The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1884-07-25
BLANE'S LETTER.
He Discourages Conflicts with Foreign
Powers, and Deprecates Discussion
of Dead Issues.
The Tariff-FOreign and Internal Com
merce-The Cnrrency-CiVil SerV-
ice and Other Topics. r.
Accepted with Thanks.
A LENGTHY DOCUMENT.

est ever signed by candidate 1t is as fol-
lows:
AUGUSTA, Me-, July Is, 1ssl-Hor. John B.
Henderson and others of the committee, etc.
Gentlemst:-In accepting the nomination for
the Presidency rendered me by the Republic
an National Convention, beg to express a
deep sense of the honor which is conferred
and of the duty which is imposed. l venture
TO accompany the acceptance with some OBJ
Eervatlons upon the questions involved in the
contest-questions whose settlement may af-
feet the future of the Nation favorably or I'M
favorably for long series of years.
In enumerating the issues upon
which the Republican party appeals
for popular support the conven-
ton has been singularly explicit and
felicitous. 1t has properly given the leading
position to the industrial interests of the
country as affected by the tariff on imports
On that question the 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
ioan 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
opponents have destroyed tariffs arranged for
protection, and since the close of the civil
war, whenever they have controlled the
House OF Representatives, hostile legislation
mas been Accomplishments more conspicu-
Dusly than in their principal measure at the
late session Of Congress.
THE TARIFF QUESTION.
Revenue laws are in their very nature sub.
1eet to frequent revision in order that they
may be adapted to changes and notifications
of trade. The Republican party is not con-
tending Tor the permanency of any particular
bn hAfu
does not have reference to q specific law. 1t
is far broader and far deeper. 1t involves q
principle of wide application and benehcent
influence, against theory which we believe
10 be unsound in conception and inevitably
hlrtful in practice. In the many tariff re-
visions which have been necessary for
the past twenty-three years, or which
may hereafter become necessary, the Repub-
hcan party has maintained and will main
vain the policy OF protection to American
industry, while our opponents insist upon a
revision, which practically destroys that pol
ICY. The issue is thus distinct we'll defined
and unavoidable, The pending election may
determine the fate of protection for genera
ton The overthrow of the policy means q
large and permanent reduction in the wages
of the American aborer, besides involving
SSs loss of vast amounts of American capital
invested in manufacturing enterprises. The
value OF the present revenue system to the
people OF the United States Is not matter of
theory, and shall submit no argument to sus-
tain it. 1 only invite attention to certain
Facts OF official record which seem to copsti-
cute demonstration.
In the census OF 1850 an effort was rnadS for
She first time in our history, to obtain valyI-
alton OF all the property in the United States
The attempt was ia @ large degree unsuccess-
fuL Partly from lack of time, partly from
prejudice among many who thought the in
quiries foreshadowed new scheme of taxa
Uon, the returns were incomplete and unsat-
Ssfactory. Little more was done than to con-
Sohdate the local valuation used In the States
nj Il /.
one knows, differs widely from e complete
exhibit OF all the property.
In the census of 1885, however, the work
was done with great thoroughness-the dis
unction between assessed" value and true
value being carefully observed. The grand
result was that the true value of all the
property in the States and Territories texclud-
Sng saves amounted to oof fourteen a thousand
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 eolOnist landed in 1897 down to the
year 1860. 1t represented the fruit of the toll
of go years.
After 1860 tho business of the country was
encouraged and developed by a protective
tariff. At the end of twenty years the total
property of the United States, as returned bv
she census of 1880, amounted to the enormous
aggregate OF forty-four thousand millions of
Hollars 44,0OO,000OOO): This great result was
attained, Notwithstanding the fact that count,
less millions had in the interval been wasted in
the progress of bloody war. It thus appears
that while our population between 1860 and
1850 increased sixty per cent, the aggregate
property Of the country increased 2f4 per
cent, showing vastly enhanced wealth Der
capita among the people Thirty thousand
millions OF dollars (S50,000,000,00O had been
added during these twenty Years to the per.
manent wealth of the Nation.
