The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1884-07-30
Gen. Logan's Letter.

This honor, as is well understood
was wholly unsought by me. Tha
it was rendered by the representa-
tives of the party, in a manner s.
flattering, will serve to Tighten what
ever labors may be called upon t.
perform.
Although the variety OF subjects
covered In the very excellent and
vigorous declaration of principle;
adopted by the late convention pro
hibits, upon an occasion calling iol
breyity of expression, that full elao'
Grafton of which they are susceptl'
bic. avail myself of party usage to
signify my approval of the various
resolutions of the platform, and TO
discuss them briefly.
PROTECTION TO AMERICAN LABOR.
The resolutions Of the platform
declaring for levy of such duties
''as to afford security to our dlversl-
fed industries, and protection to the
rights and wages of the laborer, to
the end that active and intelligent
labor, as well as capital, may have
its just reward, and the laboring man
his full share in the National pros
perity." meets my hearty approval.
If there be Nation on the face OF
the earth which might, If it were a
desirable thing, build a wall upon
its very boundary line, deny COM
munion to all the world, and pro-
ceed to live upon its own resources
and productions, that Nation is the
United States. There is hardly a le-
gitimate necessity of civilized com
munities which cannot be produced
from the extraordinary resources OF
our several States and Territories,
with their manufactures, mines,
farms, timber lands and water Ways.
This circumstance, taken in connec-
ton with the fact that our form OF
government is entirely unique
among the nations of the world,
makes it utterly absurd to institute
comparisons between our own eco
nomic systems and those of other
governments, and especially to at
tempt to borrow systems from them.
We stand alone in our circumstan-
ces, our forces, our possibilities, and
our aspirations.
In all successful government it is
prime requisite that capital and
labor should be upon the best terms,
and that both should enjoy the I
highest attainable prosperity. IfI
there be a disturbance of the just
balance between them, one or the |
other suffers, and dissatisfaction fol-
lows, which is harmful to both.
The lessons furnished by the COM
paratively short history of our Ma
tional life have been too much over
looked by our people. The funda-
mental article in the old Democratic
creed proclaimed almost absolute
free trade, and this, too, no more
than a quarter of a century ago. The
low condition of our National credit,
the financial and business uncer-
tainties and general lack OF prosper
ity under that system, can be re-
membered by every man now IN
middle life.
Although in the great number of
reforms instituted by the Repuhli-
can party sufficient credit has net
been publicly awarded to that of
tariff reform, its benefits have, new
ertheless, been felt throughout 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 antiquated Demo-
cratic opponents make unwilling
concession to the correctness of the
doctrine of an equitably adjusted
protective tariff, by following slowly ,,
in its footsteps, though a very long
way in the rear.
The principle involved is one of
no great obscurity, and can be read
lily comprehended by any intelligent
person rejecting upon it. The polit-
ical and social systems of some OF /,
our trade-competing nations have !
created working classes miserable in !
the extreme. They receive the mer- ]
est stipend for their daily toll, and in
the great expense of the necessities
of life, are deprived Of those COM
forts of fclothing, housing, and health
producing food with which whole
some 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 pro- !.
ducts, either the American capital :
list must suffer in his legitimate prof !
fits or he must make the American
laborer suffer in the attempt to COM
pete with the species of labor above
referred to. In the case of substan- /.
tial reduction OF pay there can be no :
compensating advantages for the
American laborer, because the arti-
cles of daily consumption which he
uses-with the exception VT 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 lowering in
duties. Therefore while he would re-
ceive less for his labor, his cost of
living would not be decreased. Be-
ing practically placed upon the pay
of the European 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-im-
provement, and his value as citi-
zen, charged with a portion of the
obligations of government, would be
lessened; the moral tone of the la
boring class would suffer, and in
turn the interests of capital, and the
well being of orderly citizens in gen.
eral, would be menaced, while one
evil would react upon another until
there would bea general disturbance
on the whole community. The true
problem of good and stable gov
ernment is how to infuse prosperity
among all classes of people-the
manufacturer, the farmer, the me-
chanic and the lahorer alike. Such 4