The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1876-08-10
HEARD FROM.
Those Letters of Acceptance.
TILDEN's LETTER.
SOUND DOCTRINE.

or 10 receive tne personal OeIVcry OI
your letters on behalf of the Demo-
cratic National Convention, held on
the 2Sth of June, at St. Louis, advis-
ing me of my nomination as the can
didate of the constituency represented
by that body for the Office OF President
of the United States, answered that
at my earliest convenience, and in con-
formity with usage, l would prepare
and transmit to you formal accept
ance. now avail myself of the first
interval in unavoidable occupations
to fulfill that engagement.
The convention, before making its
nominations, adopted a declaration of
principles which, as a whole, seems to
me a wise exposition of the necessi-
ties Of the country, aud of the reforms
needed to bring back the country to
its true functions, to restore the purity
of the administration, and to renew
the prosperity of the people. But
some of these reforms are 60 urgent
that they claim more than passing
approval. The necessity of reform
i'm the scale of public expense, Federal
State and municipal, and the modes
of Federal taxation, justifies all the
prominence given to il in the declara.
llOu vi TIC 81. bOulS SOnbCutAOhs
The present depression in all busl-
ness and industries of the people,
which is depriving labor OF its en-
ploy ment, and carrying want. into 80
many homes, has its principal cause
i'll excessive governmental consump-
ton. Under illusions of speciOus
prosperity, engendered by false poll
cies of the Federal government, q
II
ever since the peace OF 1865, which
could only end in universal disaster.
The Federal taxes of the last eleven
years reach the gigantic sum OF S4,-
jOO.OOO,OOO. Local taxation has
amounted 10 twO-thirds as much more
The vast aggregate is not less than ST.
JOO, ,0OO,UUU. This enormous taxation
followed a civil conflict that had great
ly impaired our aggregate wealth, ana
mad made h prompt reduction of ex-
penses indispensable. 1t was a2gra-
vated by most unscientific aud ill-ad-
iusted methods of taxation, that IN
creased the sacrifices of the people far
beyond the receipts of the treasury.
1t was aggravated, moreover, by q
financial policy which tended to di-
miuish the energy, skill and economy
Of production and the frugAiity of
private consumption,an and induced mis-
calculation in business, aud an unre-
munerative 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 saw
ings is at best small percentage Of
national earnings. Yet. now for these
eleven years, governmental consump-
ton has been larger portion Of the
national earnings OF the whole people
can possibly save even in prosperous
times for all new investments. The
consequences 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 speech made by me on the 24th
of September, 1SGS, it was said OF
these taxes: "They bear heavily upon
every mans income, upon every
industry and every business in the
country, and year by year they are
destined to press still more heavily
unless we arrest the system that gives
rise to them. 1t was comparatively
easy, when values were doubling un-
der the repeated issues of legal tender
paper money, to pay out of the froth
of our growing and apparent wealth
these taxes; but when values recede
and sink towards their natural scale,
the tax-gatherer takes from US not
only our income, not only our profits,
but also q portion of our capital"
L. Oh n e0f 70 ~.
alarm. 1 simply 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 mag
uiticent and oppressive Centralism in
to which our government is being
converted. We cannot afford the pres
ent magnificent scale OF taxation. To
the Secretary of the Treasury l said
early in 1860:
"There is no royal road for q gov
ernment more than for an individual
or a corporation. What you want to
do now is to cut down your expenses
and live within your income" 1
would give all the legerdemain OF
finance and fnanciering-I would give
the whole of it-for the old, homely
maxim "Live within your income"
This reform will be resisted ut every
step, but it must be pressed persistent
ly. We see to-day the immediate rep
resentatives of the people in one
branch of Congress, while struggling
to reduce the expenditure, compelled
to confront the menace of the Senate
and Executive that, unless ObjectiOna-
BILE appropriations be consented to-,
the operations of the government
hereunder shall suffer detriment or
cease. In my judgment an amend
ment to the constitution ought to be
devised separating into distinct bills
appropriations for various depart
ments of the public service, and ex-
Guiding from each bill all apprOpria-
tions for other objects, and all indie
pendent legislation. In that way alone
can the FevisOry power OF each OF the
two Houses and CT the Executive be
preserved and exempted from moral
duress which often cOmpels assent to
objectionable appropriations, rather
than stop the wheels of government
An accessory eause enhancing dis
tress In business is TO be found i'm the
systematic and insupportable misgOv-
ernment imposed on the States OF the
South. Besides the ordinary effects
of an ignorant and dishonest adn,inis-
tration, it has inflicted upon them
enormous issues OF fraudulent bonds,
the scanty avails of which were vast
ed or stolen, and the existence Of
which is public discredit, tending to
bankruptcy or reputation. Taxes
generally oppressive, in some instan-
ees heve cOnfiscated the entire income
of property, and totally destroyed its
marketable yalpa, IT is impossible
that these evils should not react upon
the prosperity of the whole count9y.
The nobIer motives of humanity con-
cur with the material interests OF all
ina requiring that every obstacle be re-
moved to o complete and durable rec
OnciliatiOn between a kindred popu-
alton once unnatUPally estran0rd ou