Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1876-08-05
TILDEN's LETTER.

SARATOGA, August 4.-The following
Is the full text of Governor Tilden's let
ter of acceptance of the nomination of
the Democratic party for President o:
the United States:
ALBANY, July 81, 1876.
9ENTLEAEN-When l had the hon or to re-
ceive the personal delivery of your letter on
ton, held j une 2Sth, at st. Louis. advising me
OF my noEalnsAi~n ~ tlao candid ste OF the
ones Of President Of the United States, an,
swered that at my earliest convenience and
in conformity with usage, would prepare
and transmit to you a formal acceptance. l
now avail myself OF the drst Interval in una
Voidable occupations to fulfill that engage
ment
THE PLATFORM.
The convention, before making its NOM
ination, adopted a declaration of princi-
pies which, as whole, seems to me wise
exposition of the necessities of our country,
and OF the reforms needed to bring back our
government to its true functions, to restore
purity of administration, and to re-
new the prosperity OF the people. But
some of these reforms are SO urgent
that they claim more than passing approval.
REFORM.
The necessity of reform in the scale of pub
lie expense, federal, state and municipal, and
the modes of federal taxation justifles all tn e
prominence given to 1t In nth the declaration OF
sion ia all the business and industries Of the
people whic h is depriving labor of its employ
ment and carrying want into so many homes,
has its pri ncipal causes in excessive govern
mental consumption under the illusion OF a
specious prosperity, engendered by false poll
cies OF federal government. A waste of Cap
ital has been going on ever since the peace of
1866 which could only end in universal disas
Ter.
The federal taxes of the last eleven years
reach the gigantic sum OF forty-five hun
dred millions; local taxation has amounted
to two thirds as much more. The vast
ty-five hundred millions. This enormous
taxation followed a civil conflict that had
greatly impaired our aggregate wealth and
had made prompt reduction OF expenses
Indispensable.
ADDITIONAL AGGRAVATIONS.
II was aggravated by most unscientifLc
and ill-adju listed methods of taxation that
far beyond the receipts OF the treasury. 1t
was aggravated, moreover, by financial pol
icy which tended TO diminish energy, econo-
my of production, and frugallty OF private
consumption, and induced mlscalculation in
business and unremunerative use Of capital
and labor, even In prosperous times. The
daily wants of Industrious communities press
closely upon their daily earnings. The mar
gin, If possible, of the national savings is, at
best, small percentage of the national earn
ings; yet now, for these eleven years, the gov
eTnmental consumption has been larger
portion of the national earnings than the
whole people can possibly save, even Ia pros
THE CONSEQUENCES.
The consequences of these errors are now a
present public calamity, but they were never
doubtful-never invisible; they were neces-
sary and inevitable, aud were foreseen and
depleted when the waves of that fictitious
prosperity ran highest, In speech made
by me on the twenty-fou day OF Sep
tember 1865. 1t was said OF these taxes that
they bear heavily upon every mans in6 60 t
country, and year by year they are destined 20
press still more heavily, unless we arrest the
system that gives rise TO them. II was com
under repeated issues of legal tender paper
money, to pay out OF the gro With of our gr W.
when values recede and sink toward their
natural scale, the Jax-gatherer takes from US
not only our income, not only our profits, but
also a portion of our capital.
RADICAL EXACTIONS.
1 do not wish to exaggerate or alarm.
simply say that we cannot afford the costly
and Iuinous policy of the Radical ma
jority of congress. We cannot afford that
the magnificent and oppressive GEN.
tralism into which our government Is being
converted. We cannot afford the present
tary of the treasury l said, ca. ly in 1865:
There is no royal ROAD for government more
than for an individual or corpora ION;
what you want to do now, is to cut down
your expenses and live within your income.
would give all ledgerdernatn of finance and
nnanclerlng - .,,
LIVE WITHIN YOUR INCOME"
would give the whole of 1t Tor the old
homely maxim, Live within your in
come" This reform will be resisted at
every step, but II must be pressed perslstently
We see to-day immediate representatives Of
the people in one branch OF congress, while
struggling to reduce expenditures, compelled
TO confrnnt the menace of the senate and ex-
ecuttve, that unless the Objectionable appro-
priations be ted TO, the operations OF
the government hereunder shall suffer detrt-
ment or cease.
A GOOD SUGG ESTI IN.
constitution ought to be raised sepa-
for various departments of public service and
other objects and all independent legis-
lation. In that way alone can every power OF
each OF the two houses aud of the 81 ecutive be
preserved and exempted from moral duress,
which often compels assent TO Objectionable
appropriations father than stop the wheels
of the government
TIE SOUTH.
An accessory cause, enhancing the dis
tress, IL business is TO be found In
systematic and insupporIRble govern
ment imposed on the States OF the
south. Be-ides the ordinary effect of ignorant
ana oi ShonesI rehabilitation II has inflicted
upon them enormous issues OF fraudulent
bonds, the Scanty aVaIs Ut !. Iieh we're " astsu
or stolen, and the Ilstencr - which is 4 pub
lie dlscresiiL. tending to ba krupLcy or repu-
distiOn, Taxes, generally oppressive, In some