Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1884-07-19
BLAINE'S ACCEPTANCE.
THE JiSGu srATEsMAN's LETTER.
seirctiou OF tue important Foius of the
uotunsnt--co Reference ~ Tax Keduc-
III, m .,l


publican nomination for the presidency. |
In his remarks concerning the tariff ques
ton he says " Revenue laws are i'll their
very nature subject to frequent revision IN
order that they may be adapted to changes
aud notifications of trade. The Repuhli-
can party is not couteudIng for the perma
nency of any particular statute. The
issue between the two parties does not
| have reference to specific law. II Is far
broader and far deeper. II involves a
principle Of wide application ana bcnef
| cent influence against theory which We
| believe to be uusound IN conception and
inevitably hurtful in practice. In the
| many tariff revisiOus which have been
necessary for the past twenty three years,
| or which may hereafter become necessary,
| the Republican party has maintained and
| will maintain the policy Of protection
| to American industry, while our opponents
| insist upon revision which practically
destroys that policy. The issue Is thus
distinct well defined aud uuavoidable
| The pending election may determine the
fate OF protection for u generation. Tho
overthrow of the policy means large and
permanent reduction in the wages of tho
| American labOrer, besides Involving the
loss of vast amounts of AmcrlCIn capital
invested in manufacturing enterprises.
y
to the psuplc of the United States is not
matter OF theory, and | shall submit no
arg lmeut to sustain It. | only invite at
tention to certain facts of official record
which seem 70 constitute demonstration.
In the census of 1850 an effort was
made, for the first time in our history, 20
obtain valuation OF all tue property IN
the | nited States. The attempt was in u
large degree unsuccessful. Partly from
lack of time, partly from prejudiC, among
many who thOnght tho inquiries foro
shadOWOd new scheme Of taxation, the
returns were incomplete aud unsatisfactory.
Little moro WAS done than to consolidate
the local valuation used in the states for
purposes of assessment, aud that, as every
one knows, differs widely from complete
exhibit of all the property.
In the census Of 1860, however, the
work was done with great thuroug
the distinction between assessed" value
and true value being carefully observed.
Tho grand result was that tho "tgus
value of all the property IN the a;aJes
3 aud territories Gncluding s!ayes) amounted
to $4,000, 900 Go. This aggregate was
the net iosuIt OF the labor and savings ui
; 81 the people within the area OF the
United States from the time the first Brit
ish coonist landed in lGO7 down to the
. year 1860. II represented the fruit Of the
s toll of two hundred aud fifty years.
: These results are regarded by the Older
y, nations of the world as phenomenal. THAI
our country should surmount the peril aud
b the cost Of a gigantic war, aud for an on
q tire period Of twenty years make al
s average gain 10 its wealth of $l2j, 600 OOl
: per month, surpasses the experience ut al
other nations, ancient or modern. Ever
the opponents OF the present revenue sys
tenn do not pretend that in the who'll
history Of civilization any parallel can b.
;. found to the material progress of tn
- United States since the accession of tn
Republican party TO power.
The period between 1860 and to-day LA
not beeu one of material prosperity Ouly
z At no time in the history OF the lutte
2 States has there been such progress in th
10 moral and philanthropic field. Religion
and charitable institutions, schools, semi
naries aud colleges have beon founded az
le endowed far more generously than at an
previous time IN our history. Greater an
more varied relief has been extended {
b human. suffeTiCg, aud the entire prOgres
Of tho country in wealth has been accom-
panied and diEnfied by a broadening an,
o elevation of our national character as
o people.
t After 1860 tho business of tho COuutrI
4 was encouraged aud developed by a pro
q tecttve tariff. At the end of twenty year
the total property of the United States u
returned by the census Of 1880, amounted
u to the enormous aggregate of S4i, 900, 600,
coo. This great result was attained not
withstaudng the fact that countless mil
lions had in the interval been wasted il
the progress of a bloody war. lC thu
n appears that while our population betwee
u 1860 and 1880 increased go per cent, tn
aggregate property of the country in
q creased 2l4 per cent showing a vastl
4 enhanced wealth per capita among tn
people. Thirty thousand millions of do
- lars had been added during these twent
" years to the permanent wealth of th
nation.
Our opponents find fault that on
z, revenue system produces surplus. Bu
10 they should not forget that the law ha
given specific purpose to which oil {
= the surplus il prohtably and honorabl
m appied-the reduction OF the public del
le and the consequent relief of the burden {
IT taxation. No dollar has been wasted, an
the only extIlvagance with which th
% party stands charged is the generOu
Sc pensioning of soldiers, sailors aud the
A, iamilies-an eXtravagance which ombodiC
ir the highest form of justice in the recogn
ton and payment of Il sacred debt. Whe
II reduction Ot taxation is to be made e.
a Republican party can DO trusted I
II accomplish it in such form AK will mo-
el effectively aid tho industries of Il
l. nation"
Foreign commerce.
- Concerning the foreign commerce
!, the country, Mr.. Blaine remarks at
- a common and yet radical error To COZ
", found the commerce of the country wit
its carrying trade-an error often con
80 mitted innooently and sometimes dcsigr
~ edly--but an error 30 gross that it doe
- not distinguish between the ship and Ill
- cargo. Foreign commerce represents til
- exports aud imports of country regaTdle!
= OF the nationality of the vessel that ma
carry the commodities of exchange Ou
carrying trade has from obvious cause
~ suffered many discOuragements since 1861
but our foreign commerce has in the san
;. period steadily and prodigiously il
= creased-increased indeed at ra
20 and to an amount which absolute
y dwarf all previous developments
, our trade beyond the sea. Fro
1860 to the present time the fOreig
commerce of tho United States divide
with approximate equality between es
;, por4s and impOrts) reached tho astOundu
~ aggregate of S24, 900, 600, 900. The balant
~ IN this vast commerce inclined in OF
n1 favor, but it would have been much larg