The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1884-07-24
AUGusrA Me. Julv X. iss4.


AUGUSTA, Me-, July Is, 1854.
The Hon. JOHN B. HENDERSON AND OTHERS
OF THE COMMITTEE, ETC, ETC.-Genttemcn:
In accepting the nomination for the Presi-
dency rendered me by the Republican Ma
tional Convention, I beg to express a deep
sense of the honor which is conferred and of
the duty which is imposed. 1 venture to &c.
the acceptance with some observa-
tons upon the questions involved in the con-
whose settlement may affect
the future of the nation favorably or unfa-
vorably for long series of years.
In enumerating the issues upon which the
port the convention has been sinenia,iy ex-
plicit and felicitous. 1t has properly given
the leading position to the Industrial Inter.
eSts OF the country as affected by the tariff on
imports. On that question the two political
parties are radically in conflict Almost the
iirst act OF the Re Republicans when they came ne
the principle of protection to. American LABOR
and to American capital. This principle the
p5y aas tss se otssr G
Democratic party in Congress has for fifty
years persistently warrcd upon it. Twice
stroyed tariffs arranged for protection, and
since the close of the civil war, whenever they
have controlled the House of Representa-
never more conspicuously than in their prfn-
cipal measure at the late session of Congress.
THE TARIFF QrEHJIoN.
Revenue laws are in their very nature Sub.
may be adapted TO changes and notifications
of trade. The Republican party is not con-
tending for the pefmanency of any particular
does not have reference to a specific law. 1t is
far broader and far deeper. 1t involves a
principle of wide application and beneficcnt
1x,f
to be unsound in conception and inevitably
hurtful in practice In the many tariff rcvi-
sions which have been necessary for the past
become necessary, the Republican party has
maintained and will maintain the policy of
protection to American indtistry while our
tfcally destroys that policy. The issue is thus
distinct, well defined and unavoidable. The
pending election may determine the fate of
protection for generation. The overthrow
of the policy means a large and permanent
reduction Of the %agos of IL 8 american laboters
besides involving the loss OF vast amounts of
American capital invested in manufacturing
enterprises. The value of the present reve-
nue system to the people of the United States
is not matter of theory, and shall submit
tention to certain facts of official record
which seem to constitute demonstration.
In the census of 1850 an effort was made. for
the first time in our history, to obtain n val.
uation Of all the property in the United
States. The attempt was in large degree un.
sueCeSefufs PaTtly from idCk OF ttne, pFfIlY
from prejudice among many who thought the
inquiries foreshadowed new scheme of tax-
alton, the returns were incomplete and tii.
satisfactory. Little moro &as d0iie THAN t6
consolidate the local valuation used in the
States for purposes of assessment, and that.
as every one knows, differs widely from a
complete exhibit of all the property.
In the census of 1S81, however, the work
was done with great thoroughness-the dis.
tinction between assessed value and true
value being carefully observed. The grand
result was that the "true value" of all the
property in the States and Territories leHclud
ing slaves) amounted TO $4,000 ,0o00 600. This
aggregate wae the pet result of the labor and
the savings of al the people within the area
of the United States from the time the first
British coln,iist landed in 1907 down to tho yeal
1880. 1t represented the fruit of the toll of
After lscO the business Of the country wal
encouraged and developed by a protective
property of the United States, as returned by
the census of 1880, amounted to the encrmou.
was attained, Notwithstanding the fact tha
countless millions had in the interval beer
wasted in the progress of bloody var; i
gs sMesn and and ~ Gm &c
try increased ga per cent.-showing
people. @ eFH Thrty thousand e millions iR a Of doaT
had been added during these twenty years II
the permanent wealth of the nation.
tions of thew he world @ as % phenomeenai ne al That onl m
country should surmount the peril and thu
cost of a gigantic war and for an entire pc
wealth of
| the experience of all other nations ancien
| or modern. Even the opponents of the pres
ent revenue system do not pretend that II
the whole history of civilization any parable
| can be found TO the material progress of tn
! United States since the accession OF the ke
| publican party to POWER.
The period between 1850 and to day has no
been one of material prosperity only. At N
| time in the history of the United States ha
ana
/ institutions, schools. seminaries and college
/ have been founded and endowed far NOR
history. Greater and more varied relief ha
| been extended to human suffering, and tn
| entire progress of the country in wealth ha
been accompanied and dignifed by broader
| ing and elevation of our National characte
| as a people.
Our opponents find fault that our revenu
not forget that the law has given a spccifl
purpose to which all of the surplus is prof
ably and honorably applied-the reduction {
the burden of taxation. No dollar has bee
| wasted, and the only extraFaEnnce wit
which the party stands charged is the gene
GUS pensioning of soldiers, sailors and the
| famiiies-an extravaganza which embodi'
the highest forms of Justice in the recogn
tion and payment OF sacred debt When
duction of taxation is to be made the Repu
lican party can I've trusted to accomplish it
such..form as will most effectively aid the i
dustries of the Naticn.
OUR FOREIGN COMMERCE.
frequent accusation by our opponents
that the foreign commerce of the country h
steadily decayed under the influence OF Il
protective tariff. In this way they seek
| array the importing interest against the r
| publican party. 1t is common and yet ra
ical error to confound the commerce of Il
often offs Committed mi ii innocentiy i and % sometim
designedly-but an error so gross that it do
not distinguish between the ship and Il
cargo. Foreign commerce represents the e
! ports and imports Of a country regardless
I the nationality of the vessel that may car
| the commodities of exchange. Our carryiI
| trade has from obvious causes suffered maj
discouraqements since 1867 but our foreis
commerce has in the same period steadily al
prodigiously increased-increased, indeed,
rate and to an amount which absolute
dwarf all previous developments of our ira
beyond the sea. From 1860 to the prese
time the foreign commerce of the Unit
States divided with approximate equality
tween exports and imports) reached the
founding aggregate OF 24O0O ,OOn,0G0. 7
balance in this vast commerce inclined in o
our trade with the countries of Amer;
elsewhere referred to, had been more wise
| adjusted.
| tude of our export trade since 1850. and we c
! | gain correct conception of it only by CO.
parison with preceding results in the sal
States from the Declaration of Independen
: | in 1176 down to the day of Lincoln's electi
r in 1850, added to all that had previously be
+ | exported from the American colonies FRI
their original settlement, amounted to Il
than nine thousand millions of doll;
5000 ,OOO, ,0OOl. On the other hand, our expo
from 1850 to the close of the last fiscal year.
ceedcd twelve thousand millions of doll,
($12, 600 900 0ool-the whole of it being the pr,
uct of American labor Evidently prote
i've tariff has not injured our export ira
I when, under its influence, we exported in tw'
| ty-four years 40 per cent. more than the to
amount that had been exported in the ent
!, previous history of American commerce.
: the details, when analysed. correspond W
= | this gigantic result. The commercial cities
the Union never had such growth as IL
have enjoyed since 1860. OGr chief cmporiu