Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1888-09-21
liARRIsoN,s LETTER.

plus, Immigration and Other Topics.
1NDIANAPoLIs, Ind, Sept. 12 -Followin
Is General Harrlson's letter of acceptance
"HoH, NJ H. Estes and Others, Committee, ett
-GESTLEMsni When your committee visitc
mo on tho ith OF July last and presented thu
ofIlcial announcement OF my nomination 70
tho Pre- sidcncy OF tho United States by the re
publican convention l promised rs soon n
practicable to communicate TO you u NOR
formal acceptance OF tho nomination. Sine
that time the work OF receiving and address
ing, almost daily, large delegations OF my fel
lOw.citizons has not only occupied oil OF my
time but has In some measure rendered IL un
necessary for mo TO use this letter rs q medium
Of communicating to the public my vlows OF
the questions involved in the campaign.
HE ACCEPTS.
~ appreciate very highly the confidence ant
respect manifested by the convention, and nc
cept tho nomination with feeling OF gratitude
and fun sense OF the responsibilities whicl
accompany It,
at is n matter OF congratulaton that the
declarations of the Chicago convention upor
the quest ons that now attract tho interest o
our people are so clear and emphatic. There
is further cause OF conRratulaton In the fac
thnt the convention uttCrancos of the Demo
cratic party, II in any degree uncortain or con
Trajectory, can now be judged and interpreted
by Executive acts and messages and definite
propositions in legislation.
THE TARIFF.
"This is especially true OF what Is popularity
known as the tariiI question. The issue can
not now bo obscurcd. II Is not u contest be.
tween schedules, but between wide apart prin.
clples. The foreign competitors for our innr.
ket have, with quick instinct, seen how one
issue OF this contest may bring them ud.
vantage, and Our own people arc not so dull ns
to miss or neglect the grave interests that are
involved for them. The assault upon our pro.
tectivc system Is open and defiant. Protection
Is assailed us unconstitutional in law, or ns
vicious in principle, and those who hold such
views sincerely can not stop short of an abso.
Lutte elimination from our tarin laws Of the
principle OF protection. Tho Mills bill
sc, HAT 'tSe Se 0S y Is aG S
thought nnd legislation have clearly in
mind. The important question is not so much
the length OF the stcp as the direction OF 1t.
Judged by the Executive message of December
last, by tho Mills blu, by tho debates in Con.
grcss and by the St Louis platform, the Dem.
ocrntic party VIII, II supported by the country,
place the tariI laws upon purely revenue
basis. This is practical free trnde-frce trade in
the English sense The legend upon the ban
more obscure motto, Tariff Rcform;' but
neither the banner nor the inscr pton is con.
elusive, or indeed, very important The as.
sault itself is the importunt fact,
"Thoso who teach that the import duty upon
foreign goods sold In our market is paid by the
consumer, ana that tho price OF the compo,'
ing domestic article is enhanced TO the
amount OF the duty on the imported article
that every million of dollars collected for GUS
toms duties represents many millions more
which do not reach the Treasury, but are paid
by our citizens rs the increased cost OF domes-
tic productions resulting from the tarifI laws
may not tond TO dlscredit in the minds OF
othors our system of lovying duties on compet-
ing foreign products, but 1t is clearly already
discrcdited In their own. We can not doubt,
without impunglng their integrity, that IL free
10 act upon their convictions, they would so
rcvise our laws rs 10 lay the burden of the
customs revenue upon art clcs that are not
produced in this country and TO place upon the
frpn q n HnD intrf flrnf nftvn,
II do not stop TO rctuto this theory us to the
effect of our tariff duties Those who advance
Il are students Of maxims and not of the mar
kcts. They may be safely allowed 10 call their
project Tariff Reform IL the people under
stand that in the end the argument compcls free
trade in all competing products. This end NAV
not be reached abruptly, and its approach may
be accompnn ell with some expression OF sym.
pathy for our protected industries and our
worliing people, but it will certainly come II
these early steps do not arouse the people TO
elective resistance.
PROTECTION A NECESSITY.
"Thc Republican party holds that protect.
I've tnrin is constitutional, wholesome and
necessary. We do not offer a schedule, but
principle. We will revise the schedule mod
ify rates, but always with an intelligent pre-.
Wis on MS to the eject upon domestic pro-
duction and the wages OF our working people.
