Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1888-09-21
HARRlSON'S LETTER.
His Formal Acceptance Of the Nom
ination.

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind, Sept. II.
Hon. Nj. M. Estce and others, committee:
Gentlemcn-Wheny your committee visited
me on the Attn Of July last and presented
the Official announcement of my nomination
for the presidency OF the United States by
the republican convention, l promised a.
soon as practicable 10 communicate 10 you
a more formal acceptance of the nomina-
ton. Since that time the work of receiving
and addressing, almost daily, large delega-
lions OF my fellow citizens has not only &C.
cupied all my time, but has in some meas
ure rendered II unnecessary for me TO use
this letter rs a medium OF communicating
10 the public my views upon the questions
involved in tho campaign. / appreciate
very highly the confidence and respect
manifested by the convention and accept
the nomination with feeling OF gratitude
and full sense of the responsibilities
which accompany IL.
1t is a matter OF congratulation that the
declarations of the Chicago convention upon
the questions that now attract the interest
OF our people are so clear and emphatic,
There Is further cause OF congratulatiou in
the fact that the convention utterances OF
the democratic party, IL any degree uncer-
tain or contradictory, can now he Judged
and interpreted by executive acts and mes
sages and by definite propositions in leSis-
lation. This ia especially true OF what is
popularity known as the tariff question. The
issue cannot now be obscured. 1t is not a
contest between schedules, but between
wide apart principles. The foreigu compel
itors OF our market have, with quick in
stinct, seen how one issue Of this contest
may bring them advantage and our own
people are not 80 duh as TO miss or neglect
the grave interests that are involved for
them. The assault upon our protective
system Is open and defiant. Protection is
aSsailed as unconstitutional in law, or as
vicious in principle, and those who hold
such views sincerely cannot stop short Of
an absolute elimination from our tariff laws
of the principle Of protection. The Mills
bill is only step, but II is toward an object
that the leaders of democrat thought and
legislation have clearly in mind.
The important question ia not so much
the length of the step as the direction of it..
Judged by the executive message of De
cember last, by the Mills biz, by the de-
bates in congress and by the ST Louis
platform, the democrat party will, If sup.
ported by the country, place the tariff laws
upon purely revenue basis. This is
practical free trade free trade in the Eng
lish sense. The legend upon the banner
may not be free trade il may be the
more obscure motto tariff reform" but
neither the banner nor the inscription is
conclusive, or. indeed, very important.
The assault itself i the important fact.
Those who teach that the import duty
upon foreign goods So in our market is
Vdiu w AHt NDuSuIltTs anu lIdl tue pTlCt Oh
the domestic competing article is enhanced
10 the amount of the dLty on the imported
artiCle-that every million of dollars col
lected for customs d,lties represent many
millions more which do not reach the treas
ury, but are paid by our citizens a. the in
creased cost OF domestic productions re
sulting from the tariff laws may not iu-
tend TO discredit in the minds of others our
system Of levying duties on competing for
eign products. but il II clearly already dis
credited in their own. We cannot doubt.
without impugning their integrity, that il
free TO act upon their convictions they
would so revise our lsays as 10 lay the bur
den of the customs revenue upon articles
that are produced in this country, and 70
place upon the free list all competing
foreign products.
/ do not stop 10 refute this theory as 10
the effect of our tariff duties. Those who
advance IL are students of maxims and not
of the markets. They may be safely al
lowed 10 call their project tariff reform
If the people understand that in the end the
arguments means free trade in all compel.
ing products. This end may not be reached
abruptly, and II. approach may be accom-
panied with some expressions Of sympathy
for our protected industries andour working
people, but ii will certainly come il these
early steps do not arouse the people TO
effective resistance.
The republican party holds that protec-
tive tariff is constitutional, wholesome and
necessary. We DO not offer fixed SEIZED
ule, but princip pie. We will revise the
schedule, modify rates, but always with an
intelligent provision as 10 the effect upon
domestic production and the ways Of our
working people. We believe II TO De one
of the worthy objects OF tariff legislation 10
preserve the American market for Ameri-
can producers, and ia maintain the Ameri-
can scale Of wages by adequately dscrimi
mating duties upon foreign competing prod
ucts. The effect Of lower rates and i'm
portations on the public revenue is contin-
gent and doubtful but not so the effect
upon American production and American
wages.
Less work and lower wages must be ac-
cepted as the inevitable result of the in
creased Offering of foreign goods in our
market. BY way Of recompense for this
reduction in his wages, and the loss Of the
American market, IL is suggested that the
diminished wages of the workingman will
have an undiminishcd purchasing power,
and that he will be able 10 make up for the
loss of the home market by an enlarged
foreign maEllet
Our workingmcn have the settlement Of
the question in their own hands. They
now obtain higher wages and live more
comfortably than those Of any other coun-
try. They Will make choice between the
substantial advantages they have in hand
and the deceptive promises and forecasts
Of theorizing rcfOrmers. They will decide
for themselves and for the country wheth-
er the prote tive system shall be continued
or destroyed.
The fact OF a treasury surplus, the
amount of which is variously stated, has
directed public attention 10 consideration
Of the methods by which the national in
come may be best reduced 20 the level Of
wise and necessary expenditure This con
dition has been seized upon by those who
are hostile 10 protective custom duties as
an advantageous base OF attack upon our
tariff laws. They have magnifed and
nurscd the surplus, which they effect to
dcprecate, seemingly for the purpose Of ex-
aggeratiug the evil in order 20 reconcile the
people 10 the extreme remedy they pro-
pose.
a proper reduction Of the revenue does
not nccessitate. and should not suggest,
the abandonment or impairment Of the pro-
teCtive system.
The methods suggested by our conven-
ton will not need 20 be exhausted in order
20 effect the necessary reduction.
We are not likely 10 be called upon, 7
think. 20 make a present choice between
the surrender Of our protective system and
the entire repeal Of the internal taxes
Such a contingency. in view Of the present
relations OF expenditures TO revenues is re.
mote.
The inspection and regulation OF the
manufacture and sale OF oleOmarOarina ia