The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1888-09-14
Harrison $ Position.
He Stands Squarely on the Re.
publican Platform.
LETTER OF ACCEPTANCE IN FULL.

Would Do with the Surpfus-The I'M
migration Question Discussed-A Word
ON the Subject Of a Fair Count-Opposed
to Trusts-Civil Service Reform Favored
Our Foreign Relations.
letter Of acceptance was given to the press
last night. 1t is addressed to the Hon. M. M.
Estee and others, committee, etc, and is
given in full below:
GENTLEMEN: When your committee visited me
the Fourth of July Inst and presented the Off.
cal announcement OF my nomination for the
presidency of the United States by the Repub
ltcan convention, promised as soon as practical
bile to communicate TO you more formal accept
ance of tho nomination. Since that time the
work of receiving and addressing, almost daily,
large delegations Of my fellow-citizens has not
only occupied all of my time, but has In some
measure rendered IL unnecessary for me to use
this letter medium of communicating to the
public my views on the questions involved in this
campaign l appreciate very highly the conf
dence and respect manifested by the convention,
and accept the nomination with feeling of graf
tude and full sense of the responsibilities which
accompany it.
1t is matter of congratulation that the declar-
atoms Of the Chicago convention upon the ques-
tions that now attract the interest of our people
so clear and emphatic. There is further cause
OF congratuation In the fact that the convention
utterances OF the Democratic party, IL In any de-
gree uncertain or contradictory, can now DO
judged and Interpreted by executive acts and
messages and by definite propositions in legisla-
ton.
This is especially true Of what is popularity
known as the tariff question. The issue can not
be obscured. 1t is not contest between
schedules, but between wide apart principles.
The foreign competitors for our market have.
with quick instinct, seen how one issue OF this con-
test may bring them advantages, and our own
people are not so dull 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 unconstitu-
tional in law vicious In principle. and those
who hold such views sincerely can not stop short
OF en- absolute elimination from our tariff laws OF
the principle OF protection. The Mills bill is only
n STEP but IL is toward object that the leaders
Of Democratic though and legislation have clearly
IN mind. The important question is not so much
the length OF the step the direction of 1t.
Judged by the executive message of December
last, by the Mills bill, by the debates In congress,
and by the st. Louis platform, the Democratic
party will, IL supported by the country,
place the tariff laws upon a purely reve-
nue. basis. This practical Fl GO trade-free trade
in the English sense The legend upon the ban
ner may not be Free Trade"-it may be the more
obscure motto Tariff Reform;" but neither the
banner nor the inscription is concl. i've, or, in
deed, very important. The assault. itself is the
important fact
Those who teach that the import duty upon for
eigu goods sold in our market is paid by the con-
sumner, and that the price Of the domestic COM
peting article IS enhanced to the amount of the
duty on the imported article; that every million
dollars collected for customs duties represents
many millions more which do not reach the treas
ury but are paid by our citizens as the increased
cost of domestic productions resulting fiom the
tariff laws, may not intend TO discredit in the
minds OF others our system OF levying uties on
competing foreign products but 1t is clearly al
ready discredited In their own. We not
doubt without impugning their integrity, that IL
free to act upon their convictions they would
revise our laws as to lay the burden Of the GUS
toms revenue upon articles that are not produced
in this country and to place upon the free list all
competing foreign products.
do not stop TO refute this theory as to the eff
feet of our tariff duties. Those who advance it
are students of maxims and not of the markets.
They mny be safely allowed to call their project
tariff REFORM il the people understand that in
the end the argument compels free trade In all
competing products. This end may not be
reached abruptly, and its approach may be nc
companied with some expressions Of sympathy
for our protected industries and our working peo-
pe but 1t will certainly come IL these early steps
do not arouse the people to effective resistance.
The Republican party holds that a protective
tariff Is constitutional, wholesome and necessary.
We do not offer fixed schedule, but principle.
We will revise the schedule modify rates. but al.
ways with intelligent provision TO the effect
upon domestic production and the wages of our
working people. We believe it to he one of the
worthy objects of tariff legislation to preserve the
American market for American producers, and to
maintain the American scale OF wages by ade-
quate discriminating duties upon foreign Compel
ing products. The effect of lower rates and larg-
er importations upon the public revenue IL con.
n n NJ m hlf not IN iha off
American production and American wages. Less
work and lower wages must be accepted as the
inevitable result of the increased Offering of for
eign goods In our market.
By way OF recompense for this reduction in the
wages and the loss Of the Americ n market It is
suggested that the diminished wages OF the work.
ingman will have undimnished purchasing
power, aud that he will be able to make UP for
the loss OF the homo market by an enlarged for
eign market. Our workinSmen have the settle
ment of the question in their own hands Thew
now obtain higher wages and live more comfort
ably then those of any other country. They will
make choice between the substantial advantages
they have In hand and the deceptive promises
and forecasts of these theorixng reformers.
They will decide for themselves and for the coun-
try whether the protective system shall be con-
tinued or destroyed
The fact of q treasury surplus, the amount of
which is variousy stated. has directed public at
tention to consideration of the methods by
which the national income may best be reduced
TO the level OF q wise and necessary expenditure
This condition has been seized upon by those who
are hostile to protective customs duties as an ad-
vantageous base attack upon our tariff laws
They have magni1ed and nursed the surplus
which they affect to deprecate. seemingly for the
purposes of exaggerating the evil in order to rec
oncie the people to the extreme remedy they
propose. proper reduction OF the revenues does
rot necessitatc, and should not suggest the aban.
donment or impairment OF the protective system.
The methods suggested by our convention will not
need to he exhausted in order to effect the neces
saary reduction. We are not likely to be called
upon, think to make present choice between
the surrender Of the protective system and the
entire repeal Of the internal taxes. Such a con-
tingency, In view Of the present relation of ex.
penditures to revenue, is remote The inspection
and Regulation Of the manufacture and sale OF
oleomargarine Is important, and the revenue de-
rived from IL Is not great that the repeal OF the
law need enter into any plan Of revenue reduc
ton. The surplus now In the treasury should be
used in the purchase OF bonds. The law author.
lies this use of It, and IL its not needed for cur
rent or deficiency appropriations, the people, and
not the banks In which Il has been deposited
should have the advantage OF its use by stopping
interest upon tho public debt. At least those who
ucedlcsslv hoard ft should not be- allowed To use