The Republican journal., 1888-09-20

The following is General lIarrison's letter
accepting the Republican Presidential nomina
tion:
lNDIANAPoLIs, Ind. Sept. II
Ho". ". H. Estec and others, Comniuee
Gentiemen-When your committee visited
me on the 4th of july last, and presented the
official announcement of my nomination fol
the Presidency of the United States by the Re
publican Convention, promised as soon a,
pracllrabe to communicate to you more
formal acceptance OF the 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 it unnece>.
sary for me to use this letter as a medium Of
communicating TO the public my views upon
the questions involved in the campaign.
| appreciate very highly the confidence and
respect manifested by the convention, and ac-
ccpi the nomination with feeling of gratitude
and i full sense Of the responsibility which
are"mpany il.
THE ISSUE CLEARLY STATED.
1t i a matter of congratuation that the
declarations of the Chicago Convention upon
The questions that now attract the interest OF
our people are 50 clear and emphatic. There
i further cause of congratulation in the fact
that the convention utteranceS OF the Demo
cratic party. if any degree uncertain or con-
Trajectory. can now be judged and interpreted
by Executive acts and messages and by definite
propositions in legislation. This is especially
true "f what is popularity known as the tariff
question. The issue cannot now be obscuredi.
1t Is not contest between schedules, but be-
tween wde-apart principles. The foreign COM
pctltorS of onr market have with quick instinct
seen h1W one issue Of this contest NAV bring
them advantage. and our own people are not
so dull as to miss or neglect the grave interests
that are involved for them.
Az As>MLl rroN ORR PROTECTIVE SYSTEM.
The assault upon our protective system is
olen and defiant Protection is assaulted as I'M
constitutions, i'll law, as vicious in principle.
and those Who hold such views sincerely cam
not stop short Of an absolute elimination from
cur tariff laws Of the principle of protection.
lie MlI'> bill is only step. but it is toward an
Object that the leaders of Democratic thought
and legislation have clearly in mind The inl-
portant question is not much the length Of
the step us the direction Of it.
PRACTICAL iesEE TRADE.
judged by the Executive message Of Dcccm-
her la>l. hy the Mills bill, by the debates III Con-
sre>> and hy the st. Louis platform. the Demo-
cratic party will. if supported by the country,
place the tariff laws upon q purely revenue
ha>i> This is practical free tradc-trec trade
IL the English sense. The legend upon the
banner may not be free trale;" il may be the
more obscure motto "taritl REFORM but neitE-
er the banner nor the inscription is conclusive.
or, indeed, Very important. The assault itself
is the important fact. Those who teach that
the import dGty upon foreign goods sold in our
market is paid by the consumer, and that the
price Of the domestic competing article 4 en-
hanced to the amount of the duty on imported
articles: that every million Of dollars collected
for customs duties represents many millions
more which 10 not reach the Treasury. bat are
Paid by cur citizens As the increased cost of
domestic productions resulting from the tariff
! ~ 1,
ol others our system Of lcNving duties on com
reting foreign products, but il is clearly already
d>crrdtcl iii their own. We cannot doubt.
without imlu-nng their integrity. that If free
10 act upon their convictions they would re-
VS. our laws as to lay the burden of the Gus
toms revenue upon articles that are not pro-
duccd in this country, and to place upon the
free lis: all competing foreign products. do
not care to stop to refutc this theory as to tie
effect on our tariff duties. Those who advance
it are students Of maNimS ard not Of the mar
kctS. They may be safely allowed to call their
project ''tarf reform" if the people under
stand that in the end the argument compcls
free trade in all competing products. This end
may not he reached abruptly. and its approach
may be accompanied with some expressions of
sympathy for or protected industries and our
working people. but it Will certainly come if
these early steps do net arouse the people to
effective resistance.
lfff G''Nfli liN'N VII LIE if1't EIltSN 1ARl l :.
The Republican party holds that a protective
tariff is constitutional. wholesome and ncces-
aary We do not offer a fixed schedule, but a
principle. We will revise the schedule, modify
ii, but always with an intelligent provision as
TO the effect upon domestic production and the
wages Of our working people We believe it
to lie one of the worthy objects of tariff le.iSla-
tion to preserve the American market for
American producers and to maintain tie
American scale of wages by adequate dis
Vrilninatin@ duties upon foreign competing
products.
EFFECT on THE WAGE WORKERS.
he effect Of lower rates and larger mporta-
tiuus upon the public revenue is contingent
and doubtful. but not so tlie effect upon Ameri-
cas- production and American wages. Less
work and lower wages must be accepted a> the
inevitable result Of the increased offerin. of
foreign @ooi> in our market. BY way of rec
onnl'cnsr for this reduction in his WAGES, and
The los Gf The Anne flcan market. II is suggest
ed that the diminished wages of the working
man viii have an undimini>hcd purchasing
power. AMI ihlt he viii be able to make up for
The los Of The home market by an enlarged
foreign market
our Morkn-ncn have the settlement of the
question III their own hands. They now obtain
higher wages and live more comfortably than
those ~ any other country. They will make
choice between the substantial advantages they
have in hand and the deceptive promises and
forecasts of those thcorizing rcformer>. They
W,il decide for Themselves and-for the country
whether The protective system shall be con-
iinuci or destroyed.
IHE SURPLUS rEnBIEN.
The ftci " Treasury surplus. the amount
uf which j. Naruu,ly stated. has directed pub
.ir attention u consideration of The methods
~ which thc national income may best hc re-
hGc. 4 10 the lcNcl Of wise and necessary eX-
'IIi.