River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1884-07-24
BLAINE'S ACCEPTANCE.
All the Issues of the Campaign Treated Ell.
haastiyely and with Strength and
Directness.
Civil Service Reform Commended and the Be.
publican Position on the Tariff
Clearly Interpreted.
sIr. BIaine,s Acceptance.

BIr. BIaine's Acceptance.
The following is Mr. Blaines letter accept
ing the nomination for president
AUGUSTA, Ne, July ;, 1SS4-The Hon.
John b. Henderson and Others of the Com
mittee, etc, etc. Gentlemen: In accepting
the nomination for the presidency rendered
me by the Republican national convention |
: beg to express deep sense of the honor
which is imposed. | venture to accompany
the acceptance with SEINE observations upon
the questions involved in the contest-ques-
tons whose settlement may affect the future
OF the nation tayOrably or unfaYorably for a
long series of years.
In enumerating the issues upon which the
Republican party appeals for popular sup
port. the convention has been singularly ex-
piicit and feiicitOus It has properly 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-
zeal parties are 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 varied upon it.
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 III their very nature sub
Ject 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 peImanency of any particular
statute The issue between the two parties
does not have reference to a specific law. 1t
r. far broader and far deeper. 1t involves
principle Of wide application and benetlcent
influence, against theory which we believe
to be unsound in conception and inevitably
hurtful il 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 upon 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 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 % the
people of the United States is not matter of
theory and l shall submit no argument to
sustain it. l only invite attention to GER
sam idEtN VI blllClGA 1ttDIl WllitA HttHl W
constitute a demonstration
In the census of 1890 an effort was made,
for the first time in our history, to obtain
valuation Of all the property in the United
States The attempt was IN large degree
unsuccessful Partly from lack of time,
partly from prejudice among many who
thought sthe inquiries foreshadowed a new
scheme of taxation the returns were incOm-
plete 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 1850, however, the work
was done with great thoroughness-the dis
tinctiOn 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 Territories Excluding
slaves) amounted to fourteen thousand mil
lions of dollars CS14, 900, O00,000) 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 first
British colonist landed IN 1907 down to the
year $50 1t represented the fruit of the
toll of go years.
After $3.50 the business of the country was
encouraged and developed by protective
tariff At the end of twenty years the total
property of the United States, as returned by
the census of 1850, amounted TO the
enormous aggregate of fOrty-fOur thou
sand millions of dollars, (T44 900,
900 OO01 This great result was attained,
notwithstanding the fact that countless mil
progress of a bloody war. 1t thus appears
that while our population between 1860 and
1850 increased 90 per cent, the aggregate
property of the country increased III per
cent-showing ii vastly enhanced wealth per
capita among the people. Thirty thousand
millions of dollars $50. 900 600, 0OO) 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 cost of gigantic war and Tor an entire
period of twenty years make an average gain
to its wealth of SI25, O00,0 geo per month
slirpasses the experience of all other nations
ancient OF modern. Even the opponents OF
the present revenue system do not pretend
that in the whole histOty of civilization any
parallel can be found to the material progress
of the United States since the accession OF
the Republican party to power
The period between 1860 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 philanthropic field. Religious and char
table Institutions schools, Summaries and
colleges have been founded and endowed
far more generously than aG any previous
time. Ia, our history Greater aud more varied
relief has been extended to human suffering
and the entire progress of the country in
wealth has been accompanied and dignited
by a broadening and elevation of our ma
tional character aS a people.
Our opponents find fault that our revenue
system produces a surplus. But they should
not forget that the law has given specific
purpose to which all Cf the surplus is profit
ably aud hOnorably apphed-the reduction
of the public debt and the consequent relief
of the burden OF taxation. No dollar has
been wasted and the only extravaganza
with which the party stands charged is the
generous peHsioning of soldiers, sailors and
their familieS-an extravaganza which en-
bodies the highest form OF Justice IN the rec
IGNITION and payment OF 4 sacred debt
When reduction of taxation is to be made,
the Republican party can be trusted TO ac
cOmpish il in such form rs VIII most effect
iyelv aid the industries of the nation.
OUR FOREIGN COMMERCE
frequent accusation by our opponents is
that he fore On commerce of the country
has steadily dccayed under the influence OF
the protective tariff In his way they seek
to array the importing int rest against the
Republican party. Ii is a COmmon and yet
radical error to Coufouud yhe commerce of
the country with its carr ing trade-an error
often committed uuocen-y and sometimes
deSignsdiy-hut an error so gross that 1t does
net distinguish between the ship and the
cargo. Foreign commerce represents the eN-
ports and imports of country regardless Of
the nationality of the vessel that may carry
the commodities of exchange. oar carrying
trade has from obvious causes suffered many
discouragemcutS since 1860, hut our foreign
commerce has in the same period steadily
and prodigiously incrcased-increased in
deed al a rate and - an amount which abso-
lutCIv dwarf all previous developments or
ON fra Ia beyond the sea From 1860 to the
prcscut time the foreign commerce of the
United States divided with approximate
equality between exports and importsl,
reached the astounding aggregate OF twenty
-four thousand millions Of dollars 90 600
600 OO1l Tho balance of this vast com
mereC inclined in our faVer but it would
have brcn much larger if opr trade with the
countries of America, elsewhere referred to,
had been moro wisely adjusted
n is difficult even 10 appreciate the magni-
tudt of our export trade since 1860 and We
can gain correct conception of 1t only by
comparison with preceding results in the
same field. The total exports from the
United States from the declaration of lnde
pende0Ce IN 1876 down u the day of Lin
coins election IN lS60y addcd to all that hac
previously been exported from the American
colonies from their original settlement
amounted Go less than nine thousand millions
of dollars $50. 900 600 O0Ol. On the other
hand our exports from $50 to the close of
the last fiscal wear exceeded twelve Thousand
millions of dollars efl2, 600. 900, ooOl-u.e
whole of il being the product of American
labor Evidently a protective tariff has not
injured our export trade when. under its IN
tiueuCe WCSeXported in twenty four years
10 per cent more than the total amount that
had been exported in the entire previous
history Of American commerce. All the de
tails when analvzet, correspond with this
gigantic result The commercial cities