We believe 1t TO be one OF the worthy objeots
OF tariu legislation to preserve the American
market for American producers, and TO main
tain the American scale OF wages by adequate.
discriminating duties upon foreign competing
products. The effcct of lower rates and larger
importations upon the public revenue is con.
tingent and doubtful. but not so the effect upon
American production and American wages
Less work and lower wages must be accepted rs
the inevitable result OF the increased Offering
of foreign goods in our market. BY way of rec
omI ense for this reduction in his wages. and
the loss OF The American market, IL IS suggest
cd that the diminished wages of the working
man viii have nn undim inished lurchas ng
power, ana that he Will be able TO make uD for
the loss OF the home market by an enlarged
foreign market. Our working-men have the
settlement of tue question in their own hands
They now OBJ ain higher wages and live more
than those OF any other country.
They will make choice between the substantial
advantages they have in hand md the decept.
i've promises and forecasts OF these thcorizing
reformers- They will decide for themselves
and for the country whether the protective sys-
tenn shall be continued or destroyed.
THE SURPLUS.
The fact of n Treasury surplus, tho amount
OF which is ynriously stated, has directed pub
by which the National income may best be re-
duced TO the level of wise and necessary eX-
penditure. This condition has been seized
upon by those who are hostile to protective
custom dut es rs an advantageous base of at
tack upon our tariff laws. They have maEni-
fled and nursed the surplus, which they affect
TO doprecate, seemingly for the purpose of ex.
the evil in order to reconcile the
people TO the extreme remedy they propose. a
proper reduction OF the revenues does not
Eecessitate, and should not suggest, the
or impairment of the protective
system. The methods suggested by our con-
vention will not need to bo exhausted in order TO
effect the necessary reduction. we are not
likely 10 be called upon, / think 10 make q
present choice between the protective system
and CT re repeal OF the internal taxes. Such
n contingency, in view Of the present relut on
OF expenditures to revenues, is remote. The
inspection and regulation of the sale of oleo-
margarine is important, and the revenue de-
rived from II is not SO great that the repeal OF
the law need enter into any plan of revenue
duction; The surplus now in the Treasury
should be used In the purchase OF bonds. The
law authorizes this use OF 1t, and tits not need
ed for current or deficiency appropriations,
the people. aud not the banks In which IL has
been deposited, should have the advantage of its
use by stopping interest upon the public debt.
AT lenSt, those who needlcssly hoard IL should
!, not j, be allowed to uso the fear of monetary
sentiment upon other questions.
CONTRACT LABOR.
"Closely connected with the subject OF the
tariG is that OF the importation of foreign
under contracts OF service to be per-
formed here. The law now in force prohibit
ing such contracts received my cordial sup
nort in the Senate, and such amendments ns
may be found necessary effectively to deliver
our working-men and women from this most in
equitable form OF competition will have my sim
cere advocacy. Legislation prohibiting the
importation OF lnhorcrs under contracts to serve
here Will, however, afford very inadequate re-
lief TO our working people II the system OF pro-
tective duties is broken down. II the products
of American shops must compete in tho Amori-
can market, without favoring duties, with the
products of cheap foreign labor, the effect will
be different, II at all, only In degree, whether
the cheap lnborer is across tho street or over
the sea. Such competition will soon reduce
wages here TO the level OF those ahr0nd, and
when that condition is reached We " II not need
any laws forbidding .he importation OF laborers
under contract-thcy Will have no inducement
10 come and tho employer no inducement to
send for them.
THE IMMIGRATION PROBLEM.
I'm the earlier years OF our history public
agencies TO promote immigration were com
mon. The pioneer wanted q neighbor with
more friendly instincts than the Indian. Labor
was scarce and fully employed. But the day
of The immigration bureau has gone by. While
our doors Will continue open TO proper immi-
grafton, VIC do not need TO issue special invita-
tons to the inhabitants OF other countries TO
come 10 our shores or share our cit zenship.
Indeed, the necessity of some inspection and
Limitation is obvious. We should res
olutcly refuse to permit foreign Govern-
ments to send their paupors and Grim
innls to our ports. We arc also
clearly under duty TO defend our civilization
by cNclud ng alien races whose ultimate assim
ilatlon with our people is neither possible nor
desirable. The family has been the nucleus OF
our best immigration and the home the most