Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1884-07-19

lSFrCIAL Rf TELEGRAPH 70 THE RECORD UNION. |
new YORK, July 1Sth.-Following is Mr.
Blaine's letter of acceptance
AUGUSTA (Maine), July Is, 1854.
The Hs.. JOHN B. Henderson, ana Others of the
C0n'mihee-GENTLEMEE: IN accepting the NOM
ination for the Presidency, rendered me by the
Republican National Convention. beg to ex
press deep sense of the honor which is CON
ferred and of the duty which is imposed 1 ven
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 or unfayor-
ably.
The TARIFF QUESTION.
For long series of years, in enumerating the
issues upon which the Republican party ap
peals for popular support, the Convention has
been singularly explicit and felicitous. 1t has
probably given the leading position to the in
dustrial interests of the country as affected by
the tariff on exports. On that question the two
political parties are radically in conflict Al
most the first act of the Republicans, when they
came into power in 1861, was the establishment
of protection to American labor and to Ameri-
mas ever since steadily maintained; while on the
other hand the Democratic party in Congress
has for fifty years persistently warred upon it.
Twice within that period our opponents have
destroyed the tariffs arranged for protection
and since the close OF the civil war. whenever
they have controlled the House of Representa-
uyes, hostile legislation has been ATTEMPTED
never more conspicuously than in their princi-
pal measure at the late session of Congress
The tariff question and revenue laws are in
their very nature subject 10 frequent revision.
in order that they may be adapted to the
changes and notifications of trade. The
Republican party is not contending for
the permanency OF any particular statute. The
issue between the two parties does not have ref
erence to a specific law. 1t is far broader and
lar deeper 1t involves q principle Of wide ap-
plIcation and beneficent influence against a
theory which We believe to be unsound in con
ceptien and inevitably hurful in practice. In
the many tariff reyisions which have been
necessary for the past twenty-three years. or
which may hereafter become necessary. the Re
publican party has maintained. and viii maintain
the policy OF protection 10 American industry
Wnlle our opponents Insist upon revision
which practically destroys the policy. The issue
is thus distinct, lgen defined and unavoidable
The pending election may determine the fate Of
protection for generation The overthrow of
the policy means large and permanent reduc
ton IL the wages Of the American laborer. be
sides involving the loss Of vast amounts Of
American capital invested in manufacturing en-
terprises. The value of the present revenue
system to the people of the United States is
not matter of theory, and l shall submit
no argument TO sustain it. ! only invite attcn-
Jion to certain facts of official record. which
seem to constitute q demonstration. In the
census OF 1850 an effort was made, for the first
time in our history, to obtain valuation of all
the property in tie United States. The atteuDt
was in large degree unsuccessful, partly from
the lack Of time, partly from prejudice among
many who thought the inquiries ioreshadowed
a new scheme Of taxation. The returns were
incomplete and unsatisfactory. Little more
was done than to consolidate the local
valuation used in the States for the pur-
poses Of assessment, and that, as everyone
knows, differs widely from complete exhibit of
all the property. In the census of 1860 how
ever, the work was done with great thorough
ness, the distinction between the t assessed"
value and the true value being carefully
observed. The grand result was that the s.tr1c''
value OF all the property in the States and Ter
ritories Excluding slaves amounted 70 fourteen
thousand millions Of dollars This aggregate
was tho 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 1866 Itrepresent-
ed the fruit Of the toll of two hundred and fhy
years. After 1850 the business of the country
was encouraged and developed by protective
tariff A. the end Of the twenty years the total
property OF the United States, as returned bv
the census Of 1880, amounted TO the enormous
aggregate of forty-tour thousand millions of
dollars. This great result was attained notwith-
standing the fact that countless millions had in
the interval beer wasted IN the progress Of a
bloody war. It thus appears that while our
population, between I6G0 and 1880, increased
sixty per cent, the aggregate property OF the
country increased 2i4 per cent, showing
vastly enhanced wealth per capita among
the people. Thirty thousand millions Of
dollars had been added during these twenty
years to the permanent wealth of the nation
These results are regarded by the older nations
Of the world as phenomenal That our country
should surmount the peril and the costs Of a
gigantic war, and for an entire period of twenty
years made an average gain to its wealth of one
hundred and twenty-five million dollars per
month, surpasses the experienced all other ma
lions, ancient or modern. Eyen 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 since the accession Of the Re
publican party to power.
NOT MATERIAL PROSPERITY. ALONE.
The period between 1890 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 i'll the moral and philan-
| thropic field. Religious and charitable institu-
| tions, schools, seminar;es and colleges. have
been founded and endowed far more generously
| than at any previous time in our history. Great
| er and more varied relief has been extended to
human suffering, and the entire progress of the
country in wealth has been accompanied and
| dignified by broadening and elevation of our
national character as apeople Our opponents
| find fault that our revenue system produces
q surplus but they should not forget that the
law was given a specific purpose, to which all
of the surplus is proftably and honorably ap-
piled 70 the reduction Of the public debt and the