The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1888-09-19

lowing Is HARRISON letter aecepllnS
the Republican Presidential nomina'
ton:
W. INDIANAPOLIS, Ind, Sept. IL.
Hon. MN. EStee and others, CON-
Wittee. ....,... i.
GaNTLEMEN:-When your commit
tee visited me on the fourth Of July
last and presented official announce
ment Of my nomination for Presis
dent Of the United States by the Res
publican convention | promised as
soon as practicable to communicate
10 you more formal acceptance of
the nomination. Since that time the
work Of receiving and addressing al
most daily large delegations of my
fellow citizens has not only occupied
all of my time but has in some
measure rendered it unnecessary for
me to use this letter as q medium of
communicating to the public my
views on the questions involved in
the campaign. ! appreciate very
highly the confidence and respect
manifested by the convention and
accept the nomination with feel
ing Of gratitude and full sense OF the
responsibility which accompany it.
1t is a matter of congratulation that
the declarations of the Chicago con.
yettion upon the questions that now
attract the interest of our people are
so clear and emphatic. There is fur
ther cause of congratulation in
the fact that the Convention utter.
ances Of the Democratic party, il in
any degree uncertain or contradie.
tory can now be judged and inter-
preted by executive acts and MESA.
ges and by definite propositions in
legislation. This ia especially true
Of what is popularity known as the
tariff question. This issue cannot
nos be obscured. 1t is rot contest
between schedules, but between wide
apart principles. The foreign com.
petitions Of our market have, with
quick instinct, seen how one issue Of
this contest may bring them advant'
age, and our own people are not Sc
dnll as to neglect the grave Interests
that are involved, for their assault
upon our protection system is oper
and defiant. Protection is assaulted
as unconstitutional in law or SIS yiciou,
in principal, and those who hold such
views sincerely cannot stop short o.
an absolute elimination from oul
tariff laws of the principle of protec
ton.
The Mills bill is only ste", but i
is toward an object that the leader
Of Democratic thought and legisla
ton have clearly in mind. The i'm
portant question is not so much tn
length Of the step as the direction o
1t. Judging by the Executive me.
sage Of December last, by the Mill
bill, by debates in Congress and b,
the st. Louis platform, the Demo
cratic party will, IL supported by tn,
country, place the tariff laws upon
purely revenue basis. THIS il prac
teal free trade in the English sense
The legend upon the banner ma,
not De "free trade" II may b.i
more obs ure motto-"tariff reform
but neither the tanner nor the in
scription are very important.
Those who teach that the impor
duty upon foreign goods sold in on
market is paid by the consumer, an,
that the price OF domestic conpe
ting articles is inhanced TO III
amount Of duty on imported articles
that every million OF dollars collectet
from customs duties representing
many millions more which do no
reach the Treasury, bat are paid b,
our citizens As the increased cost o
domestic productions resulting fron
the tariE lave, may not intend 10 dis
credit in the minds Of others on
system Of leyying duties on compe
ting foreign products, but ii Il clear
ly already discredited in their own
We cannot doubt, without i'm
pa .nIDg their integrity, that ii fire.
10 act upon their convictions they
would 20 revise oar laws as 10 lay III,
burden Of customs revenue on aiti.
ties that are not produced in thi,
country and 70 place upon the frst
list all competing foreign products
j do not stop 70 reinte this theory a.
70 the effect . Of our tariff duties
Those who advance II are student.
Of maxim and not Of markets. They
may be allowed ~ call their proiec,
tariff reform" IL the people under.
stand that. In the end the arpu.
ment cOmpels free trade in all com.
peting products. THIS taJ may nc,
be reached . ruptIy, and it, a.
proach may tie accompanied with
some expressions Of sympathy for our
protected industries and our working
people, but IL will certainly come Il
these early steps do not arouse III.
people 20 effective resistance. Tho
Republican party holds that q pro.
tee;iVe tariff is constitutional, whole.
some and necessary. We do not Of,