The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1876-08-08
GOV. TIIBEN'S LETTER F!
Plain Issues Squarely
Made.
The Government Spends More
than the People can Save.
Reduced Expenses, Lower Taxes, and
Revived Industry the way to
Honest Resumption.
NO MORE SHAM PROM
Uses TO PAY.
All Citizens of all Colors Must
be Protected in all their
Rights.
ONE PRESIDENTIAL TERN THE coNDl-
TON OF REAL cIvlL-sElvIcE
REFORM.
EQUAL PROTECTION ABROAD TO
NATIvE-BoRN AND FOREIGN
CITIZENS.
No Sectarian Interference With the
Schools
NO MORE SHAM PROM
Uses TO PAY.
EQUAL PROTECTION ABROAD TO
NATIvE-BoRN AND FOREIGN
CITIZENS.
No Sectarian Interference With the
Schools.
ALBANY, July 81, 1876

Schools.
ALBANY, July 81, 1876
GENTLEMEN; When had the honor
to receive personal delivery of your letter
on behalf Of the Democratic National con
yention, held on the 2Sth of June at st.
Louis, advising me Of my nomination as
the candidate of the constituency
represented by that body, for the Office of
president Of the United States, answered
that, at my earliest convenience, and in
conformity with usage, | would prepare
and transmit to you formal acceptance.
| now avail myself of the first interval in
unavoidable occupations to fulfil that
engagement.
. The convention, before making its nomi-
nations, adopted Declaration of Princi'
pies, which, as o 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 admins.
tratiOn and TO renew the prosperity of the
people. But some Of these reforms are so
urgent that they claim more than passing
approval.
RETURN IN GUBLlt bNfENSE,
The necessity Of reform in the scale
Of public expeuse-Federal. State and
municipal in the modes Of Federal
taxation" justi6es all the prominence
given TO it in the declaration OF the St.
Louis convention.
The present depression in all the bust
ness and industries of the people, which is
DO lab 90. a., i
carrying want into so many homes, has its
principal cause in excessive governmental
consumption, Under the illusions of a
specous prosperity engendered by the
false policies of the Federal Government 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 eleven
years reach the gigantic SUN of 1850
millions. Local taxation has amounted to
two thirds as much more. The vast az
gregate is not less 1900 millions.
This enormous taxation followed civil
conflict that had greatly impaired our az,
gregate wealth and had made a prompt
reduction of expenses indispensable.
1t was aggravated by most uuscientific
and illadjusted methods Of taxation that
increased the sacrifices of the people far
beyond the receipts Of the treasury.
1t was aggravated, moreover, by q
financial policy which tended to diminish
the energy, skill and economy Of produc-
ton, and the frugality of private con-
sumption, aud induced miscalculation in
business and unremuneratiye use of capital
and labor.
Even in prosperous times, the daily
wants Of industrious communities press
closely upon their daily earnings The
margin Of possible national savings is at
best small percentage Of national earn
nings. Yet now tor these eleven years
governmental consumption has been a
larger portion Of the national earnings
than the whole people can possibly save
even in prosperous times for all new in.
vestments.
The consequences of these errors are
now 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 speech made by me on the
Gath Of September, 1868, it was said Of
these taxes:
They bear heavily upon every mans income.
upon every industry and every business I'm the
countryand year by year they destined to press
still more heavily, unless we arrest the system that
gives rise to them. II comparatively easy
when values were doubling under repeated issues
OF lcgaltender paper moneyto pay out of the froth
OF our growing and apparent wealth these taxes
but when values recede and sink towards their
natural scale, the tnxgatherer takes from not
only our income. not only our profits.
but also portion of our capital,
| do not wish TO eXaLgerate alarm; ! sim
ply say that we cannot afford the costly and
ruinous policy Of the Radical majority of congress
We cannot afford that policy towards the south
We cannot afford the magnificent and oppressive
centraltsm into which our government IL being
converted. We cannot afford the present magnif-
cent scale Of taxation.
To the secretary Of the treasury, / said,
early in 1865,
There Is no royal road for government more
than for an individual or n corporation What Won
want 70 90 now Is to cut down your expenses and
live WITHIN your income. i would give all the leg.
erdemain of finance and fnanciering--I would give
the whole OF II for the old, homely maxim, Live
within your income"
This reform will be resisted ut every
step, but it must be pressed persistently.
We see to-day the immediate repre-. enta-
tives of the people in one branch of con-
gress, while struggling to reduce expendi-
lures, compelled to confront the menace
OF the senate and the executive that I'M
less the Objectionable appropriations be
consented to the operations OF the govern
ment hereunder shall suffer detriment or
cease. In my Judgment, an amendment
of the constitution ought to be devised
separating into distinct bills the appropri-
atoms 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
=. preserved and exempted from the moral
duress which often compels assent to OBJ.
lectioDable appropriations, rather than
stop the wheels Of the government.
THE SOUTH.
An accessory cause enhancing the dis
tress in business is to be found in the sys.
tematic and insupportable misgoyernmen,
imposed on the states of the south. Be.
sides the ordinary effects of Ignorant and
dishonest administration, it has inflicted