The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1884-07-26
BLAINE'S ACCEPTANCE.


for the Presidency rendered me by the Repub
lican National Conye ltion, beg 30 express a
deep sense of the honor which Is conferred
and Of the duty which is imposed. 1 venture
to accom- any the acceptance with some OBJ
servatons upon the questions. involved In the
contest-quesiions 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 SIM ularly ex-
plct and feLcitous. IL has properly given
the d ling position to the industrial interests
OF the country as affected by the tariff on i'm
ports On q at question the two pc itcal par.
ties are radically in Conflict. Almost the first
acs oil the Republicans when they came into
power in 1861, was the establishment Of prin-
CT l. of protection to American labor and to
American capital. This pr nciple the kepub-
liCan party has ever since steadily main
tuned, WINE on the other hand tne Demo-
cratic rarity in Congress has for fifty years
&c sstentlv warred upon it. Twice within
that period our opponents have destroyed
tarlfs arrange for protection, and since the
Gloss of the civil war, whenever they have
contr )lled the House of Representatives,
Lo tile legislation has been Acknowledgement
more cOnspicuously than in their principal
measure at the late session OF Congress- -
THE TARIFF QUESTION.
Revenue laws are in their very nature sub
1ect to freq lent revision in order that they
nay be ada pted to changes and notifications
OF trfde The Republican party is not con-
tending for the permanency of any particu-
lar S. atute. The issue between the two par
es does not have reference TO specific law.
IL is az broader and far deeper. 1t involves
principle of wide application and benehcent
influence, against IA theory which we believe
to be unsound in conception and inevitably
hurtful in practice In the many tariff re-
visions which have been necessary Tor the
past twenty-hree years, or which may here
afte~ te ONE n Cos airy, the Republican party
has maintained, and Will maintain, the policy
OF protection to American industry, while
our opponents insist upon revision which
is thus distinct well defined and unavoidable.
The lend ny election may determine the late
OF protection for generation. Inc over
throw of the policy means "A large and per-
manent reduction in wages of the American
labOrer, besides involving the loss of vast
amounts of American capital inyes ed in
Misunderstanding enterprises. The value OF the
present revenue system TO the people OF tho
united states is not & mater OF h3ory and
i shall submit no argument to sustain it.
only invite attention TO certain facts of OIL
clal 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 al, tae properly in the United States.
The attempt was in large de gree unsuccesS-
ful. Partly from lack OF time, partly from
pre- Ldige among many who thought the in
quiries foreshadowed new scheme of taxa
ton, the returns were incomplete and unsat-
istactory. Little more was done than to con-
eoi late the local vaua ion us ed in the States
for purpo e5 of asse ssment, and that, as every
one knows, difers widely from q complete
exhibit of all the property.
In the census or I6SU, however, the work
was done with great thoroughness-the dis.
tinction between "asse 5sed' value and true"
value being carefully observed The grand
result was that the true value of all the
property in the States and Terrtor es iinclud-
Ing slaves amounted to four cen thousand
mill ms of dollars (sl4,OO0,0OO,0JO THIS az
gregate was the net result of the labor and
savings of all the people in the area of the
United States II ON the time the trst British
co,onist landed in 1907 down to the year 1850
1t represented the fruit of the toll of 80
years.
After 1860 the business of the country was
encoul aged and developed by protective tar
iH, At the end OF twenty years the total pro-
perty of the United States as returned by the
census Of lSS0amounted to the enormous aggre-
gate of forty-four thousand millions of dollars
IS44 C0J,0 10000. The great result was attained,
Notwithstanding 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 1890
increased sixty per cent, the aggregate prop
erty of the country increased 2l4 per cent =
showing vastly enhanced wealth per capita
OF doliaTs i$3o,,Eo 1900 had been adde dur,
ing the twenty years to the permanent wealth
OF the Nation.
THESE results are regarded by the older Ma
tioas of the world as phenomenal. That our
country should surmount the peril and The
cost OF gigantic war and for an entire period
OF twenty years make an average gain to its
wealth OF Sl1j 100000 per month, SURPRISES the
Q ,pcrience of all other Nations, ancient or
modern. Even the OF porents of the present
revenue system do not pretend that in the
who Q history of civilization any parallel can
be found TO the material progress of The
UnteaStates since the accession OF the Repub
licsn party to pow er.
The period between 1850 and to-day has not
been one of mater al prosperity only. AT no
time in the hiStory of tbs United states has
there been such progress in the moral and
phiant lropic held. Religious and charitable
institutions, schools, Seminaries and colleges.
have been founded and endowed lar more
generously than at any previous time in ouI
history. Greater and more varied eiief has
been extended 10 human suffering and the en-
tire progress of the country in wealth. has
be N accompanied and entitled by a broad
q ling and elevation of our national character
iSapeOpe
cue opponents find fault that our revenue
,syste II produces surplus. But they sho nd
not forget 1T the law has given specific
pun ose TO whicA ALI of the surplus is protta
bly, and honorably applied-the eduction oil
the pablo deOt nud the cOnsequen relief oil
the burden OF taxation. No doiltr has beer
wasted, and the only ,extrayagaqce with
which the party stands chargt is the gener
pension .ng of soldiers, sailors and tn III
famllies-an extra aFance which embodes
tn highes form OF 1usgoe IN the RECOGNITION
ton of a ation is to be made, the RepuBli
can parry can be trusted 70 aco9mpl 81 it in
such form AS VIII most effectively aid the in
-dustr.es of the Nation.
OUR FOREIGN COMMERCE
A frequent accui alton by our opponents
that the fore gn tomme zee OF the COUNT.
has steadily de ayeu an or the influence .
thu p ole tiIe tariff. In this way tn - seek
array the importing interest aga INST the Re
puplil an party. 1t is a commo. and yet rad
car error To coniound the commerce of IN
couhtry with its carrying trade an error OF
ten committed innocen ly and ometimes dc
signedly-but an error 50 gro $ that it doe
n d distingu sh between tLe ship and the Cal
go Forei N commerce rep Q sents he "a
ports and Imports regardless OF the nat. ona
ity Of the essel tnar may carry the commOd
ties of eXchange Our car ying trade ma
from obvious causes suffered many discou
ayements since 1860, but our TO eign con
lnerce has in the ane period stea lily and pr
dpiously increased-ihcre ,sed indeed at
rate and TO an amount which absolutel
,Lwafs all previous deveiopment OF our ira