Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1888-10-19
Allen G. Thurman's Letter Of Ao'
ceptanoe.

columbus, ONO, OCt. IL, 1905
Hon. Patrick A. Collins and Other!
Committee-Gentlemen: In ODE
dience to custom | send you this for
NAL letter of acceptance of my nomi
nation for the Office of Vice Presiden
ofthe United States, made by tn
National Convention of the Demo
cratic party at st Louis.
When you did me the honor to cal
upon me at Columbus and official,
notify me ofmy nomination, expires
sed to you my sense of obligation Il
the convention, and stated that al
though l had not sought the nomina
ton did not feel at liberty, under
the circumstances, to decline it.
thought then, as | still think, tha
whatever l could properly do to pro
mote the reelection of President
Cleveland ought to do. His Ad.
ministration has been marked with
such integrity, good sense, manly
courage and exalted patriotism, that
Just appreciation of the high quail
tiles seems to call for his reelection.
/ am strongly impressed with the
belief that his reelection would pow
erfully tend to strengthen that feel
ing of fraternity among the American
people, that is so essential 10 their
welfare, peace and happiness, and to
the perpetuity of the Union and of
our free institutions.
approve the platform Of the St.
Louis convention, and / can not too
strongly express my dissent from the
heretical teachings of the monopolists
that the welfare of people can be
promoted by system of exorbitant
taxation, far in excess of the wants
of the Government.
The idea that a people can be en-
riched by heavy and unnecessary tax
alton, that 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
Government has no legitimate use,
and TO thereby deprive the people of
currency needed for their. BUSINESS
and daily wants and to create pow
crful and dangerous stimulus to ex-
travagance and corruption in the ex-
penditures of the Government, seem
to me to be policy at variance with
every sound principle of government
and of political economy.
The necessity of reducing taxation
to prevent such an accumulation of
surplus revenue and the consequent
depletion of the circulating medium
is so apparent that no party dares to
deny it; but when we come to con-
slider the modes by which the reduc-
ton may be made, we find wide an
tagonism between our party and the
monopolistic leaders of our political
opponents.
We seek to reduce taxes upon the
necessaries of life our opponents seek
to increase them. We say, give TO the
masses of the people cheap and good |
clothing, cheap blankets, cheap tools,
and cheap lumber. The Republicans,
by their platform and their leaders
in the Senate by their proposed bill,
say, increase the taxes on clothing
and blankets and thereby decrease
their cost; maintain high duty on
the tools of the farmer and mechanic |
aud upon the lumber which they
need for the construction of their
modest dwellings, shops and barns,
and thereby prevent their obtaining
these necessaries at reasonable prices. |
Can any sensible man doubt as to
where he would stand in this controv-
ersy? Can any well-informed man
be deicved by the false pretenses
that system so unreasonable and |
unjust is for the benefit of laboring
men.
Much is said about competition of
laborers with the pau
per labor of Europe; but does not
every man who looks around him
see aud know that an immense maj
GRITTY of the laborers in America are
not engaged in what are called the
protected industries? Aud as to
those who are employed in such in
dustries, is it not undeniable that the
duties proposed by the Democratic
''NonhiN buiiSh bAN Nllllb Dllly lul ga
coed the difference between American
and European wages, aud therefore,
If it were admitted that our working
men can be protected by tariffs
against cheap labor, they would be
fully protected and more than protec.
ed by that bill.
Does not every well-informed man
know that the increase in the price
)f home manufactures produced by
high tariff, does not go into the
pockets of the laboring men, but only
ends TO swell the pockets of others?
Itseems to me if the policy of the
Democratic party is plainly present
ID, all must understand that 1--we seek
o make tho cost of living less, and at
he same time increse the share of the
aboring man in the benefit of nation
j prosperity and growth. | am very
especially your obedient servant,
ALLEN G. THURMAN.