\ the country, and year by year 7
hey arc destined 10 press still more '
eavily unless We arrest the system T
hat gives riso to them" IL was c
comparatively easy when values. {
'ere doubling under repeated is |
ues of legal tender paper money 8
D nay out OF the .froth of our q
and apparent wealth these 7
,xes, bat when values rccedc-and g
NIX towards their natural scale d
nc taxgathercr takes from us not =
My our income, not only our prof J
:, but also portion of our CAPT {
II. v
Edo no wish to cxaggcrate or G
arm. simply say that VIC can n
ot afford the costly and ruinous i
Obey oGthe Radical lmajority'of $
ongress. We cannot afford that {
olicy towards the South, We can 9
Ut afford the magnificent and OPP 4
rcssive centralisminto which oar b
ovcrnmcnt is being converted. c
le cannot afford the present mag n
Illcent scale Of taxation. To the n
ncretary Of the Treasury I sail O
tClk tio.., &, .......s...l - 4.