Daily Los Angeles herald., 1884-07-19
EASTERN.
ula,ne,s Letter OF Acceptance.

Hiatue's hctter " AccNPsS'
SAN FRANcIsco, July lS.-The follow
ing is MIR. Blaines letter of acceptance;
AUGUSTA, Me-, July Is. 1884.
To Hon. John B. Henderson and others
of the Committee:
GrNTLEMEN:-In accepting the nomi-
nation tor the Presidency rendered me
by the Republican National Convention,
| beg to express q deep sense OF the
honor which is conferred and OF the
duty which is imposed. venture to
accompany the acceptance with some
observations upon the questions in
waived in the contest, questions whose
settlement may affect the future
of the Nation favorably or
nnfavorably for long series OF years.
la enumeratipg the issues upon which
the Republican party appeals for pop
ular support, the Convention has been
singularly explicit and felicitious. 1t
has pro,erly gwen the leading position
TO the industrial interests OF the coun-
try as affected by the tariff on exports.
On that question the two political par
ties are radically in conflict. Almost
the first act Of the Republicans
when they came into power in 1861
was the establishment OF the prin-
ciple of protection to American
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
warred upon it. Twice within that
period our opponents have destroyed
arifis arranged for protection, and since
the close of the late civil war, whenever
they have controlled the House OF Rep
resentatives, hostile legislation has been
attempted; never more conspicuously
than in their principal measure in the
late session of Congress. The tariff
and revenue laws are in their very ma
ture subject to frequent revision in or
der that they may be adapted to the
changes and notifications OF trade. The
Republican party is not contending for
the permanency of any particular stat
ute. The issues between the two parties
do not have reference to specific law.
1t is far broader and far deeper. 1t in
wolves principle of wide application
and benehcent influence against theory
which we believe to be unsound in con
ception and inevitably hurtful in prac-
| tice.
Continuing, he says: "The Republi.
can party has maintained and will main
tain the policy OF protection to Ameri'
can industry, while our opponents insist
upon revision which, practically, de
stroys that policy. 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 sustain it, and will only invite atten,
ton to certain facts of official record
which seem to Constitute q demonstra
ton. In the census Of 1850 an tfforI
was made for the first time il
our history to obtain valuation
OF all the property in the United States
The attempt was in large degree unsuc
ssssful, partly from lack of time, partly
from prejudice among the many, whC
thought the inquiries foreshadowed
new scheme of taxation. The returns
were incomplete and unsatisfactory. Lit
tie more was done than to consolidat,
the local value used in the States fo
purposes OF assessment, and that, a
everybody knows, differs widely from
complete exhibit of all the property. Ii
the census of 1880, however, the worl
was done with great thoroughness, tn
distinction between the assessed and tn
trse value being carefully observed
The grand result was that the tru,
value Of all the property in the State
and Territories, including slaves, amount