New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-09-12
GENERAL H4RRISONS LETTER.

General harrison mas never UGH d scHnd-
tional figure in our politics. Even in high
public station he has been self-cOntained, dig
nifed, unassuming, and so has attracted
smaller share of public attention than many
men conspicuOusly his interiors, both in natural
ability and the qualification of craftsmanship.
A large proportion of the people of the country
were made well acquainted with the full meas
ure of his powers for the first time by the re-
markable series of his speeches. beginning i'm
mediaey upon his nomination, and continuing
almost daily until now. The general admlra-
ton which these evoked will be intensified by
the strong, terse, epgrammatic letter OF ac-
ceptance which we lay before our readers to-
day.
This letter will take high place in the liter
allure of our politics. 1t is in such effective
contrast to the dull, labOred verbose and ego
tistical letter of the Democratic candidate
that it seems almost unllnd on the part of Cen
eral Harrison to bring them before the people
in close juxtapositiOn. 1t is courageous, frank,
simple and unaffected. Many of its phrases
pierce the Democratic armor like swOrd-t hrusts
1t is a letter that will make votes.
Recognizing the tariff as the chief, though
not the only, question before the people, Cen
era Harrison states the issue with striking
clearness, sweeping away as with a breath the
cloud of sophisms and false pretences with
which Mr.. Cleveland endeavorcd to surround
it, Many of these sentences will become cam
paign watchwords. at is not contest be-
tween schedules" he says "but between wide
apart principles" He admits that " the Mills
bill is only step" but he says, with quiet
force, "the important question is not so much
the length Of the step as the direction of It,"
That step, he shows, is toward Free Trade in
the English sense" which phrase alone sums
up the hypocrisy Of the Democracy, who are al
ways whining that they must not be called
Free Traders because they do not favor the
abolition Of custom houses, and would blind
voters to the fact that the policy they would
now enter upon is what is understood by all
mankind as free-trade policy. He admirably
characterizes the amateur political economists
of the free trade school as " students Of maXims
and not Of the markets." At the same time he
disposes, in one sentence, Of the Democratic
contention that because the Republican party
ressts attacks upon the protective system, it
is therefore bound to maintain the present
tariff in every detail 1--WE do not offer a
fixed schedule" he says, but a principle" In
dealing with the question Of immigration he
reminds the workingmen that if they vote
away the protective tariff they need hardly
concern themselves with laws restricting i'm
migration, for it will make little difference
" whether the cheap labOrer is across the street
or over the sea" Nothing in the letter is
better than the dignity with which the dema-
gogue cry Of " free whiskey' is dismissed.
There are other questions, however, than the
tariff, and General Harr son treats them with
the same candor ard directness. He gives
prominence to the suppression Of the colored
vote in the SOuth-a topic upon which the let
ter Of the Democratic candidate displayed
canting hypocrisy, not to be contemplated with
patience, seeing that the fact Of that suppress
sion is admitted not only in private, but in
public by many leaders of the party. General
Harrison speaks positively upon trusts, as the
Chicago platform did, and especially OF the
sufferings Of labor when the mill is paid not
to work, but the workingman is not. Upon
the exclusion Of Territories which have grown
to the stature Of States, upon Civil Service re-
form, Chinese Immigration Pensions Tenn
perance, the Fisheries, and other topics, his
views are concisely stated. The allusion to
the muddle the Administration has made Of the
controversy with Canada is as dignifed as it
is severe.
The letter is worthy of the leader Of a great
party, and demonstrates his fitness for the
Presidency as well as the public need that the
principles he represents shall prevail. 1t is the
letter of a good fighter