The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1884-07-31
BLAINES LETTER
Formally Accepting the Re-
publican Nomination
Fer the Presidency of the United
States.
AUGUSTA. Me. July Is. 1884.

mittee etc, ETC.:
GENTLEMEN-Ina accepting the NOM
ination for the Presidency rendered
me by the Republican National Con-
veEtion, | beg to express deep sense
of the honor which is conferred and
of the duty which is imposed. Iven-
ture to accompany the acceptance
with some observations upon the
questions involved in the contest
questions whose settlement may affect
the future Of the Nation favorably for
a long series Of years.
In enumerating the issues upon
which the Republican party appeals
for popular support, the convention
has been singularly explicit and
felicitous. 1t has properly given the
leading position to the industrial in
terests of the country as affected by
the tariff on imports. On that ques-
tion the two political parties are rad
ically in conflict. Almost the first
act of the Republicans, when they
came into power in 1861, was the
establishment of the principle of pro-
lection to American labor and to
American capital This principle the
Republican party has ever since main
tanned, while on the other hand the
Democratic party in Congress has for
fifty years persistently warred upon it.
Twice within that period our oppo-
nents have destroyed tariffs arranged
for protection, and since the close of
the civil war, whenever they have
controlled the House of Representa-
tives, hostile legislation has been at
mpted-never more conspicuously
than in their principal measure at the
late session of Congress.
THE TARIFF QUESTION.
Revenue laws are, in their very ma
ture, subject to frequent revision, in
order that they may be adapted to
changes and notifications Of trade.
The Republican party is not contend
ing for the permanency of any par
ticular statute The issue between
the two parties does not have refer
ence to a specific law. It is far
broader and far deeper 1t involves IA
principle of wide application and
beneficent influence, against theory
which we believe to be unsound in
conception and inevitably hurtful in
practice 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 maintained and
will maintain the policy of protection
to American industry, while our op-
ponents insist upon a revision which
practically destroys that policy. The
pending election may determine the
fate Of protection for generation.
The overthrow Of the policy means
large and permanent reduction in the
wages Of the American laborer, be-
sides 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 to sustain it. |
only invite attention to certain facts
of official record which seem to con-
stitute demonstration.
In the census Of 1850 an effort was
made, for the first time in our history,
to obtain valuation of all the prop
erty in the United States. The at
tempt was in large degree unsuc-
cessful. Partly from a lack Of time,
partly from pr,judice among many
who thought the inquiries foreshad-
owed new scheme Of taxation, the
returns were incomplete and unsatis-
factory. Little more was done than
to consolidate to local valuation used
in the States for the purpose of as
sessment, and that, as everyone knows.
differs widely from complete exhibit
Of all the property.
work was done with great thorough
ness-the distinction between ASSESS
ed" value and true" value being
carefully observed. The grand result
was that the 'true value" Of all the
property in the States and Territories
Excluding slaves) amounted to four
teen thousand millions Of dollars
Q4,O 4,OO0,OO0). This aggregate was the
net result of the labor and the savings
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 1850. 1t represented
the fruit of the toll of two hundred
and fifty years.
After 1860 the business of the
country was encouraged and developed
by protective tariff. At the end of
twenty years the total property of
the United States, as returned by the
census of 1880, amounted to the
enormous aggregate of fortyfour
thousand millions Of dollars (S44, ,000,-
100000. This great result was at
tained, Notwithstanding the fact that
countless millions had in the interval
been wasted i'll the progress Of d
bloody war. 1t thus appears, that
| while our population between 1860
and 1880 increased sixty per cent,
the aggregate property of the country
increased 214 per cent.-showing a
vastly enhanced wealth per capita
among the people. Thirty thousand
millions of dollars ($3O,0OO,OOO) had
been added during these twenty years
to the permanent wealth of the Ma
tion.
These results are regarded by the
older nations of the world as phe-
nomenal. 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 one hundred and
twenty-five million dollars per month
surpasses the experience of all other
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 ma
terial progress of the United States
since the accession of the Republican
party to power.