Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1884-07-30

AuGrsrA. Ne. July Is, 1884.

the Committee, etc, etc.
Gentlemen I'm accepting the nomina-
ton for the Presld ency rendered me ov the
Republican National Convention, beg to
express a deep sense of the honor which is
conferred and Of the duty which Is imposed.
| venture to accompany the acceptance with
some observations upon the questions IN
volved in the econtest-questions whose set
Element nav affect the future OF the nation
fayorablv or unfavorably for long series
of years.
In enumerating the issues upon which
the Republican party appeals for popular
support, the Convention has been singular
" explicit and felicitous. Ii has properly
given the leading position TO the industrial
interests of the country as affected by the
tariff on imports. On that question the two
political parties are radically in conflict
Almost the first act of the Republicans
when they came into power in 1861 was the
establishment of the principle of protection
TO American labor and to American capital.
This principle the Republican party has ey-
er since steadily maintained, while on the
other hand the Democratic party in Cen
gress has for fifty years persistently warred
upon it. Twice within that period our op-
pOnents have destroyed tariffs arranged for
protection, and since the close of the civil
war, whenever they have controlled the
House of Representatives, hostile legisla-
ton has been nattempted-never more cons-
picuously than in their principal measure
at the late session of Congress.
THE TARIFF QUESTION.
Revenue laws are in their very nature
subject TO frequent revision in order that
they may be adapted to changes and modi-
fications of trade. The Republican party is
not contending for the permanency of any
particular statute. The issue between the
two parties does not have reference TO a
specific law, 1t is far broader and far dee
per. 1t involves principle of wide appli
cation and beneficcnt influence, against a
theory which we believe to be unsOund in
conception and inevitably hurtful in prac-
tice. In the many tariff reyisiOns which
have been necessary for the past twenty
three years, or which may hereafter be-
come necessary, the Republican party has
maintained and win maintain the policy of
protection TO American industry, while our
opponents insist upon a revision which
practically destroys that policy. The issue
is thus distinct, we'll defined and unavoida-
the fate Of protection for a generation.
The overthrow of the policy means a large
and permanent reduction in the wages of
the American laborer, besides involving the
loss of vast amounts of American capital
invested in manufacturing enterprises. The
value OF the present revenue system to the
people Of the United States is not matter
of theory, and shall submit no argument
2 liz
certain facts of official record which seem
to constitute a demonstration.
In the census OF 1850 an effort was made
for the first tine in our history to obtain a
valuation OF all the property in the United
States. The attempt was IN a large degree
unsuccessful. Partly from lack of time,
partly from prejudice among many who
thought the Inquiries fOreshadowed new
scheme OF taxation, the returns were incOm-
nlete and unsatisfactory. Little more was
done than 10 consolidate the local valuation
used in the States Tor purposes of assess
ment, and 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 thoroughnesS-the dis
tinction between 'sassessed' value and
..true' value being carefully observed.
The grand result was that the s-true value'
Of all the property in the States and terri
tories (excluding siaves) amounted to four
teen thousand millions Of dOlllrs( Il ,oO0,-
U00,CUO) This aggregate was the net re-
suit OF the result OF the labor and the saw
ings OF all the people within the area of the
United States from the time the first British
colonist landed in 1907 down to the year
1860. 1t represented the fruit of the toll
of two hundred and fifty years.
After 1860 the business of the country
vas encouraged and developed by prOtcc-
tive tariff. At the end of twenty years the
total property of the United States. as re-
turned by the census of 1880, amounted to
the enormous aggregate OF forty-tour thou
sand millions of dollars (S4l ,UOO, ,OO0, ,OOO).
This great result was attained nOtwithstand-
Jog the fact that countless millions had in
the interval been wasted in the progress OF
bloody war. 1t thus appears that while
our population between 1860 and 1880 in
creased sixty per cent, the aggregate prop
erty of the country increased two hundred
ana fourteen per cent-sh0wing a vastly
enhanced wealth per capita among the peo-
pie. Thirty thousand millions of dollars
(3O, ,000, 600 .U00) had been added during
these twenty years to the permanent wealth
of the nation.
These results are regarded by the older
nations OF the world as phenomenal. That
our country should surmount the peril and
the cost of a gigantic war, and for an entire
period of twenty years make an average
gain 10 its wealth OF Sl25, Coz, 900 per month,
surpasses the experience of all other na-
tions, ancient or modern. Even the oppon-
ents OF the present revenue system do not
pretend that in the whole history of civil
zation any parallel can be found TO the ma
terial progress of the United States since
the accession of the Republican party to
power
The period between 1860 and to day has
not been one Of material prosperity only.
st no time in the history Of the United
States has there been such progress IN the
neral and philanthropic field. Religious
and charitable institutions, schools, semin-
aries and colleges have been founded and
endowed far more generously than at any
previous time in our history. Greater and
more varied relief has been extended to hu-
man suffering, and the entire progress OF
the country in wealth has been accompan'
led and digrified by broadening ard ele-
walton of our national character as 4 peo-
pie.
Our opponents find fault that our revenue
system produces a surplus. But they
should not forget that the law has given Il
specific purpose to which all of the surplus
is profitably and honOrably applied-the re-
duction of the public debt and the conse-
duent relief of the burden of taxation. No
dollar has been wasted, and the only ex-
travagance with which the party stands
charged is the generous pensisning of sol
piers, sailors and their famiiies-an eXtrav-
agance which embodies the highest form OF
Justice in the recognition and payment of a
sacred debt When reduction of taxation
is to be made. the Republican party can be
trusted to accomplish il in such form as
will most effectively aid the industries of
the nation.
OUR FOREIGN COMMERCE.
a frequent accusation by our opponents
is that the foreign commerce of the cOun-
try has steadily decayed under the influence
of the protective tariff. In this way they
seek to array the importing interest against
the Republican party. If Is a common and
yet radical error to cOnfound the commerce
of the country with its carrying trade-an
error often committed inEOcently and some-
times designedly-but an error SO gross
that it does not distinguish between the
ship and the cargo. Foreign commerce
represents the exports and imports of a
country, regardless of the nationality of the
vessel that NAV carry the commodities OF
pNchaupa Onr carving trade has from