Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1884-07-31
Gen. LOgan's Acceptance,
ABLE DISCUSSION OF THE PLAT
FORM.
Principles Elucidated--
Protection, Currency, Education,
Civil Rights, Foreign Reia-
tiOns and Soldiers Pen
siOnS.
WASHINGTON, July 10, 1884.

DEAR SIR-Haying received from yoi
on June "a the official notification of my
nomination by the National Republican
convention as the Republican candidate
for Vice President of the United States
and considering it to be the duty of every
man devoting himself to the public ser
vice to assume any. position to which ht
may be called by the voice of his coun-
trymen. accept the nomination with q
grateful heart and deep sense of itS
responsibilities: and if elected shall en-
deavor to discharge the duties to the best
of my ability.
This honor, as is well understood, was
wholly unsought by me. That it was
rendered by the representatives OF the
party, in manner so tiattering, viii
serve to tighten whatever labors | may
be called upon to perform.
Although the variety of subjects COW
cred in the very excellent and vigorous
declarttiOn of principles adopted by the
late convention prohibits, upon an occa-
sion calling for brevity Of expression,
that full elaboration of which they are
susceptible, l avail myself OF party usage
to signify my approval of the various res
olutionS of the platform, and to discuss
them briefly.
PROTECTION TO AMERICAN LABOR.
The resolutions of the platform decla-
ring for levy of such duties "as to al
ford security to our diversified industries,
and protection to the rights and wages of
the laborer, to the end that active and
intelligent labor, may have its. just re-
ward, and the laboring man his full
share in the national prosperity" meets
my hearty approval.
If there be nation on the face of the
earth which might, if it were desirable
thing, build a wal! upon its every bound
airy line, deny communion to all the
world, and proceed to live upon its own
resources and productions, that nation is
the United States. There is hardly a
legitimate necessity of civilized commu-
mites which cannot be produced from
the extraordinary resources OF our sever
al states and territories, with their manu-
factories, mines. farms, timber lands and
waterways. This circumstance, taken In
connection with the fact that our form
of government is entirely unique among
the nations of tie world, makes it utterly
aba urd to institute comparisons between
our own economic systems and those of
other governments, and especially tQesets
tempt to borrow systems from them. We
stand alene in our circumstances, our
possibilities, and our aspirations.
In all successful government it is a
prime requisite that capital and labor
should be upon the best terms, and that
both should enjoy the highest attainable
prosperity. Ii there be disturbance of
the Just balance between them, one
OF the other suffers, and dissatisfaction
follows, which is harmful to both.
The lessons furnished by the compare
lively short history of our own national
life have been too much overlooked by
our people. The fundamental article in
the old Democratic creed proclaimed al
most absolute free trade, and this, too,
no more than quarter of century ago
The low condition of our national credit,
the financial and business uncertainties
and general lack of prosperity under that
system, can be remembered by every
man in middle life.
Although in the great number OF re-
forms instituted by the Republican party
sufficient credit has not been publicly
awarded to that of sariff reform, its ben
efits have, nevertheless, been felt through
out the land The principle underlying
this measure has been in process OF grad
ual development by the Republican party
during the comparatively brief period Of
its power, and to-day a portion of its an
tiquated Democratic opponents make un-
willing concession to the correctness OF
the doctrine of an equitably adjusted
protective tariff, by following slowly IN
its footsteps, though very long way in
the rear.
The principle involved is one of TO
great obscurity, and can be readily com
pretended by any intelligent person
calmly rejecting upon it. The political
and social systems of some OF our trade
competing nations have created working
classes miserable in the extreme. They
receive the merest stipend for their daily
toll, and in the great expense of the ne
cessities of life, are deprived of those
comforts of clothing, housing and health
producing food with which wholesome
mental and social recreation can alone
make existence happy and desirable.
Now, if the products Of those countries
are to be placed in our markets, alongside
of American products, either the Amer>
lean capitalists must suffer in his legti
mate profits, or he must make the Amer
lean laborer suffer, in the attempt to
compete with the species OF labor refer
red to. In the case of substantial re-
duction of paw, there can be no compen-
sating advantage for the American la
borer, because the articles of daily con-
sumption which he uses-with the eX-
ception of articles not produced in the
United States, and easy of being specially
provided for, as coffee and tea-are
grown in our own country, and would
not be affected in price by a lowering in
duties. Therefore, while he would re+
ceive less for his labor, his cost of living
would not be descreased. Being practi-
cally placed upon the pay of the Europe
an labOrer, our own would be deprived
of facilities for educating and sustaining
his family respectfully; he would be shorn
of the proper opportunities of self i'm
provement, and his value as citizen,
charged with a portion of the obligations
of government, would be lessened; the
moral tone of the laboring class would
suffer, and in turn the interests of capi.
tai, and the well being of orderly cti-
zens in general, would be menaced, while
one evil would react upon another until
there would be general disturbance OF
the whole community. The true prob
lem of good and stable government is
how to infuse prosperity among all class.
es of people-tfe manufacturer, the
Dechansc, and laborer alike. Such pros
perity is preventive of crime, security
OF capital, and the very best guarantee OF
general peace and happiness.
The obvious policy of our government
is to protect both capital and labor by a
proper imposition of duties. This pro
lection should extend to every article OF
American production which goes to build
up the general prosperity of our people