Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1888-10-20

Taxation ?-Amer1can q European
wages.
CoLuMBus, O., October 15.-Judge Thur.
mans letter OF acceptance bias been given
to the press. The irst draft OF the letter
was in the Judges handwriting, and type
written copies showed only a few changesin
punctuation from the original. The letter
is as follows:
CoLuMBus, O., October IL, 1SSS.-Hon.
Patrick A. Collins and others, committee
Gentlemen: In obedience to custom / send
you this formal acceptance of my nomina.
ton for the Office OF Vice President OF the
United States, made by the National Con.
vention OF the Democratic party at St.
Louis. When you did me the honort to cal
upon me at Columbus and officially notify
me Of my nomination, I expressed to you
my ssnse OF obligation to the convention,
and stated that, although Ihad not sought
the nomination, I did not feel at liberty,
under the circumstances, to decline it.
thought then, as I still think, that
whatever I could properly do to promote
the reelection OF President Cleveland,
I ought to do. His administration ha
been
MARKED BY SUCH INTEGRITY,
good sense, manly courage and exalted
patriotism, that q just appreciation o
these high qualities seems to call for his
reelection. I am strongly impressed with
the belief that his reelection would pow
erfully tend to strengthen the feeling Oh
fraternity among the American people that
is 80 essential to their welfare, peace and
happiness, and to the perpetuity OF the
union and our free institutions.
I approve the platform OF the st. Louis
Convention, and I cannot too strongly ex-
press my dissent from the heretical teach
inns Of the monopolists, that the welfare oil
the people can be prompted by a system OF
exorbitant taxation far in excess OF the
wants OF the government. The idea that
q people can be enriched by heavy and I'M
necessary taxation, that q mans condi-
ton can be improved by taxing him on all
he wears, or all his wife and children wear,
ON all his tools and implements OF industry,
Is AN OBVIOUS ABsURDlTY.
To oil the vaults of the treasury with an
idle surplus for which the government has
no legitimate use, and thereby deprive the
people of currency needed for their bust
ness and daily wants, and to create a
powerful and dangerous stimulus to ex-
trayagance and corruption in the expendl-
lures Of the government, seems to me to
be q policy at variance with every sound
principle OF government and political
economy.
1.-THE necessity of reducing taxation to
prevent such an accumulation OF revenue
and the depletion OF the circulating medium
is so apparent that no party dares to de-
nv it. But, when we come to consider the
modes by which the reduction may be
made, we find q wide antagonism between
our party and the monopolistic leaders OF
our political opponents.
We seek to reduce taxes upon the neces-
saries OF life; our opponents seek to increase
them. We say, "Give to the masses OF the
people cheap and good clothing, cheap
blanksts, cheap tools and cheap lumber"
The Republicans
BY THEIR PLATFORM
and their leaders in the Senate, by their
proposed bill, say: Increase the taxes on
clothing and blankets and thereby increase
their cost; maintain a high duty on the
OF the farmer and mechanic and upon
the lumber which they need for the con-
struction OF their modest dwellings. shops
and barns, and thereby prevent their OBJ
these n~ecessaries at reasonable
Can any sensible man doubt as to where
be should stand in this controversy? Can
any vell.informed man be deceived by the
false pretense that q system so
and uniuat ia for the benefit OF the
laboring men? ..
Much is said about the competition OF
American ,sborers with the pauper labor
Of Europe. But does not every man who
around him see and know that an
majority Of the laborers Of Amer
ica are not engaged in what are called the
protected industries; and az to those who
are employed in such industries is 1t not
that the duties proposed by the
measure called the Mills bill
lar exceeds the difference between
AMERICAN AND EUROPEAN WAGES,
and that, therefore, if it were admitted
that our workingmen can be protected by
Tariffs against cheaper labor they would be
July protected and more than protected
by that bill? Does not every well informed
man know that the increase in the price OF
home manufactures produced by a high
tariff does not 90 into the pockets OF la
boring men, but only tends to swell the
of others2
Il seems to me that if the policy OF the
party is plainly presented, all
must understand that we seek to make the
cost OF living less, and at The same time
increase the share OF the laboring man in
the benefits OF national prosperity and
/ am, very respectfully, your obedient