The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1888-10-19
THURMAN's RINGING LETTER.
THE OLD ROMANS POSITION IN THE PRE-
SENT srrUGGLE.

SENT STRUGGLE.
A CLEAR AND CONCISE sTATEMENT--TiiE
GREAT TARIFF QUESTION DISCUSSED IN
A COMPREHENSIVE MANNRR-wHAT
TuE MILLS BILL WILL DO.
COLUMBUS, o., Oct. l4.-The follow
ing is Judge Thurman's letter of &C.
ceptance:
COLUMBUS, o., Oct. ~, lSSS.-Hon.
Patrick A. Collins, and Others of
the Committee: - GENTLEMEN: In
obedience TO custom, l send you this
formal acceptance of nv nomination
for the office of vice president of the
United States, made by the national
convention Of the democratic party at
st. Louis. When you did me the ho-
nor to call upon me at Columbus and
officially notified me of my nomiua-
ton, / expressed to you my sense Of
obligation TO the convention, and
stated that, although | had not sought
the nomination, l did not feel at liber-
ty, under the circumstances, to decline
it. thought then, as l still think,
that whatever | could 40 to promote
the reelection of President Cleveland
| ought to do.
PRAISES CLEvELANrs ADMINISTRATIONS.
His administration has been marked
by such integrity, good sense, manly
courage and exalted patriotism that a
just appreciation of these high quail
ties seems to call for his reelection. l
am also strongly impressed with the
bel eff that his reelection would power
fully tend to strengthen that feeling of
fraternity among the American people
that is so essential to their welfare,
peace and happiness, and to the perpe-
tuity of the Union and of our free in
stitutions.
approve of the platform of the st.
Louis convention, and l cannot too
strongly express my dissent from the
heretical teachings of the monopolists
that the welfare of the people can be
promoted by system of exorbitsnt
taxation far in excess of the wants of
the government. The idea that the
people can be enriched by
HEAVY AND UNNECESSARY TAXATION,
that mans condition can be improv-
ed by taxing him on all he wears, on
all his wife and children wear, on all
his tools and implements of industry,
is an obvious adsurdity. To fill the
vaults of the treasury with an idle
surplus for which the government has
no legitimate use, and to thereby de-
prive the people of our currency, need.
ed for their business and daily wants,
and to create powerful and danger
GUS stimulus to extravaganza and cor
ruption in the expenditures of the
government, seems to be policy at
variance with every sound principle of
government and political economy.
THE WAY TO REDUCE THE SURPLUS
The necessity of reducing taxation
to prevent such accumulation of the
surplus revenue and the consequent
depletion of the circulating medium is
so apparent that no party dares to deny
1t; but when we come to consider the
modes by which the reduction may be
made, we find wide antagonism be-
tween our party and the monopolistic
leaders of our political opponents.
We seek to reduce the taxes upon
the necessaries of life; our opponents
seek to increase them. We say, give
to the masses of people cheap and good
clothing, cheap blankets, cheap tools
and cheap lumber. The republicans
by their platform and their leaders in
senate, by their proposed bill, say in-
crease the taxes on clothing and
blankets and thereby increase their
cost, maintain the high duty on the
tools of the farmer and mechanic, and
upon the lumber which they need for
the construction of their modest dwell
ings, shops and barns, and thereby
prevent their obtaining these necessar-
les at unreasonable prices.
Can any sensible man doubt as to
where he should stand in this contro-
versyi Can any well.informed man
be deceived by the false prete Sc that
a system so unreasonable and unjust is
for the benefit of the laboring men?
WORD ABOUT THE LABoRER.
Much is said about the competition
of American laborers with the pauper
laborers of Europe; but does not every |
man who looks around him see and |
know that an immense majority of la
bOrers in America are not engaged in
what are called the protected industr-
les; and as to those who are employed |
in such industries is it not undeniable |
that the duties proposed by the demo-
cratic measure called the Mills bill far |
exceed the difference between Ameri-
can and European wages, and that
therefore if it were admitted that our
workingmen can be protected by the |
tariffs against cheaper labor, they
would be fully 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 tar
if does not 60 into the pockets of the
laboring man, but only tends to swell
the profits of othersi
1t seems TO me that if the policy of
the democratic party is plainly pre-
sented, all must understand that we
seek to make the cost of living less and
atthe same time increase the share ofIthe
aboring man in the benefits of nation
al prosperity AMI growth. am, very
,,a,tfnll,, nhal;a,t so.,,o.s