The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1884-07-25
RLAINl2S LETTER.
Synopsis OF Mr.. Biaine's Letter Of Accept.
ance-His Views ON the Leading Ques.
tions Of the Day,


party is not cOntending for the permanency
of any particular statute. The issue be-
tween the two parties does not have refer
ence to specific law. 1t is far broader
and far deeper. 1t involves principle of
wide application and beneficent influence
against theory which We believe to be un-
sound in conception and inevitably hurtful
in practice. In the many tariff reyisions
which have been necessary for the past
twenty-three years, or which may hereafter
become necessary, the Republican party has
maintained and will maintain the policy of
protection to American industry, while our
opponents insist upon revision, which prac-
tically destroys that policy. The issue is
thus distinct, well defined and unavoidable
The pending election may determine the
1 fate of protection for a generation. The
overthrow of the policy means large and
permanent 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 not matter
of theory, and l shall submit no argu-
4
| to certain facts of official record which seem
TO constitute demonstration" On foreign
commerce he has this to say: "a frequent
accusation by our opponents is that the for
| eign commerce Of the country has steadily
decayed under the influence of the protec-
tive tariff. In this way they seek to array
the importing interest against the Republi-
| can party. 1t is common and yet radical
| error to cOnfOund the commerce of the
| country with its carrying trade-an error
often committed innOcently and sometimes
| designedly-but an error so gross that it
does not distinguish between the ship and the
cargo. Foreign commerce represents the eXs
ports and imports of country regardless of
the nationality of the vessel that may carry
the commodities of exchange. our carrying
trade has from obvious causes suffered
many discOuragements since 1860, but our
foreign commerce has in the same period
steadily and prodigiOnsly increased-in-
creased indeed at rate and to an amount
which absolutely dwarf all previous de-
velOpments of our trade beyond the sea.
From 1850 to the present time the foreign
commerce of the United States, divided
with approximate equality between exports
and imports) reached the astounding az
gregate of twenty-fOur thousand millions of
dollars (S24, 600, DOC, 000.) The balance in
this vaS- commerce inclined in our favor,
bun it would have been much larger if our
trade with the countries of America, else
where referred to, had been more wisely
adjusted"
AGRICULTURE.
ThJ document, which is protective
throughout, says of the agricultural interest:
1.-THE agricultural interest is by far the
largest in the nation, and is entitled i'm every
adjustment Of revenue laws to the first con-
sideration. Any policy hostile to the full
eStdevelopment of agriculture in the United
States must be abandoned. Realizing this
fact the opponents of the present system
of revenue have labOred very earnestly to
persuade the farmers of the United States
that they are robbed by protective tariff,
and the effort is thus maded to con-
sOlidate their vast influence in favor of free
trade. But happily the farmers of America
are intelligent and cannot be mislead by
sophistry when conclusive facts are before
them. They see plainly that during the
past twenty-fOur years, wealth has not been
acquired in one section or by one interest at
the expense of another section or another
interest. They see thOt the agricultural
States have made even more rapid progress
than the manufacturing States. In these
extraordinary Developments, the farmers see
the hopeful impulse of a home market, and !
they see that the financial and revenue
system, enacted since the Republican party |
came into power, has established and con- |
stantly expanded the home market. They |
see that even in the case of wheat which is |
our chief cereal export, they have sold, in |
the average of the years since the close of |
the war, three bushels at home to one they |
cold oh hat IN, tI..a e
corn the only other cereal which we export |
to any extent, 100 bushels have been used at
home to three and half bushels exported.
In some years the disparity has been so great
that for every peck of corn exported 100
bushels have been consumed in the home
market. The farmers see that in the
competition from the grain fields
of Russia and from the distant plains of
India. the growth of the home market be-
comes daily of greater concern to them and
that its impairment would depreciate the
value of every acre of tillable land
in the Union" Referring to foreign
Blaine is rather temperate in his
nothing of belleOSe nature ap-
pearing. concluding on that subject by say
ing: sour foreign policy should be
an American policy in its broadcast
and most comprehensive sense-a pol
icy of peace, of friendship, of commercial
The name of American
which belongs to us in our National ca
pacity must always eXalt the just pride of
patriotism. Citizenship must be the piano.
ply and safeguard of him who wears it. The
American citizen, rich or poor, native or
white or cOlOred, must every
where walk secure in his personal and civil
rights, the public should never accept a
lesser duty. 1t can never assume nObler
one than the protection of the humblest
man who holds it loyally-protection at
home and protection which shall follow him
abroad, into whatever land he may 90 upon
a lawful Grand"
THE SOUTHERN QUESTION.
MI. Blaine says: Il recognize. not with
out regret, the necessity for speaking of two
sections of our country But the regret
ilninishes when / see that the elements
which separate them are fast disappearing.
Prejudices have yielded and are yielding,
while growing cordiality warns the South
,rn and Northern heart alike. Can any one
iOubt that between the two sections conf
lence and esteem are to-day more marked
han at any period in the sixty
rears preceding the election of Presi-
lent Lincoln? This is the result i'm
part of time and in part of Republican ,
principles applied under the favorable con- ;
litions of uniformity. 1t would be great
,alamity to change these influences under
which Southern commonwealth are learn
ng to vindicate civil rights and adapting
themselves to the conditions of political {
and industrial progress. If $
here be occasional and violent outbreaks |
N the South against this peaceful pro- .
,resS. the public opinion of the country re-
ards them as exceptional and hopefully {
ruSfs that each will nrove the last The ,