Connecticut western news., 1888-09-12
CLEVELAND ACCEPTS
THE DEMOCRATIC NOMINATION
 FOR PRESIDENT.
He also Gives His Views on the
 Questions of the Day.

The letter of President Cleveland, accept dent, has been made public Mir. Cleveland begins by saying:
 WASHINGTON, September 8, 1885, "Hon. Patrick 4. Collins aud others, Cona-
 mittee Etc.:
 "GENTLEMEN-In addressing to you my formal acceptance of the nomination to the Presidency of the United States, my thoughts persistently dwelt upon the impress sive relation of such action to the Ameri- and to the political party to which I belong, just entering upon contest for continued supremacy.
 "The world does not afford spectacle more sublime than is furnished when millions of free and intelligent Amer1- can citizens select their Chief Magistrate and bid one of their number to find the high est earthly honor and the full measure of public duty in ready submission to their will.
 "It follows that candidate for this high office can never forget that when the turmoil and the strife which attend the selection of it's incumbent shall be heard no more there must be ill the quiet calm which follows @ complete and solemn self consecration by the peoples chosen Presi- dent of every faculty and endeavor to the service of a confding and generous nation of freemen.
 "These thoughts are intensified by the light of my experience in the Presidential office, severe responsibility which it imposes, while it has Quickened my love for American in- stitutions and taught me the priceless value of the trust of my countrymen."
 The Democratic platform is endorsed by the President in the following paragraph
 1.-The pledges contained in the platform adopted by the late Convention of the Ma tional Democracy lead to the advancement of these objects and insure good government the aspiration of every true American citizen and the motive for every patriotic action and effort. In the consciousness that much has been done in the direction of good govern ment by the present administration, and submitting its record to the fair inspection of my countrymen, indorse the platform thus presented, with the determination that if am again called to the Chief Magistracy there shall be continuance of devoted en- deavor to advance the interests. of the entire country"
 On the tariff question the President says:
 "Our scale of Federal taxation and it's con- sequences largely engross at this time the attention of our citizens, and the people are soberly considering the necessity of meas ures of relief. Our Government is the crea- tion of the people, established to carry out their designs and accomplish their good. It was founded on justice, and was made for free, intelligent, and virtuous people. It is only useful when within their control, and only serves them we'll when regulated and guided by their constant touch. It is a free Government because it guarantees to every American citizen the unrestricted personal use and enjoyment of all the re-. ward of his toii and of all his income ex- cept what may be his fair contribution to necessary public expense. Therefore it is not only the right but the duty of a free people, in the enforcement of this guarantee, to in- sist that such expense should be strictly limited to the actual public nea1s. It seems perfectly clear that when the Government, this instrumentality created and main tanned by the people to do their bidding, turns upon them and, through an utter per version of it's powers extorts from their labor and capital tribute largely in excess of pub lie necessities the creature has rebelled against the creator and the masters are robbed by their servants.
 ''The cost of the government must con- tinue to be met by tariff duties collected at our Custom Houses upon imported goods, and by internal revenue taxes assessed upon spirituous and malt liquors, tobacco, to explain that all these duties and assess ments are added to the pr.ce of the articles upon which they arc levied, and thus be- come a tax upon all those who buy these articles for use and consumption. I SUD- pose, too, it is we'll understood that the eff feet of this tariff taxation is not limited tc the consumers of important articles, but that the duties imposed upon such articles permit a corresponding increase in price to be laid upon domestic produc- tions of the same kind which increase, paid by all our Leople as consumers of home pro- auctions and entering every American home, constitutes a, form of taxation as cer- tain and as inevitable as though the amount was annually paid into the hand of the tax gatherer. These results are inseparable from the plan we have adopted for the col lection of our revenue by tariff duties They are not mentioned to dis ITO lit the sys' tenn, but by way of preface to the statement that every million of dollars cole ted at our Custom Houses for duties upon i'm ported articles and paid into the public Treasury represent many millions moro which, though never reaching the National Treasury, are paid by our citizens as the iu creased cost of domestic productions result ing from our tariff laws.
 "In these circumstances, and in view ol this necessary effect of the operation of our plan for raising revenue, the absolute duty of limiting the rate of tariff charges to the necessities of frugal and economical ad ministration of the government seems to be perfectly plain. The continuance, upon the pretext of meeting public expenditures of such scale of tariff taxation as draws from the substance of the people ( sum largely in excess of public needs is surely something which, nnder a Govern ment based upon justice, and which fn1s its strength and usefulness in the faitt and trust of the people, ought not to be to eratad. While the heaviest burdens in cident to the necessities of the Govern ment are uncomp,ainingly borne ligh burdens become grievous anl intolerable when not justified by such necessities Un necessary taxation is must taxation. "Anl vet this is our condition. We are annually collecting at our Custom Houses and by means of our internal revenue taxa | tion many millions in excess of all legltl- | mate public needs. As consequence there now remains in the National Treasury a sur | plus of more than Sl3O,0l0,00) No better | evidence could be turnishel that the people are exorbitantly taxed The extent of the surperfluous burden indicated by thi surplus will be better appreciated when il | is suggested that su,h surplus alone repre- Eents taxation aggregating more than Sl0', l JOo in county containing 2O,OO0 lnhabl 1 tants"
 | Taxation has always been tn, feature of organized government the hardest to rec oncile with the peoples iteas of freedom and happiness. When presented in a direct | form nothing will arouse popular discon- tent more quickly and profoundly than un | just and unnecessary taxation. Our far mers, mechanics. laborerS, and all our citi zens closely scan the slightest increase il the taxes assessed upon their lands and l other property and demand good reasons | for such increase. And yet they seem to be | expected, in some quarters, to regard the un necessary volume of insidious and indirec taXatlOn VlSlCed upon them by our preSen rate of tariff duties with indifference, if no | with favor.
 | After further ference to the tariff ques tion the President says:
 "We fully appreciate the importance tc the country of our domestic industrial ell terprisas. In the rectifcation of existing | wrongs their maintenance and prosperity should be carefully and in a friendly spirit considered Even such re lance upon pres cnt revenue arrangements as have been in vited or encouraged should be fairly and justly regarded Abrupt and radica changes which might endanger such enter prises, and iniuriously affect the interests of continuance, are not contemplated or in tended. But we know the cost of our do nestle manufactured products is incre ased and their price to the consumer enhanced by