The Warner weekly sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1885, 1884-07-25
BLAINE'S ACCEPTANCE
1875 LII
All tne ISSUES OF the Campaign Treated Elk.
hsuatifely and with strength and
Directness.
Ovll Service Reform Commended and the Re.
publican Position on the Tariff
Clearly Interpreted.

The following IS MI. Blaine's letter acc,

The following is Mr.. Blaine's letter accent.
ing the nomination for president
AUGUSTA, Me, July Is 1884 The ZION.
John y. henderson and Others of the Com.
mfttee, etc. etc Gentlemen: In accepttnc
the nomination for the. presidency tenderaS
me by the Republican national Convention I
beg TO express a deep sense of the honor
which is imposed. / venture to accompany
the acceptance with some Observations uponn
the questions involved in the contest-nues
lions whose settlement may affect the future
of the nation favorably or unfayorably for \
long series of years.
In enumeratihg the issues upon which the
Republican party appeals for popular sup
port the convention has been singularly ex-
plicit and felicitous. 1t has nroperly given
the leading position to the industrial inter
ests of the country as affected by the tariff
on imports. On that question the two polit-
ical parties arc radically in conflict Almost
the first act of the Republicans, when they
came into power in 1861, was the establish
ment OF the principle of protection to Amer
lean labor and to American capital. This
principle the Republican party has ever since
steadily maintained, while ON the other hand
the Democratic party in congress has for
fifty years persistently warred upon il.
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 represen-
tatives, hostile legislation has been at
tempted-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
iect TO frequent revision in order that they
may be adapted to changes and notifications
of trade. The Republican party is not con-
tending for the ~permanency of any particular
statute. TIL issue between the two parties
does not nave reference to a specific law. Ii
is far broader and far deeper. 1t involves a
principle of wide application and beneficent
influence, against a 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 necessary, the Republican
party has maintained and will maintain the
policy Of protection to American industry,
while our opponents insist up0n a revision,
which practically destroys that policy. The
issue is thus distinct, well defined and una
voidable. The pending election may deter
mine the fate of protection for a generation.
The overthrow of the policy means a large
and prominent reduction in the wages Of the
American laborer, besides involving the loss
of vast amounts of American capital in
vested in manufacturing enterprises. The
value of the present revenue system to the
people of the United States Is nota matter of
theory. and / shall submit no argument to
sustain it. Ionly invite attention TO GER
tain facts of official record which seem to
constitute a demonstration.
In the census of 1850 an effort was made,
for the first time in our history, tcf obtain 9
valuation of all the property in the United
States. The attempt was in q large degree
unsuccessful. Partly from lack OF time,
partly from prejudice among. many who
f~houghtathe INQUIRIES foreshadowed q new
scheme of taxation, the returns were incom-
pIete and unsatisfactory. Little more was
done than to consolidate the local valuation
used in the states for purposes OF assess
ment, and that, as everyone knows, differs
widely from the complete exhibit OF all the
property.
In the census of 1860, however, the work
was done with great thoroughness-the dis,
finction between assessed" value and true
value being carefully observed The grand
result was that the @true value" of all the prop
erty in the States and ,Ierritorles (exclud1ng
slaves amounted to fourteen thousand mil
lions Of dollars ($14 600, 0,OOOl Thisag-
gregate 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 hrst
British ~coIonist landed in 1907 down TO the
year 1860 1t represented the fruit OF the
toll of go years.
After 1860 the business Of the country was
encouraged and developed by o protective
tariff. AT the end OF twenty years the t0tai
property Of the United States, as returned BY
the census Of 1880, amounted to the
enormous ,; aggregate 81 do,l ,orsyi0 AZ. o GOO.
OOO.O 0O.) This great result was attained,
notwithstanding the fact that countless mil
lions had in the interval been wasted IN the
pfogress of a bloody war. IL thus appears
that while our population between 1850 ano
property of the country increased I'll PEI
cent-showing a vastly enhanccd wealth PEI
capita among the people. Thirty Thousand
millions of dollars $500 O0, OOU, OOu) nae
been added during these twenty years to the
permanent wealth Of the netion.
These results are regarded by the Older
nations Of the world rs phenomenal Ihal
our country should surmountt the peril anc
the cost Of q gigantic war and Tor an entlrt
nariod Of twenty yearSmake an average gain
to its wealth of Bic, 600 per monti
SURPRISES the experience o. al othef Hatios's
ancient or modern Even the opponents o.
the present revenue system do not pretend
that in the whole histoty OF civilization any
narallel can he found TO the material progress
Of the United States since the accession q
the Republican party TO power, x1,
The period between 1850 and to-uay na,
not been one OF material prosperity only. AZ
no time in the history Of the United State:
has there been such progress III tne mora
and pbilanthropic field. Religious u omar
table institutions, schools, seminarles ant
colleges. have been founded and endowed
FAR more generously than az any klv ssr
relief has Eeon extended to human suffering
and the entire progress or the c0Hntf =
vea1tb has been accompanied and dignl1ec
by q broadening and elevation OF our na
fional character as q people.
Our opponents find fault that our reyenus
nvatem nroduces q surplus But they shouit
not forget that the law has given . speclns
nnrnose "a which all of the surplus rs pront
ably and honorubly a-pplied-the reuuogloi
Cf the public debt and the c~onsequel .o ~