Huntsville gazette., 1884-07-26
BLAINE'S ACCEPTANCE.

The Hon. John B. Henderson and Others Of the
+, Committee, Etc. ETC.:
! GENTLEMEN-In accepting the nomination
for the Presidency rendered me by the Repub-
lican National Convention, beg to express
deep sense of the honor which is conferred
and of the duty which is imposed. venture
to accompany the acceptance with some OBJ
servatiOns upon the questions involved in the
contest-questions whose settlement may af-
feet the future of the Nation favorably or un-
favorably for long series of years.
In enumerating the issues upon which the
Republican party appears for popular sup
port, the Convention has been sin9ularly ex-
plicit and felicitous. 1t has properly given
the leading position to the industrial interests
ports. On that question the two po itical par
ties are radically in conflict. Almost the first
act OF the Republicans, when they came into
ciple of protection to American labor and to
American capital. This principle the kepub-
!ican party has ever since steadily main
cratic 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, whenever they have
controlled the House of Representatives,
hostile legislation has been attempted-never
more conspicuOusly than in their principal
measure at the late session Of Congress. ---
THE TARIFF QUESTION.
Revenue laws are in their very nature sub
5ect to frequent revision in order that they
may be adapted to changes and notifications
tending for the permanency of any particu-
lar statute. The issue between the two par
ties does not have reference TO specific law.
1t is far broader and far deeper. 1t involves
principle of wide application and benefcent
influence, against theory which we believe
to be unsOund in conception and inevitably
hurtful in practice. In the many tariff re-
visions which have been necessary for the
past twenty-three years, or which may here
after become neces ary. 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 and unavoidable.
The pending election may determine the fate
of protection for generation. The over
throw OF the policy means large and per-
manent reduction in wages of the American
laborer, besides involving the loss of vast
amounts of American capital invested in
present revenue system to the people OF the
United States is not q matter OF theory, and
shall submit no argument to sustain it. L
only invite attention to certain facts of Off
cial record which seem to constitute demon
stratiOn.
In the census of 1850 an effort was made for
the first time in our history to OBJ ain valua-
ton of ali the property in the United States.
fui. Partly from lack Oh time, partly from
prejudice among many who thought the in
Quries foreshadOw ed new scheme of taxa
ton, the returns were incomplete and unsat-
isfactOry. Little more was done than to con-
eolidate the local valua ion used in the States
for purpo es Of assessment. and that, as every
one knows. differs widely from a complete
exhibit of all the property.
In the census OF 1850, however, the work
was done with great thoroughness-the dis
tinction between ''asse ssed value and true"
value being carefully OBJ served The grand
result was that the true value" of all the
property in the States and Territories Gnclud-
ing slaves amounted to four. cen thousand
mill ms of dollars (Sl4,000, ,O00,010) This az
gregate was the net result of the labor aud
savings of all the p eople in 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 25O
years.
After 1860 the business of the country was
encouraged and developed by protective tar
1ff. AT the end OF twenty years the total pro-
perty of the United States, as returned by the
census Of I8S0amounted to the enormous aggre-
gate of forty-four thousand millions of dollars
t$44, coo COO. The great result was attained,
the fact that countless mill
ions had in the interval been wasted in the
progress of bloody war. 1t thus appears
that while our population between 1860 and 1880
increased sixty per cent, the aggregate prop
erty of the country increased 2l4 per cent
showing vastly enhanced wealth per capita
among the people. Thirty thousand millions
of dollars t$3O,,U0, ,000,OC0l had been added dur
ing the twenty years to the permanent wealth
Of the Nation.
These results are regarded by the older Ma
6ons 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 to its
wealth of SIZE, 900 600 per month, surpasses the
experience of all other Nations, ancient or
modern. Even the opponents of the present
revenue system do not pretend that in the
Whole history of civilization any parallel can
be found to the material progress of the
United States since.the accession of the Repub
The period between 1860 and to-day has not
been one of material prosperity only. AT no
time in the history of the United States has
there been such progress in the moral and
phianthropic field. Religious and Charitable
institutions schools, seminarieS 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 human suffering and the en-
tire progress OF the country in wealth has
been accompanied and dgnified by a broad
enlng and elevation of our National character
as a people.
Our opponents find fault that our revenue
system produces surplus. But they should
not forget taat the law has given a specific
purpose to which all of the surplus is profita-
bly, and honorably applied-the reduction of
the public debt and the consequent relief of
the burden of taxation. No dollar has been
wasted, aud the only extravaganza with
which the party stands charged is the gener-
ous pensioning of soldiers, sailors and their
famllies-an extravaganza which embodies
the h1ghes form OF justice in the recognition
and payment OF a sacred debt. When rcduc-
tion of taxation is to be made, the Republi-
can party can be trusted to accomplish it in
such form as will most effectively aid the in
dustrieS of the Nation.
OUR FOREIGN COMMERCE
A frequent accusation by our opponents is
that the foreign commerce of the country
has steadily de- aged un er the influence Of
the protective tariff. In this way they seek to
array the importing interest against the Re-
publican party. 1t is common and vet radi-
cal error to cOnfound the commerce of the
country with its carrying trade-an error Of
ten committed innOcen.ly and sometimes de-
signedly-but an error so gross that it does
not distinguish between the ship and the car
go. Foreign commerce rcpIe sentS the ex-
ports and imports regardless OF the national
lty of the vessel thar may carry the commodi-
ties of exchange. Our carrying trade has
from obvious causes suffered many discour-
agementS since 1860, but our foreign com
merce has in the same period steadily and pro-
digiously ncreased-increased indeed at a
rate and to an amount which absolutely
s.warfs all previous development of our ira lie
bcyond.the sea. From 1860 to the present
time the foreign commerce of the United
states divided with approximate equality be-
tween exports and Imports reached the as
founding aggregate of twenty-four thousand
millions of dollars (S24. .0OO ,0O0, 600. The la-
ance in this vast commerce inclined in our IA
vor, but it would have been much larger if
our trade with the countries of America. else
VIII ,re referred to, had been more wisely ad-
iuStpd