The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1884-07-21
JIM'S JAW
Six Thousand Weak Words In
fiicted upon a Suffering Coun-
try by James G. Blaine.
A Letter of Acceptance as Long
as the Moral Law and as
Weak as a Rope OF
Sand.
Tattoo Talk About the Tariff.
His Foreign Policy-No
Irish Need Apply.

CHICAGO, July 2l.-Mr. Blaine's letter Of
acceptance of the Republican nomination for
the presidency is as follows:
AUGUSTA, Ne, July Is, 1S54-THE Hon
joan B. HENDERSON AND OTHERS OF THE
COMMITTEE, Ere, ETC.-GENTLEMEN: In
accepting the nomination for the presidency
rendered me by 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 &C
company the acceptance with some obser-
vations upon tho questions involved in the
contest-questions whose settlement may at
feet the future of the nation favorably or
unfavorably for long series of years.
In enumerating the issues upon which the
Republican party appeals for popular sup
port. the convention has been singularly eX-
plicit and felicitous. 1t has properly given
the leading position to the industrial inter-
est OF the country as affected by the tariff
on imports. On that question the two politi-
cal parties are radically in conflict Al
most the first act of the Republicans, when
they came into power in 1861, was the estab-
hshmen5. of the principle of protection to
American labor and to American capital
This principle the Republican party has ever
since steadily maintained, while on the other
hand the Democratic party in congress has
for fifty years persistently warred upon it,
Twice within that period our opponents have
destroyed tariffs arranged for protection,
and since the close of the civil war, when
ever they have controlled the house of repre-
sensatives, hostile legislation has been at
tempted-never more conspicuously than in
their principal measure at the late session of
congress.
THE TARIFF QUESTION.
Revenue laws are in their very nature
subject to frequent revisions in order that
they may be adapted TO changes and modifi-
cations Of trade The Republican party is
not con:ending for the permanency of any
particular statute. The issue between the
two parties does not have any reference to a
specific law 1t is far broader and far
deeper. 1t involves principle OF wide ap-
plication and benlficent influence, against a
theory which we believe to be unsound in
conception and inevitably hurtful in prac-
tice. In the many tariff revisions which
have been necessary for the past twenty
three years. or which may hereafter become
necessary, the Republican party has main
tanned and will maintain the policy Of pro
lection to American industry, while our op
Conents insist upon revision, which practi-
cally destroys that policy. The issue is thus
distinct, well de fined and unavoidable. The
pending election may determine the fate Of
protection for q generation. The overthrow
of the policy means a reduction in the wages
of the American laborer, besides involving
the loss of vast amounts of American CAPT
tai invested in manufacturing enterprises
The value of the present revenue system tt
the people of the United States is not mat
ter of theory, and | shall submit no argu
ment to sustain it. | only invite attention
| to certain facts of official record which seen
| to constitute demonstration.
In the census of 1850 an effort was made
| for the first time in our history, to obtain 1
| valuation of all the property in the Unitet
| States. The attempt was in large degree I'm
| successful Partly from lack of time, partl,
| from prejudice among many who thought tn
| inquiries fOreshadowed a new scheme of taxa
ton, the returns were incomplete and unsat
| isfactory. Little more was done than to con
| solidate the local valuation, used in the state
for purposes of assessment, and that q
| everyone knows, differs widely from a com
| plete exhibit of all the property
In the census of 1850, however, the worl
was done with great thoreughness-the dis
tinction between assessed" value and true
value being carefully observed. The gram
result was that the true value" of all prop
| erty in the states and territories (excludin
slaves amounted to $14,900,000,000. Thi
| aggregate was the net result of the labor an
the savings of all the people within the are
| of the United States from the time the frs
British colonist landed in 1907 down to tn
| year 1860 1t represented the fruit of the tot
of $50 years.
In 1860 the business of the country was en-
Outraged and developed by u protectiv
tariff At the end of twenty years the tots
property OF the United States, as returned b
the census of 1880, amounted to the enormou
aggregate of $44 900. 100000. This great n
suit was attained, notwithstanding the fac
that countless millions had in the intervf
been wasted in the progress of bloody wal
1t thus appears that while cur population bt
tween 1850 and 1880 increased So. the aggr,
gate property of the country increased q
per cent-showing a vastly enhanced wealt
per capita among the people, Thirty thol
sand millions of dollars had been added dul
ing these twenty years to the permaneI
wealth of the nation.
These results are regarded by the olde
nations of the world as phenomenal Ths
our country should surmount the peril an
the cost of a gigantic war and for an entfl
period of twenty years make an average gai
to its wealth of SIPS 900, 900 per month sli
passes the experience of all other nation
ancient or modern. Even the opponents
the present revenue system do not preten
that in the whole history of civilization an
parallel can be found to the material progre
| of the United States, SINCE the accession
the Republican party to power.
The period between 1860 and to-day has n,
been one of material prosperity only. At I
? time in the history of the United States ht
there been such progress in the moral an
philanthropic field. Religious and charitab
institutions, schools, seminaries and college
have been founded and endowed far MOI