Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1876-08-05
LETTERS OF Acceptance
The following is Governor IiIden's letter OF

held IN the both OF Juue, at St. uls, auVlS,
ing me of my nomination as toe ca0t!oate oi
the constituency represented by that body Tor
Inc f6cc Of President of the Un'tcd States,
answered that at uiy earliest convenience, aud
in conformity With usage, would prepare and
transmit to you formal acceptance. no"
avail myscIs Of the first interval IN unaVolda0ie
occupations to fulfil that engagement. Inc
convention, before making its Donlnatlous'
adopted declaration oil principles when, Us
whole, seem TO me Z wise exposition VI tue VI
ccssities Of our county, and oi the REFORMS
needed to bring back the Government TO Us
true functions, to restore purify OF auminlstra
tiop and to renew the prosperity OF the people.
But some OF toe reforms are SO urseDt 'haI
they claim more than passing approval
The necessity of a reform IN the scale OF pup
lie exEeuse, f raj, State and nu1lclpal' 10
the modes OF Federal taxation, Juslihes all the
prominence given to 1t III the DECLARATION u Tue
St. Louis convention. The present depression
in al! the business and industries of the people,
which is deprlving labor OF its employment ana
carrying want iutu so many homes, has us
p,irci. al cause 10 excessive governmental con
sump ion under the illusions oil aSpGclous pros
pcrlty cnpendcred by the false policies oil tue
F,Gcral Government A waste OF capital mas
been going on ever since the peace OF 1000
which could only end in universal disaster. lt
was aggravated. moreover, by financial poll
CIV Which tended to diminish the energy, ski
and economy Of production, and the frugaiity
of private CONSUMPTION, and induced mlscalcu
lation 10 BUSINESS aod an unremuneratlVe Use
of capital aud labor. Even iii prosperous tlmes
the daily wants OF industrious comWunitte'
press closely upon their daily earnings me
margin Of possible national savings Is a, peS'
small percentage OF uatlonal carDlngs. Yet 20"
for these eleven years governmental cou'unp,
ton has been larger portion OF the nahonal
earnings than the whole people can possibly
save even 10 prosperous tunes tor ali new IN
vcslments The cons 'qucpees OF these errors
are nov present pubic calamity, put theV
were never doubtful, never Invisible; they were
necessary and inevitable, and were forescen and
depicted when the waves OF that fictitious pros
neritv ran highest, 10 speech made by me
on the Oath OF September, 1865, 1t was said OF
these taxes: They bear heavily upon every
mans income, upon every Industry and every
business 10 the counlry, 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 values were
doubling under repeated issues OF lega-tencer
naper money to pay cut Of the trcth or our
growing and apparent wealth these taxes, but
when values reccde and sink toward their ma
tural scale, the tax. ga thereg takes from US Dot
Only cur income, not only our profits, but also
a portion Of our capita. do nut Wish to x
aggerate or alarm. simply say that We can
not afford the costly and rulucus po!lcy OF the
radical majority of Congress. We cannot at
ford that policy toward the South. We cannot
aft lrd the magnificent and oppressive ceu'ra
ism into which our Government Is being con
ycrtcd, We canuot afford the present magol
6ccpt scale of tax.tiop." 70 ,hc Secretary OF
the Treasury said, early IN 1865, There Is
no royal road for government more than TOR
an Individual or corporation. What you
want to do now is to cut down your ex ,enses
and live within your ucome. | would give
all the legerdemain Of finance and hnanclerlJ 6;
| would give the whole of il FIR the old home
maxim live within your Income. This re-
form will be resisted at every STEP but 1t must
be pressed persistcntly. We see to day TIE
immediate representatives OF The people 10 one
traoch OF Congress, while struggling to rSduce
expenditures, compelled to confront the me
mace of the Senate and the Executive that un-
less the Objectionable appropriations be CONSENT
ed to the operations Ct the Government there
under shall suffer dctr!ment or cease. !n my
Judgment az amendment to the Constitution
bills the appropriations tor the various depart
mepts of the public service, and excluding from
each bill ali appropriations for other otJec's
and ali Independent legislation. In that way
alone the advisory power of each OF the two
Houses aud OF the Executive can be preserved
u1d exempted from the moral duress which oil.
ten compes assent to Objectionable approprla,
tions rather than stop the wheels OF Govern
ment.
An accessory cause enhancing the dis ress IN
business is 10 be found in the systematic aud
insupporta5lc misgovernment imposed on the
States Of the South. B,sides the ordinary eff
tects OF ignorant and dishonest administration,
it has Inflicted upon them enormous issues OF
fraudulent bocds, the scauty avai!s OF which
were wasted or stolen, aud the cxsteuce OF
which is putl!c diScredit, tending to bank.
luptcy or Reputation. Taxes, generally OPP
rressive, in some ius. aoces have coniscated
the entire income Of property and totally de-
sroycd its marketable value. 1t ls III possible
that these evils should not rcac upon the
prosperity Of the whole country. The nobler
motives of humanity coocur With the material
interests Of all 10 requiring that every obstacle
be removed to complete and durable Tccon-
citation between kindred populations once 10
naturally cs'ranged, on the basis recognized by
the St L ui> platform, o. the 'Constltutlon OF
the Uui,cd States with It's amendments uni
versally accepted as final settlement of the
controversies which cngcudcred civil war, ADD
10 aid Of result so bene6ceul h? moral in,
iuence of every citizen as we'll as very gov,
ernmen.al authority ought to be exarted, not
alone to uaintain their ju>t cqul'lly fore n,
law, but lk, wise to establish cordial, lratern il
good will among citizens whatever their r c.,
ard color, who are now united in the one des
tiny IF commoa self-gov rnment. If the dut!
shall be assigned to me, | shou i'd not fail to
exercise the power with which the laws and The
Constitution OF our country cothe its Chief
Magistrate to protect all its tiz rs, whatever
their former condition, 10 every political aud
per sooal right.
Reform is necessary. declares the St. Louis
convention; 10 establish a sound currency, re-
store the public credit, ard maintain the na
tional honor; aud it goes on to demand judi
cious system of preparation by public ecouo
mics, by official retrenchments, and by wise