Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1876-08-11

The following is Hon. Samuel j. Tilden'
letter accepting the Democratic nomina
tion for the Presidency:
ALBANY, N. Y, July 81, 1876.
| To The COMMITTEE Of the National Dcw0
cratic CORUentiOR.
Gentemen-W hen had the honor to re.
ceive personal delivery of your letter on
behalf OF the Democratic National COnven-
ton, held on the 2sth f June, at st. Louis,
advising me OF my nomination as the can
| didatc OF the constituency represented by
that body for the Office of Pre- ident of the
United States, | answered that at my eari-
est convenience and in conformity with
usage | would prepare and transmit to YOU
my formal acceptance. | now avail my
self of the first interval in unavoidable occu-
pations to fulfill that engagement.
The convention before making its nomi-
nation adopted 4
DECLARATION OF PRINCIPLES
which, as a whole, seems to me wise ex-
hibition Of the necessities of our county
and of the reform needed to bring back the
government TO its trueiuncti0ns, to restore
purity OF administration and TO renew the
prosperity Of the people. But some OF these
reforms are 50 urgent that they claim mere
than passing approval The necessity OF
reform in the scale Of public expense, fed
eral, state and municipal. and in modes
OF federal taxation lustitoS all the promi
nence given TO 1t IN the declaration Of the
St. Louis convention. The present depres-
sion in all business and industries OF the
people, which Is dcprlying labor of its en-
plOyment and carrying want into 50 many
homes, has It's principal cause IN excessive
governmental consumption. under the lllu-
slons OF the speciOus prosperity engen-
dered by the false policies OF the federal
g0yelnme \ war Of capital has been
going on ever since the peace of lS65,
which could only Cld in universal disaster.
The federal taxes OF the last eleven years
reach the gigantic sum OF s 500 900 600.
Local taxation has amounted TO two-thiris
as much more. The vast aggregate Is not
less than s 800, coo 900. This enormous
taxation followed ciyIl conflict that had
greatly impaired our aggregate wealth, and
had made the prompt reduction OF expenses
Indispensable. Ii was aggravated by the most
unsclentliic and iil-adjustcd method of
taxation, that increased the sacrifices Of
people far beyond the receipts Of the trea-
sury. 1t was aggravated, moreover, by
financial policy which tended u diminish
the skill OF production and tho irugallty OF
private consumption. and induced miscal-
culatIOn IN bu-inc~~. and au unrcmgncra-
tive use of capital and labor. Even in
times the daily wants OF indus |
trious communities press closely upon their
daily earnings. The margin OF possible ma /
ti0nal savings IS at best small percentage /
of the national earning Yet. now for these Z
eleven years the government consumption I
has been "A larger portion OF the national |
earnings than the whole people can possibly /
save, even IN prosperous times, for all new |
investments. The Consequences of these cr- /
Or- are now a present calamity, but they /
were never doubtful. never invisible. /
They were necessary and inevitable. and |
were forescen and depicted when the waves /
of that fictitious prosperity ran highest. In |
a speech made hy me on the 9th Of Sep /
temhcr. l~r-, 1t Wa -lii Oi these ;axe- that /
they bear heavily on every man 5 income, /
upon every Industry and every hu-lnc-- Iu /
the country. and year hy year they are de--
tined to pres still m Irc heavily, Luic~- We !
arrest the cause that 4Iy. r.-e O. them lt /
was comparatively easy wlrn values were
doubling under repeated Issues of .csal ten
der paper money to pay out Of the irJth OF
our growing and apparent wealth the
taxes but when va.uc, rcseel ami sink To-
ward their uatdral scale the taX--ltAerCT .
takes from u~ uut only our income, not only /
our profits, bus also portion ot uur capi-
tai do not wish 70 czssgerate or alarm.
simply say that W. canu1, afford ,Ac