Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-07-19
BLAINE'S ACCEPTANCE.
THE TARIFF MADE IT'S MOST
PROMINENT TOPIC.

/ ANOAAANLSN4 4OELls
Its Relations to the Different Avoca-
tiODs of the Nation Reviewed From
the Protective standpOint-The Writer
Explains His Foreign Policy-How the
South Stands In the Writer'S Estima-
tiOn-CIviI Service Reform, Mormon
Ism, the Currency and Other Subjects
Not Overlooked.
BOSTON, MASS, July 1s.-Hon. James
G. Blaine's letter formally accepting his
nomination by the National Republican
Convention for the Presidency Of the
I United States was made public to-day and
/ is, in full, as follows;
AUGUSTA. NE. july Is, 1894.
/ The lion. John B. Henderson and others OF The
Committee, etc.. etc.:
| GENTLEMEN-In accepting the nomination
l for the Presidency rendered me by the Re-
| publican National Convention, / beg TO ex-
| press deep sense Of the honor which is con-
| ferfed and Of the duty which is imposed
venture 10 accompany the acceptance with
| some observations upon the questions in
| YOlyed IN the eOntest-questiOns whose settle
ment may affect the future OF the nation
| iayorably or unfavorably for long series of
| years.
In enumerating the Issues upon which the
Republican party appeals for popular support.
the convention has been singulariy explicit
and felicltous. 1t has properly gwen the
| leading position to the industrial interests Of
the country as affected by the tariff on i'm
ports. 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
principle OF protection to American labor and
to American capital. This principle the Re-
publican party has ever since steadily main
tanned, while on the other hand the Demo-
cratic party IN Congress has for fifty years
persstently 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. hos
tile legislation has been attempted-never
more conspicuOusly than in their principal
measure at the late session Of Congress.
THE TARIFF QUESTION.
Revenue laws are IN 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 permanency Of any particular
does not have reference TO a specific law 1t
is far broader and far deeper. 1t involves a
principle of wide application and benifcent
influence, against theory which we believe
to be unsound in conception and inevitably
hurtful in 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 a large
and permanent reduction in the wages of the
American labOrer, besides involving the 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 submit no argument to sustain it. 1
only invite attention to certain facts Of Off
cial record which seem to constitute demon
stratiOn.
the first time in our history, to obtain a valu-
alton of all the property in the United States.
The attempt was in. large degree unsuccess-
ful. Partly from lack of time, partly from
prejudice among many who thought the in
quiries fOreshadowed a new scheme of taxa
ton, the returns were incomplete and unsat-
isfactory. Little more was done than to con-
sOlidate the local valuation used in the States
for purposes Of assessment, and that, as every
one knows, differs widely from a complete
exhibit Of all the property.
In the census of 1860, however, the work
was done with great thOrOughness-the dis
tinctiOn between ''assessed' value and true"
value beng carefully observed. The grand
result was that the "true Value' of all the
property in the States and Territories lex
cludlng slaves amounted 10 $l4,U00,000,000.
This aggregate was the net result Of the labor
and the savings fall the people within the
first British cOlOnist landed in 1907 down to
the year 1860. 1t represented the fruit of the
toll OF TWO hundred ana ttlty years.
After 1860 the business of the country was
encouraged and developed by a protective
tariff. A the end Of twenty years the total
property of the United States, as returned by
the census of 1880, amounted to the enormous
aggregate OF $4,000, 100000 This great re-
suit was attained, notwithstanding the fact
that countless millions had in the interval
been wasted IN the progress Of bloody war.
Ii thus appears that while our population be-
tween 1860 and 1880 increased 60 per cent,
the aggregate property, of the country in
creased 2l4 per cent.-showing vastly en-
HANGED wealth per capita among the people.
S30,O00,0O0,000 had been added during these
twenty years to the permanent wealth of
the nation.
These results are regarded by the older ma
tiOns OF the world as phenomenal. That our
country should surmOunt the peril and the
cost OF gigantic war and for an entire Pc
riOd of twenty years make an average gain to
its wealth of $l25 600 per month surpasses
the experience of all other nations, ancient or
modern. Even the opponents OF the present
revenue system do not pretend that in the
whole history of civilization any parallel can
be found to the material progress of the
United States, since the accession OF the Re-
publican party to power.
The period between 1850 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 in the moral and
philanthropic field. Religious and charitable
institutions, schools. seminaries and colleges,
have been founded and endowed far more
generously than at any previous time in our
%+NN~
been extended to human suffering, and the en-
tire progress of the country in wealth has
been accompanied and dlgniied by a broad
ening and elevation of our national character
as 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 of the surplus is profit
ably and honOrably applied-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 sands charged is the generous
pensioning of soldiers, sailors and their
families-an extravaganza which embodies
the highest form Of justice IN the recognition
and payment of a sacred debt. When educ
tiOn of taxation is to be made. the Republican
party can be trusted to accomplish 1t in such
form as will most effectively aid the industries
of the nation.
OUR FOREIGN COMMERCE.
frequent accusation by our opponents is
that the foreign commerce of the country has
steadily decayed under the influence of the
protective tariff. In this way they seek to
array the importing interest against the Re-
publican party. 1t is common and yet
radical error to confOund the commerce of
the country with its carrying trade-an error
often committed innocently and sometimes
dCs;gnedy-tut an error so gross that it does
not distinguish between the ship and the car
go. Foreign commerce represents the exports
and imports of q country regardless of the
nationality OF the vessel that may carry the
commodities of exchange. Our carrying trade
has from obvious causes suffered many dis
couragements since 1850, but our foreign
commerce has in the same period steadily and
prOdigiously increased-increased indeed at a
rate and to an amount which absolutely
dwarf all previous developments of our trade
beyond the sea. From 1850 10 the present
time the foreign commerce of the United
States divided with approximate equality
between exports and imports) reached the
astounding aggregate Of S24 ,0o0, 100000. The
balance in this vast commerce inclined in our
favor, but il would have been much larger if
our trade with the countries Of America, else
where referred to, had been more wisely ad-
justed.
1t is difficult even to appreciate the magni-
tude OF our export trade since 1850, and we
can gain q correct conception of it only by
comparison with preceding results in the same
field. The total exports from the United
states from the Declaration Of independence
in lTT6 down TO the day of Lincoln's election
in 1850, added to all that had previously been
exported from the American Colonies from
their original settlement. amounted to less than
$4,000 O00, goo. ON the other hand. our exports
from 1860 to the close Of the last fiscal year
exceeded So, ,OO0, ,0O0, ,000-the whole of il being
the product OF American labor. Evidently
a protective tariff has not injured our
export trade when, under Its influence, we
exported in twenty-fOur years forty per cent.
exported in the entire previous history of
American commerce. All the details. when
analyzed, correspond with this gigantic result.
The commercial cities of the Union never had
such growth as they have enjoyed since 1850.
Our chief emporium, the city of New York,
with its dependencies, has within that period
doubled her population and increased her
wealth i've fold. During the same period the
imports and exports which have entered and
of haPhor - than double in buIk