Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-08-08
He Discourages Conflicts with Foreign
Powers, and Deprecates Discussion
Of Dead Issues.
The Tarif-FOreign and Internal Com.
merre-The Currency-Civil Sery-
ice and Other Topics.
Accepted with Thanks.
A LENGTHY DOCUMENT.

lows:
AUGUSTA, Me-, July Is, 1SSh-fon. John y.
henderson md others of the committee. ctr.
GentelRGn:-ln accepting the nomination for
the Presidency rendered me by .hc Republic
an National Convention. [ beg TO express Il
deep sense of the honor which is conferred
and of the duty which is imposed. | venture
to accompany the acceptance with some OBJ
scrva1lons upon the questions involved i'll the
contcst-questions whose settlement may at
feet the future of the Nation fnvorahly or UNI
tavorably for Il long series OF years.
In cnumerating the issues upon
which the Republican party appeals
for popular support, the convcn-
tion has been singularly explicit and
felicitous. 1t has propc.ly given the leading
position TO the industrial interests of tho
On that question tho two political parties are
radically in conflict. Almost the first act Of
the Republicans, when they came into power
in 1861, was the establishment OF the principle
OF protection to American labor and to Amer
lean 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 it, Twice within that period our
projections, and since the close of the civil
war, whenever they have controlled the
House OF Representatives. hostile legislation
tras been attempted-never more cunspicu-
ously than in their principal measure at the
late session OF Congress.
THE TARIFF QUESTION.
Revenue laws are in their very nature sub.
ject TO FIRE iucnt revi ion in order tnat they
may be ainpted to changes and mo llhcatlons
of trade. Tho Rcpub lean larty is not con-
tending for the permanency OF amy particular
does not have reference to a specific law. 1t
is far broad n AMI far deeper. 1t involves Il
principle OF wide application and bcne1cent
influence, against Il theory which we believe
to b. unsound in conception and inevitably
hurlful in practice. IN the many tariff re-
visions which nave been necessary for
may hereafter become necessary, the Repub-
lican party has maintained and Will muln-
industry, while our opponents insist upon a
revision. which practically destroys that pol
icy; The issue is thus distinct, well defined
and unavoidable. The pending election may
determine the fate OF protection for a genera
ton. The overthrow OF the policy means a
large and permanent reduction in the wages
OF the American laborer, besides involving
the loss OF vast amounts of American capital
invested in manufacturing enterprises. The
people of the United States is not a matter of
theory, and | shall submit no argument to sus-
tain it. l only invite attention to certain
facts of official record which seem to constr
tute Il demonstration.
In the census OF 1889 an effort was made, for
the first time in our history, to obtain u valu-
alton OF all the property in the United States.
The attempt was in a large degree unsuccess-
full. Partly from lack of time, partly from
pILJuulCt utllO1S uJduNW WHO IlOQ1lt The IN
4uiries foreshadowod a new scheme of taxa
ton, the returns were incomplete and unsat-
isfactory: Little more was done than to con-
solidate the local valuation used in the States
for purposes OF assessment, and that, as every
one knows, differs widely from a complete
exhibit OF all the property.
In the census OF 1860. however, the work
was done with great thoroughness-tle dis
tine!ion hetween "nssesfedn value H and true
result was that the true value of ali the
property in the States and Territories texclud-
ing saves amounted TO fourteen thousand
millions of dollars (sl4,00O, QUO. O0Ij. This az
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 first
year 1860. 1t represented the fruit OF the toll
OF 30 years.
encouraged and deye oped by a protective
tariff. AT the end OF twenty years the total
property OF the United Sta es, as returned by
The census of 1850, amounted to the enormous
aggregate Of forty-four thousand millions OF
dollars S44. 00u,0 OJ ,0OW. This great result was
attained, Notwithstanding the fact that count
the progress of 81 bloody war. 1t thus appears
that while our population between 1861 and
property of the country increased 24 per
cent, showing a vastly enhanced wealth per
capita among The people e,, dIdM'rty tho3usand
added during these twenty years to the per
'ranent wealth oltne Nation.
These results arc regarded by the older ma
lC4ls VI Glc "pIli IL IutflOliCIlIt. L uuL O1r
country sh nId surmount the peril and the
cost of o gigantic war, and for an entire
period of twenty years make an average gan
10 its wealth of Sl25.000,O 0o per month, sur
passes the experience of all other nations,
ancient Or mode n. Even the opponents Of
,hati in the whole history Of civilizalion any
parallel can be found to the material prog
rcss OF the United States. since the accession
of the Republican party to power.
The period between lSG0 and to-day has not
been one OF material prosperity only. AT no
time in the history OF the United States has
a,nthropic field. Religious and charitable insti-
buttons. schools, seminar.es and colleges have
been founded and endowed far more genrr-
,Ously than at any previous time in our his
tory. Greater and more varied relief has been
extended to human suffering, and the entire
accompanied aud dignilied by a broadening
and elevation OF our National character as Il
Ueople.
Our opponents find fault that our revenue
system produces a surplus. But they should
rot forget that the law has given a specific
purpose 10 which all OF the surplus is proiita.
My and honorably app ied-thc reduction of
1lc public debt ard the consequent relief OF
the burden of taxation. No dollar has been
which the party stanas charged is the gcner-
Gus pcnsionlng OF soldiers, sai lors and their
fhmilcs-an extravaganza which embodleS
the highest form OF Justice in the recognition
and payment of a sacred debt. When reduc-
ton Of taxation is to be made the Republ ctsl
party can he trusted to accomplish it in such
1ol III tS W ~ ~ : ShSStlSSlS GNi IL III
tries of the Nation.
OUR FOREIGN COMMERCE..
\ frequent accusation of our opponents IS
that the foreign of the country has
steadily decaycd under the influence of the
protective tariff. In this way they seek to ur-
ray tho importing interest against the Rcpub-
iican party. 1t is a common and yet radical
error 10 confound the OF the coun-
Try with its carrying trldc-an error often
committed innuccntly and sometimes design
edly-lMt an error SO gross that it does not
distinguish between the ship and the cargo.
Foreign represcntst the exports and
imports Of Il country regardless of the nation
ality OF the vessel that may carry the cOmmOd-
tiles of exchange. Our carrying trade has
from obvious causes suffered many discour-
,gemcLtS since 1850. but our foreign com
lncrce has IN tho same period stealily and
prOdigiouS'y increased -incrensed indeed at Il
rate and to an amount which absolutely dwarf
all previous developments OF our trade be-
You'd the sea. From 1859 to the present time
the foreign commerce of the United States
divided with approximate equality between
exports and Imports reached the astounding
aggregate of twcnty-four thousand millions
OF dollars 1874. 900 0OD .0t0. The balance in this
vast commerce inclined in our favor. but it
would have Eeen much larger if our trade
with the countries of Amcrica, elsewhere re-
terred to, had been more wisely ddJlS ed.
It is ditlicult even to appreciate the mogni-
tudc of our export trade since ] 80. and we
can gain a correct conception of it only by
,-,n,o,ir1~ with rvnro3iup rasult. in tho