San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1888-11-01
Judge Thurman's Letter OF Acceptance,

Juuge IuuTuiuhs fttcT VI AcccptuhCo
COLUMBUS, O., October 14-Judg,
Thurman's letter Of acceptance wal
given to the press this e' ening. Th'
first draft of the letter was in tb,
Judges handwriting, and typewriter
copies showed only few changes il
punctuation from the original. Th'
letter is rs follows:
COLUMBUS, O., Oct. 12-Hon. Pat
rick A. Collins and Others, committee
gentlemen: In obedience to custom
l send you this formal acceptance o.
my nomination for the Office of vice
president of tho United States, made
by the national convention of the
democratic party at st. Louis. Wher
you did me the honor to call upon
me at Columbus and officially notify
me of my nomination, 1 expressed to
you my sense of obligation to the
convention and stated that although
I had not sought the nomination,
did not feel at liberty under the cir
cumstances to decline it, 1 thought
then as still think that whatever /
could properly do to promote the re-
election OF President Cleveland !
ought to do. His administration has
been marked by such integrity, good
sense, manly courage and exalted pa
triotism that just appreciation OF
these high qualities seem to call for
his reelection. I am also strongly
impressed with the belief that his re-
election would powerfully tend to
strengthen that feeling of fraternity
among the American people that is
SO essential to their welfare, peace
and happiness, and to the perpetuity
of the Union and of our free institu-
tions.
I Iapprove the platform of the st.
Louis convention, and 1 cannot too
strongly express my dissent from the
heretical teachings of monopolists
that the welfare of the people can be
promoted by q system of taxation far
in excess of the wants of the govern
ment. The idea that the people can
be enriched by heavy and unnecessa-
ry taxation; that q mans condition
can be improved 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 absurdity.
To fill the vaults of the treasury with
an idle surplus for which the govern
ment has no legitimate use, and TO
thereby deprive the people of the
currency needed for their business
and daily wants, and to create pow
erful and dangerous stimulus to ex-
travagance and corruption in the ex-
penditures of the government, seems
to me to be policy at variance with
every sound principle of government
and of political economy.
The necessity for reducing taxation
to prevent such an accumulation OF
surplus revenue aud consequent de.
pletion of circulating medium is so
apparent that no party dares to deny
it. But when we come to consider
the modes by which reduction may
be made, we find wide antagonism be-
tween our party and the monopolist
leaders of our political opponents.
We seek to reduce taxes upon the
necessaries OF life, our opponents
seek to increase them. We say give
the masses of the people cheap and
good clothing, cheap blankets, cheap
tools and cheap lumber; the republi-
cans by their proposed bill say in,
crease the taxes on clothing and
blankets and thereby increase their
cost; maintain high duty on tools
of the farmers and mechanics, and
upon the lumber which they need for
the construction of their modest
dwellings,, shops and barns and there
by prevent their obtaining their nec-
essaries at reasonable prices.
Can any sensible man doubt as to
where he should standin this contro-
versyY Can any well informed man
be deceived by the false pretense that
n system so unreasonable and unjust
is for the benefit of laboring men!
Much is said about the competition
OF American laborers with the pauper
labor of Europe, but does not every
man who looks around him see and
know that an immense majority OF
laborers in America are not engaged
in what are called protected indus
tries! and as to those who are en-
ployed in such industries, is it not
undeniable that the duties proposed
by the democratic measure called the
"Mills bill" far exceed the differences
between American and European
wages, and therefore, il it were ad-
mitted that our workingmen can be
protected by tariffs against cheaper
labor they would be fully protected,
and more than protected by that bill
Does not every well informed man
know that an increase in the price OF
home manufactures produced by
high tariff does not go into the pock-
cts of workingmen, but only tends
10 swell the profits OF Othersl IL
seems to me that il the policy Of the
democratic party is plainly presented
all must understand that we seek 10
make the cost Of living less and at
the same time increase the share OF
the laboriDg man in the benefits OF
national prosperity and gro With.
lam very respectfully your ODE
dent servant,
AILEx q. THURxAS.
Amelia Riyes Chanler has lost her