Richland beacon. [volume] (Rayville, La.) 1869-1890, 1876-08-12
THE PRESIDENCY.
Gov. Tilden's Letter Accepting
the Nomination of the st.
Louis Convention.
A MaStcrly Review Of the
Political SituatiOn...An In.
valuable Campaign
Document.

ALBANY, July 81, 1876.
GENTLEMEN-Whrm | lad the Lonor Il
receive personal delivery Of your letter OF
beIIali OF the Democratic National Convention
held OIL the 3Silr Of June, al ST Louis, advisin:
me of M nomination a. the candidate of the
constituency represented by that body for ia,
'ilicc at President of the United States
answered that al my earliest nvanience
and ia cnuIurmiry with usage. | would pre-
, pare and Transmit you formal acceptance
| now avail myself of the first interval il
ul,h "n,Iablc '"'cuI,Iii"r,, to fulfill that cngag
n.rnt The Convention, before making it:
nornna'iuII>, adupIrd declaration uf pIinci
plr>. which, a. i whole, seems 10 me a wis,
/ exposition ui the nc,r>,itIrS OF our country
and Of the rrnrn> needed TO bring back III,
! government iu ill., tine iunctioI.S 10 restore
/ purity of administration and To renew ia,
J prosperity OF the people. but some of these
reforms are 50 urgent that they claim NOR,
than passing approval.
1 lac Necessity "f Il reform in the scale O.
/ public expense. Federal. State and Municipal
aud in the mode, oi Federal taxation, ju>tliic.
( oil the Prominence given to il in the drclara
! ton "f the 81 Louis Convention. The pres
.
/ tries OF the p 'opIr, which is dcprvimg labor
Z If H. cmpl"ynrrr and carrying want into 81
many homes, has Iis principal cause in cxces
! slrc governmental consumption under the
/ Illusions of Il smcious property engen Tered
/ by the ia!lhcie, of the Federal Government.
/ 4 waste ui capital ha- been going on ever
! ,InCc the pcnCc ut 1865, which could only
tnd la universal disaster. The Federal taxes
OF the last eleven years reach the aggregate
sun ct Si.jUu uooUUO. Local taxation has
amounted Ia twothirds as much more. The
vast asgrt gate l. not less than ) ,hOOuO0 ono
His cunrinou> taxation followed a civil con-
ii.ci that has greatly impaired our aggregate
wealth, aud had made a prompt reduction OF
expenses Indispensable. Ii was aggravated
hy most un>cicnt.iir and all adjusted methods
OF taxation that lncrcG> >cd the sacrifice, of the
people far beyond the receipts uf the Treasury.
IL vas aggravated moreover by a financial
poli,y which tended To diminish the energy,
skill and economy Of production and the frlr.
Sanry OF pnvaic consumption, and indirect
insCalculailon III business and unrrniIinc rarivc
Use OF capital and labor. Even in prosper
ous times, the daily wants OF industrious
communities press closely npon their daily
earnings. The margin OF possible National
savings is at best a small percentage of
National earnings and yet now for these
eleven years governmental consumption has
been larger PARTON OF the natural earnings
than the whole people can possibly save,
even IN prosperous times. for all new invest
In"nts. The consequences Of these errors
ar, now acute public calamity, Lu' they were
never doubiiul, never invisible They were
necessary and inevitable; were forcsecn and
depicted when the waves of that prosperity
ran highest Ia speech made by me ON
Sept. 9th, 1865. il was said of these taxes
that they bear heavily upon every mans
income, upon every industry and every bust.
nes, in the county, and year by year they
are destined TO press still more heavily unless
We arrest the system that gives rise to Them
Ii Was comparatively easy when mere values
were doubling under repeated issue of legal
tender paper money ,u pay ont Of the trorh oi
our growing and apparent wealth these
taxes. but when values recedc and sink
toward their Natural scale the tax gathercr
takes irorI us Eoi only our income, not only
our profit, bGt also II portion OF our capital.
do not wish To exag.eraie or alarm;
simply say we ran,Ioi afford the costly aud
ruinors policy of the Radical M jUriy Of
Congress. We cannot afford that policy
towards the South We cannot ailord the
magnificent and oppressive ccntralisn into
which our Government j. being converted
We cannut ailnrd the present magnificent
scale nf taXa.inn. To the Secretary of the
Treasury ! said, early in 1865, there Is no
royal road Iur Government more than for
an individual or a corporation. What you
want to do now Is To- cnt down yonr expense
and live within your Iucomc. ] would give
all the lr2erdrlman of finance and tinanceer-
ing; ! would give the whole of it for the old
honcly maxim, Live within your income
This reform will br resisted at every step,
b,;t it must be pressed persis,ently. We see
today the immediate represe natives Of the
people in one branch of Congress, while
struggling !" reduce expenditures, compelled
to contio,i the menace OF the Senate and
Executive that uIlc>, the objectionable appro
priarons he consented to the operations o..
the G"vrrnrient hereunder shall ,uiicr d, tri.
,ncnt or cease. la my Judgment, an amend
ment OF the Constitution ought to be devised
separating into distinct bills, tie appropriations
for the various departments Of the public
service, aud excluding from each bill all
appropriations for other objects. and all indie
pendent Legislation. la that way alone the
revisory power OF each Of the TWO Houses
and OF the Executive bo preserved and
exempted from the moral duress which often
compels resort TO objectionable appropria-
,ions rather Than stop the wheels of Govern
mcnt.
An accessory cause Of enhancing the dis
tress in business, is to be found in the sys-
tcrna,ic and insuPpor'able disagreement
imposed on the States of the South, besides
the ordinary effects of ignorant and dishonest
administration, II has inflicted upon them
enormous issues OF fraudulent bonds, the
scan,y avails Of which were wasted or stolen,
and the existence of which is public discredit
tending to bankruptcy or the reputation of
taxes gene rally oppressive. In some instances
they have cOniiscated the eurre income of
property, and totally destroyed lis marketable
value. 1t is not possible tha; these evils
should not react upon the prosperity of TIE
whole country. The nobler motives Of
humanity concur with the material lnterst Of
all, il recurring that all obstacles be removed
to a complete and durable reconciliation
between kindred population once unnaturaIly
estranged on the basis recognized by the ST.
Louis platform.
OF the Constitution of the United States,
with its anne ndmenrs universally accepted as
a final settlement OF the controversies which
engendered civil war. but in and Of result
50 Lenelicient TO the legal influence of every
citizen. as well as every governmental author
ity. ousht To be exer,ed, no, alone 10 maintain
the Just equality before the law, but likewise
To- establish cordial aud fra,ernaI good will
ii.