The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1884-07-23

Blaine's Letter Of Acceptance.
AUGUSTA, Me-, July Is. 1884.
To the Hon. J.0 B. Henderson an
Others of the National COMMITTEE
>. GENTLEMEN: In accepting til
nomination for the Presidency, tel
dered me by the Republican Nation.
Committee, I beg to express q dee
sense of the honor which is conferre
and OF the duty which is imposed
I venture to accompany the accept
ance with some observations upo
the questions involved in the cor
test-questions whose settlement ma
effect the future of the nation favor
ably or unfavorably for a long serie
of years. In enumerating the issue
upon which the Republican part,
appeals for popular support, the con
vention has been singular|y explicit
felicitous. It has very properly givel
the leading position to the industria
interests Of the country a effected b!
the tariff on imports. Upon tina
question the two political parties arr
radically in conf ct. Almost tn
first act of the Republicans wher
thew came into power in 1861, wa!
the establishment of the princloie o
protection to American labor and tt
American capital. That principle the
Republican party has ever since
steadily maintained while on the
other hand the Democratic party 10
Congress has for fifty wears persist.
emily warred upon it. Twice within
! that period our opponents have de-
| stroyed tariffs arranged for protection
| and since the close of the civil war,
whenever they have controlled the
House of Representatives. hostile
legislation has been attempted; never
more conspicuously than in their
principal measure at the late session
Of Congress-. Tue tariff question and
the revenue laws are in their very
nature subject to frequent revls.
ion in order that they NAV
be adapted to change and
notifications of trade. The Repub-
lican party is not contenIing for the
permanently of any particular statute.
The issue between the two parties
does not have reference to a specific
law. It is far broader and far
deeper. It involves a principle of
wide application and benifcent in
fluence against a 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 aud
will maintain the olicy Of protection.
to American industry, while u Up.
ponents insist OIL u revision which
practically destroys that policy. The
issue IS thus distinct, well defined
and unavoidable. The election may
determine the fate of protection for
q generation. The overthrow of the
policy means q large and permanent
in the wages of the Amerl-
can laborer. besides involving the
loss of vast amounts of American
invested In manufacturing
enterprises. The value of the present
revenue system to the people of the
United States, Is not q matter
of thought, aud I shall
no argument to sustain 1t,
only invite attention to certain facts
of official record which seem to cOn-
a demonstration. In the
census of 1850 IN effort was made for
the first time in our history to obtain
q valuation of all the property IN the
U nited States. The attempt was in
. large degree unsuccessful, partly
from lack OF time and partly from pre-
judice among many who thought the
fOreshadOwed q new scheme |
Of taxation. The returns were in
complete and unsatisfactory. Little
more was done than to consolidate
The local valuation used in the States |
for purposes of assessment, and that,
Is every one knows, differs widely !
rom a complete exhibit of all the
property. In the census of
1850. however, the work W done
with great thoroughness. The dis
between assessed" va.ue
and "true" value being carefully OBJ
The grand result was that
he ''true" value Of all the property
in the States and Territories includ-
ing slaves amounted to $l4, DOC, 900, 900 |
This aggregate was the net result
If the labor and the savings |
# all the people within the area of
he United States from the tim. the
irst British colonist landed in 1907.
Town to the year 1860. 1t represent
ID the fruit of the toll of two hum
lred and fifty years. After 1850 the
business of the country was encour-
lged and developed by q protective
ariff. At the end of twenty years
he total property of the United
States as returned bv the census of
$50 amounted to the enormous az
of $44, 900, OOO, 200. This great
'esult was attained Notwithstanding
he fact that countless millions had
n the interval been wasted in the
progress of a bloody war. 1t thus
,ppears that while 0ur population
'etween 1860 to 1880 increased sixty
per cent, the aggregate property
the country actually increased PA
'er cent, showing q vastly enhanced
wealth per capita among the people.
thirty billions of dollars had been
dded during these twenty years to
he permanent wealth of the nation.
,hese result are regarded by the
lder nations of the world as phe-
omenal. That our country should
the peril and the cost of a
igantic,, war, and for a period of
years make an average gain
, its wealth of 1925, OOO, 600 per
surprises the expert
noes Of all other nations
or modern. Even opponents
T the present revenue system do not
that in the whole history of
any parallel can be found
} the material progress of the United
tates since the accession of the re- I
ablican party to power. The period I
1860 and to-day has no; been !
ne of material prosperity only. At
o time in the history of the United
tates has there been such progress in
ne moral and philanthropic fields of {
and charitable lnstitu- I
ons. Schools, seminaries and col !
ges have been founded and endowed !!
r more generously than at any !
revioas time in or history. '
reater and more varied relief has
extended to human suffering I
Id the entire progresso of the country s
wealth has been accompanied aud a
gnified by q broadening and eleya- a
Oh of our national character a. a G
>ODle. Our ODDOnents find f,uIt q