The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1886-10-14
LETTER OF ACCEPTANCE
OF Wallace n. Phelps, Democratic NOml-
nee for Congress In this District.
An Able, Comprehensive Document from
the Capable and A aggressive DEM
ooratio Candidate--His Prin-
Ciples Enunciated.


GENTLEMEN:-In accordance with my
promise now take pleasure in transmitting
to you my formal acceptance of the unani-
by the above named convention.
With the most thorough appreciation of
the great honor thereby conferred, and
deeply sensible of the responsibilities which
an acceptance by me implies, shall address
the people of this district with all the ear
nestness and zeal in support of the prlnci-
Piles enunciated by your convention, which
honesty of purpose and my humble ability
will allow.
First, permit me to say that it is my de-
sire that the campaign in this district be
fought on principle and not on personal
abuse. If our opponents choose to indulge
in the latter it will be no good reason why
we should commit the same mistake. The
result of the election in this district four
years ago is proof that a large and very
respectable body of Republicans consider
that they have just cause for voting in op.
position to my distinguished opponent, and
by an honest advocacy of honest principles
between now and election day many more
may be so moved. Whether we succeed or
not is not of so much importance as pure
endeayor to treat the issues fairly and frank
ly, that the people may judge intelligently.
Whether we succeed or not we can at least
we may thus pave the way for future and
permanent victories for the cause of justice
and humanity. But with united and
earnest effort throughout the district, with a
decent respect for the rights of our oppo-
nents, with harmonious concentration of
the forces opposed to the Republican nomi-
nee under conditions alike honorable to all,
as believe may be secured, we shall surely
meet with victory on the second day of
November.
Now, what of the issues?
1t seems to me that the one great over
shadowing question of the hour is, how can
we arrest the progress of Capitalization of
wealth and secure to labor Just share
of its products? In solution of this ques-
tion there is no issue affecting it to great
er extent at this time than that of the
tariff, aud as this is what Mr.. Mckinley
has in the past given nearly his whole at
tention to, it will be my pleasure to first dis
cuss. Indeed, considering the short cam
paign and the great importance of this
question, it will hardly be possible for me
pay any great amount of attention to other
issues.
What is a tariff?
Tariff is tax levied indirectly upon the
people. Other tax is based on the amount
of property citizen owns, but not so with
tariff-tax. In this case the man who labors
hard in the support of large family, and
perhaps not owning a dollars worth of
property, pays more taritf-tax than his
neighbor who is living in ease on an income
from $4,000. This seems hard, but what
makes it worse is the fact that perhaps
eight-tenths of this tariff-tax wrung from
the toiling masses does not accrue to the
benefit of either government or toiler, be-
cause in most cases it is an unjustifable ex-
cess in price on the manufactured products
of our land, and not from imports.
The constitution gives to Congress the
power to levy duties on imports for the pur-
poses of raising revenue to support the
government. understand my distinguish
ed opponent to advocate "tariff for pro-
lection for the sake of protection"
Protection for what2
"Protection for American labor" says
Mr.. Mckinley.
And here is the humbug. Here is the
deception. Here is the place to tear off
the cloak of hypocrisy and expose the most
stupendous scheme of robbery ever perpe-
trated on free people. Under the guise
of "protection to American labor" labor
has gone entirely unprotected, and, besides,
robbed by the millions every year since the
system was adopted.
A tariff to protect labor would involve
the levying of duty on the importation
of labor. Is Mr.. Mckinley in favor of this
sort of tariff? Dare he answer this ques-
ton?
The tariff which Mr.. Mckinley advocates
protects the manufacturer of goods covered
by the duty list, but the employer has the
open world in which to freely purchase his
labor, except the Coolie labor of China,
which Democratic congress shut out over
the veto of Republican President, and
almost united Republican opposition.
would go still farther, in accordance with
one of the clauses in the last National Dem
ocratic platform, and place such restriction
on the importation of foreign contract labor
as would at least be step in the direction
of securing to the laborers in our factories,
mines, and other industrial fields, that
protection which has been claimed for them
but which they have not received. / chal-
lenge my opponent to say to the working
men of this district where he stands on this
matter. | challenge him to say whether
he would favor such measure, and if so,
why has he been silent on this vital question
in the halls of congress all these years that
he has assumed the special guardianship of
the rights of labor?
Taken as whole, the tariff has been
curse to the wage worker, instead of pro-
lection, 1t has at times stimulated the de-
mand for certain products to an abnormal
degree, whereby the manufacturers realized !
exhorbitant prices for those products, and
when the wage workers demurred at the |
share of the receipts of toll accord
ed them they have in many cases been
"locked out" only to see their places filed
by imported foreign labor, and thus awake |
to the fact that the.so-called ''protection" is
a cruel deception. This abnormal stim-
ulation of demand for certain articles under
the tariff has also brought great but tenn
porary booms in business, only to be fol- |
lowed by overproduction, idle wheels, idle
hands, poverty and disaster to both the en-
ployer and employe, but oftener to the latter
alone.
I am well aware that under this tariff
certain great industries have grown up and
been fostered. These should not and need
not be injured in the least. What is wanted
is reformation of the tariff system. The
system as now maintained places the heav-
lest duties on necessaries and the lightest on
Injuries. This should be reversed. The wi
ing expenses of the wage workers, the farm
ers, the merchants, the railroad employees,
the mechanics, the laborers, the professional
men, are now increased fully 80 per cent
by an Unjust and an unnecessary tariff.
A very considerable number of the work.
ingmen ofthis district are railroad employees,