St. Landry democrat., 1884-08-02
BLAINE'S ACCEPTANCE.
Letter of Hon. James G. Blaine Accepting
the Republican Nomtns .tion for the Presi.
dency.

Letter OF Hon. James G. elaine Accepting
the Republican Nomina ,tion for the Presi.
dency.
AUGUST 1, Me, July Is, 1884.
The Hon. John b. Herld rso,l and others of the
Committee, Etc, ETC.:
GENTLEMEN-In acc ,en+fnu tho nomination
Iof the Ffesidehcy Ie ndered me by the Repub-
Ilcan Natlohal ConN 4ation | beg to express a
deep sense OF the honor which is conferred
ana OF the duCy WI ich is imposed. l venture
to accompany IN acceptance with some OBJ
upon die que stions involved in the
contest-quest' ms whose settlement may af-
feet the future of the Nation favorably or un-
faVofaoIy IoF long series of years.
IN enulneft fling the issues upon which the
hetunLc%n PARTY appears for popular sup
poft, INC - invention has been sin2ulary eX-
PhcIt ana elicitous. 1t has property given
inc 4 ali & position to tt industrial interests
OF tne 20 IAtrY as affected By the tariff on inn
ports. ! B tt at question tibet political par
Ties are radically i'll touhict Almost the first
act OF he Republicans, when they came into
power III 1861, was the establishment of IL prin-
ciPI3 of protection to American labor and to
Anne rican capital This principle the kepub-
nca n party has ever SINCE steadily main
Ta' 1ed, while on the other hand the Demo-
or attic PARTY in Congress has for fifty years
! e4sist1ntly Warred upon it.. Twice within
hat period our opponents have destroyed
tariffs arrange for pr4tec ion, and s.nce the
close of the civil war, whenever they have
controlled the House OF Representatives,
hostile legislation has been attempted
more cOnspicuOuSly than in their principal
measure at the Late session of Congress- -
THE TARIFF QUESTION.
Revenue laws are in their very nature sub
ject to frequent revision IN otder that they
may be adapted to changes and notifications
OF trade. The Republican party is not coz
tending for the permanency of any particu-
bptWpn0
ties does not have reference to a specific law
1t is Tar broader and far deeper 1t involves
a principle of wide application and beneticent
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 Tor the
past twenty-Ihree years, or which may here
after teeome ntc2S, acy. the Republican party
has maintained, and will maintain, the policy
OF protection to American industry, while
our opponents insist upon a revision which
practica ~ destroys tbat policy The issue
is thus distinct well defined and unavoidable.
The pending election may determine the late
of protection for a generation. The 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 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 arg u nent to sustain it. L
only invite attention to certain facts or ottl-
cjai record which seem to constitute demon
s5ration.
In the census 1850 an effort was made, for
the first time IN our history, to OBJ ain Valua-
ton of ali tile properly in the United States.
The attempt was IN large degree unSuccesS-
full. Partly from lack or time, partly from
prejudice among many who thought the in
quiries foreshadoweda new scheme of taxa
ton, the returns were incomplete and unsat-
isfactory. Little more was done than to con.
solilate the local valua ion used in the States
for purposes of assessment, and that, as every
I-T1oL III NsiAn from q MI f0
exhibit of all the property.
In the census Of 1880, 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 tinclud-
ing slaves amounted to fourteen thousand
millions of dollars ($14.0O0000,000). This ag-
gregate was the net result OF the labor and
savings of all the people in the area of the
United States from the time the first British
coioniSt landedin 1907 down to the year 1860.
1t represented the fruit of the toll OF 25C
years.
After 1860 the business of the country was
encouraged and developed by protective tar
if. At the end OF twenty years the total pro-
perty of the United States, as returned by the
census of l8SOamounted to theenormous aggre-
gate of forty-four thousand millions of dollars
l$44 600 000 000l. The great result was attained,
Notwithstanding the fact that countless mill
ions had in the interval been wasted i'll the
progress of q 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 24 per cent
showing vastly enhanced na. wealth per capita
of dollars $50, lN0 goo 0G0) had been added dur
ing the twenty years to the permanent wealth
of the Nation.
These results are regarded by the older Ma
tons of the world as phenomenal. That our
country should Surmount the peril end the
cost of a gigantic war, and for an entire period
OF twenty years make an average gain to its
Eyno rf mar T1aT f1SA
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 sincethe accession of the Repub-
ican party to power.
The period between 1850 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
philanthropic 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 10 human suffering and the en-
tire progress of the country in wealth has
been accompanied and dgnffed by q broad
ening and elevation of our National character
as people.
Ouf opponents find fault that our revenue
system produces Il surplus. But they should
not forget tlat the law has given q specific
purpose to which all of the surplus is profta-
bly, aud h0norably applied-the reduction of
the public debt and the consequent relief of
the burden of taxation. No dollar has been
wasted and the only extravaganza with
which the party stands charged is the gener-
Gus peusioning of soldiers, sailors and their
fam1iies-an extravaganza which embOdies
the highes5 form of justice in the recognition
and payment of a sacred debt When reduc-
ton of taxation is to be made, the Republic
can party can be trusted to accomplish it in
Fuch 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- ayed In er the influence Of
the protective tariff. In this way they seek to
array the importing interesting anst the Re-
publican party. 1t is a common and yet 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
c1 distinuIlsil hat.unan fha shin and the