The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-09-11
MIR. cleveland,s Letter of Acceptance.

MIR. Cleveland's Letter of Acceptance
The expectation was that Mr.. CievelAnd's
letter of acceptance would be very strong
one and this expectation is fully allied.
Ii is a letter that satisfies his political
friends and alarms his political enemies.
Like all of bis public papers, it * clear in
its statements logical in its reasoning, aid
has a tone of sincerity that wirs the ad-
miration Of even those who do not agree
with its conclusions.
1t deals, Of course, largely with the tariff,
because that is the great issue of the cam
paign, and it clearly and forcibly states III"
position Of the Democratic party on that
issue. Since the campaign began, the re-
publicanS have made extraordinary efforts
/ to place the Democratic party in false
position They have done all they could to
| create the impression that that party pro
poses to force free trade upon the country.
! They knew, OF course, that they were not
dealing honestly with the public, but they
aimed ut success, and were Indifferent as to
the means by which they secured 1t.
Mr.. Cleveland points out that what the
Democratic party proposes is not free trade,
but tariff reform, and he shows that such a
reform is imperatively demanded. The pres
eut tariff was adopted when it was neces-
sarv to raise vast sums for war purposes
This is d time of peace, and there is no need
for as great taxes as are now collected.
That this is true is shown by the fact that
there is now $3.50, 900, 600 in the treasury for
which the government has no use. 1t is a
surplus, and the amount of it is steadily in
creasing 1t is the result of unjust, because
unnecessary, taxes.
The danger from this unjust taxation is
two-fold. 1t takes from the people more
money than can be economically spent in
the administration of the government, and,
hence, withdraws from them the money
they need in their business, and for the
prosecution of new enterprises, and it
threatens to produce financial panics and
disasters. What arguments do the republi-
cans advance to meet those of Mr.. Cleve-
landi None whatever that are worth a
moments consideration. The republicans
simply assert that the Democratic party
seeks TO break down the protective system
and to place American workingmen on a
lOOUlHS Will UnS WOIhluglilel Ol Europe III
the matter of wages These assertions do
not answer Mr. Cleveland's arguments; and,
besides. they are not true.
NJ. Cleveland says, and very truly, that
the reform in the tariff proposed by the
Democratic party will benefit our manu-
factories and workingmen, and it will do it
by permitting our manufacturers to COM
pete in foreign markets with the manu-
facturers of other countries, and by increas-
ing the purchasing power. of the wages of
workingmen.
This letter Of acceptance, while it is in
entire harmony with Mr.. Clevelands tariff
message, detines more clearly than that
message the position of the Democratic
party on the tariff, and will effectually pre-
vent the republicans from making any
more capital out of the charge that they
have been reiterating so frequently, that
the Democratic party is free trade party
The letter touches upon other matters
which are playing important parts in the
campaign, all of which are treated in the
straightforward and sincere manner for
which Mr.. Cleveland has become famous.
1t will take its place beside Mr. Clevelands
tariff and retaliation messages in the cam
paign, and will help the democratic cause
greatly