These results are regarded by the older ma.
tions of the world as phenomenal. That orr
country should surmount the peril and the
n priWN IN bin, Il
period Of twenty years make an average pain
TO its wealth of $l25,000,000 per month sur
passes the experience of all other nations.
ancient or modern. Even the Opponents az
that in the whole history of civilization any
parallel can DO found to the material prog.
ress or the United States, since the accession
or the Republican party to power.
The period between 1860 and to-day haa pnt
been one of material prosperity only. AT ma
time in the history of the United States has
there been such progress in the moral and phil
anthropio field. Religious and charitable insti-
buttons, schools, semtnaries and colleges havs
been founded and endowed far more oena,e
ously than at any previous time in our his
Tory Greater ana more varied relief has been
extended to human suffering, and the entire
progress OF the country in wealth has been
accompanied and digniied by broadenino
ana elevation OF our National character as !
people. w
Our opponents find fault that our revenur
system produces surplus. But they should
not forget that the law has given 4 snecifc
purpose to which all of the surplus is profita.
Oily ana honorably appied~~the reduction oi
the public debt ard the consequent relief of
the burden of taxation. No dollar has beAn
wasted, and the only extravaganza with
which the party stands charged Is tho pener.
Gus pensionlng of soldiers, sailors and their
famllles-an extravaganza which embodies
the highest form of Justice in the reeoonition
ana paymenfpc sacred debt. When reduc-
ton of taxation is to be made the Republican
party can he trusted to accomplish it in anch
form Us viii most effectively aid the indus
tries or the Nation.
OUR FOREIGN COMMERCE..
A frequent accusation of our opponents II
that the foreign commerce Of the country has
steadily decayed under the influence of the
protective tariff. In this way they seek to ar
ray the importing interest against the Repuh
Mcan party. 1t is a common and vet radics
error TO confound the commerce of the coun
try with its carrying trade-an error often
committed lnnocently and sometimes design.
edly-but an error so gross that 1t does moi
distinguish between the ship and the cargo
Foreign commerce represents the EXPORTS anG
imports of country regardless of the nation-
sanJy OF tue yessel that may carry the commod
StleS OF exchange. Our carrying trade hal
from obvious causes suffered many discou,
agements since 1860 but our foreirn oem
meroe has in the same period steadily anC
prodlglouSly lncreaSed-increased indeed at q
rate and to an amount which absolutely dwarf
all previous developments of our trade he
yond the sea. From 1860 to the present time
tuS lOLSiSu COIuuerc9 OF the United States
divided with approximate equality between
eXportS.and mportsl reached the astounding
aggregate OF twenty-four thousand millions
OF dollars 1924, 10000 00. The balance in thi:
vast commerce inclined in cur favor. but Il
would have been much larger if our trade
with the countries of America elsewhere re-
terred to, had been more wisely adjusted.
IL ls d1ucult even to appreciate the mapni
Fude OF our export trade since 1860, and Wa
can gain correct conception of it only by
comparison with preceding results in the
same field. The total exports from tht
United states from the Declaration of indie
pendence in lI6 down to the day of Lincoln
election in 1860, added to all that had pre
viously been exported from the AmericsI
colonies lrrom their original settlements
amounted to less than nine Thousand
millions of dollars (S9,00o00 ,000l On the
other hand, our exports from 1860 to the
close of the last fiscal year exceeded
twelve thousand millions of dollars (SI2,O0O.
OOOO0)-the whole of it being the product Of
American labor. Evidently a protective
taritt has not injured our export trade wher
under its influence we exported in twenty
tour years forty per cent more than the
total amount that had been exported in the
entire previous history of American com
merce. All the Details when anaIyzed, cor
respond with this gigantic result
Inc Inc commercial cities of the Union
never had such growth as they
porlum, the city of New York, with its de
pendencies, has within that period doubled
ner population and increased her wealth five
1old. During the same period the imports
ana exports which have entered and left her
haTD0r are more than double in hulr and