The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1888-09-22
HARR1soN's LETTER
Accepting the Nomination for Pres
ident of the United States.
Tho Tariff Defined ns Constitutional
Means of Protection. Whose object IL
to Preserve American Markets
for American Producers.


1xpfANA-oIIs 1Np.. September i1.-rhc fol.
lowing is General Hsrrison's lctter accepting
the Repub. .can Presidential o ninniion:
1nprATAro1rs. IND.. septcmbcr II. 1879.
Hon. M. n. ESTE and Others, Committee
Gentleman When your committed visited me
ON the 4th OF July last, md presented the oMcial
announcement of my ncmi nation for the Prcsi
doncy OF tho United States by tho Rspublcan
Oonvontion. I promised MS soon ms practicable
10 communicate to yoa more forrnnl accept
ance of the nomination. Since that time the
work ~ receiving and addressing, almost dnily,
large Legations Ct my fellows citizens. has not
only occupied all Of my time, but has In some
measure rendered 1t unnecessary for mo TO use
this letter rs q medium OF communicating to
the public my views upon the qucstions involved
In the campaign. appreciate very highly tho
confidence and respect manifested by the con-
vcntion md accept the nomination with n feel
ing of gratitude, md n full senso OF the rcspon-
sibilitics which accompany 1t.
1t is q matter OF congratuation that the de-
clarations OF the Chicago convention upon the
questions that now attract tho interest Of our
people nre so clear and emphatic. There 10 fur
ther cause for ccngratuation in the fact that
the convention utterunccs OF the Democratic
party, II In amy degree uncertain Or contradict
DRY, Gun now be judged and inter-
pretcd by Executive acts and
messages. ana by definite propositions
in legislation. This is especially true OF what
is popularly known rs tho Tariff question.
The issue can not now be obscured. 1t us not
n contest between schedules, but between
wido apart principles. The foreign compet-
itofs for our markets hnvo, with quick In
stinct, seen how one issue Of this contest may
bring them advantage, ana our own people
arc not go dull ae to miss or neglect the grave
interests hat are involved for them. The as
sault upon our protective system Is open nnd
defiant. Protection is assailed ms unconsti-
tutional in law or ns vicious In principle, nnd
those who hold such views sincerely can not
stop short OF an absolute elimination from our
tariff laws Of the principle, of projection. The
Mills bill IS only step but 1t is toward an OBJ
iect that the lenders OF Democratic thought
md legislation have clearly In mind. Tho I'M
portant question is not so much the length OF
tho step as the direction OF II, 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 the country, place the
tariff laws upon purely revenue basis. This
is practical free trnde-free trade In the Eng
fish sense. The legend upon the banner may
not be "E'ree Trade:" 1t may be the more OBJ
scure motto ''Tarifr Reform," But neither the
banner nor the inscription is conclusive. or, In
deed. very important. The assault itself is the
important fact.
Those who teach that the import duty upon
foreign goods sold in our market is paid by the
consumer, and that the price of tho domestic
competing article is enhanced to the amount OF
duty ON the imported article-that every million
dollars collected for customs duties represents
many millions more which do not reach the
Treasury, but are paid by our citizens as tho in
creased CO. of domestic productions resulting
from the tariff lnws-may not nteM to disoredit
in the minds Of others our system OF levying
duties on competing foreign products but 1t is
clearly already dscredited In their own. We
can not doubt, without impugning their nteg-
rity that II. FREQ to net uponstheir convictions
they would so revise our laws MS to lay the bur-
den OF the customs revenue upon articles that
are not produced in this country, and to place
upon the free list all competing foreign pro-
ducts.
do not stop to refute this theory rs to the
| effect OF our tariff duties. Those who advance
+! 1t are students OF maxims and not OF the mar
| lsets. They may safely be allowed to call their
project 'TariH Reforln,' II the people under
stand 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 accompanied with some expressions of
sympathy for our protected industries and our
working people, but 1t will certainly como, II
these early steps do not arouse tho people to
effective resistance.
Tho Republican party holds that q protective
tariff Is constitutional, wholesome and ncces-
snry. We do not offer q fixed schedule, but n
principle. We will revise tho schedule. modify
rates, but always with an intelligent provision
as to the effect upon domestic production and
the wages OF our working people. We believe
1t to be OF the worthy objects of tariff legis-
lation to preserve tho American market for
American producers. and to maintain tho Amer
| lean scale OF wages by adequate discriminating
duties upon foreign competing products.
The effect OF lower rates and larger irnporta-
| tions upon the public revenue is contingent and
| doubtful. but not so tho effect upon American
4 ,.rks1 n,I A~rxH Il
/ and lower wages must be accepted as the inev-
itable result OF the increased offering of foreign
| goods In our market. BY way Of recompense
l for this reduction in his wages and tho loss OF
| the American market, II is suggested that the
| diminished wages of the workingman will have
/ nm undiminshed purchasing power, and that
he will be able to make up for the loss OF the
| home market by an enlarged foreign market.
| Our workiugmen have the settlement OF the
| question in their own hands. They now obtain
higher wages and live more comfortably than
/ those OF any other country. They will mako
choice between the substantial advantages
| they have in hand and tho deceptive promises
md forecasts OF those theorizing rcformors.
| They will decide for themselves and for tho
| country whether ths protective system shall bo
continued or destroyed
The fact of n Treasury surplus, the amount OF
| which is vnrously stated, had directed public
attention to n consideration Of the methods by
duced to the level of a wise and necessary OK
pcnditure. This condition has been seized
| upon by those who hostile to pro etsct.ve GUS
| tom duties as IN advantageous base OF attack
\ upon our tariff laws They have magnined and
| nursed the surplus, which they affect to deprc-
| cate. seemingly for the purpose OF exaggerating
| the evil In order to reconcile this people TO the
| extreme remedy they propose. A proper re-
/ duction OF the revenues does not necessi-
| tate and should not suggest, the abondon-
| mont or impairment OF the protective sys-
| tenn. The methods suggested by our conven.
| tion will not need to be exhausted In order
| to effect the necessary reduction. We are not
| likely to be called upon, / think TO mako u
| present choice between the surrender OF the
| protective system and the entire repeal of the
| the present relation OF expenditures to reven
uos, is remote. The inspection and regulation
OF the manufacture and sale of electromagnetic arc
| important, and tho revenue derived from 1t Is
| not so great that the repeal OF the law need en-
| ter into any plan OF revenue reduction. Tho
! surplus now In the Treasury should be used In
| the purchase OF bonds The law authorzcs
this uso OF It, and II it is not needed for current
| or deficiency appropriations, tho people and
| not the banks In which II has been deposited
| should have the advantage Of its use by stop
| ping interest on tho public debt. At lens;
| those who needlessly hoard 1t should not be nj
| lowed to use the fenr OF monetary stringency
thus produced, to cocrce public sentiment upor
| other questions.
Closely connected with the subject Of thu
tariff is that OF the importation OF foreign Ia
1 borers under contracts OF service to bo per
formed hero. The law now In force prohibiting
such contracts received my cordial support II
| the Senate, and such amendments as may bs