The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1888-09-20
HARRISON ACCEPTS.
In His Letter He States His Own Posi-
tion and that Of the Republican
Party, in the Times Of the
10th.

ing ia Gen. II arrison's letter OF acceptance
Hon NJ NJ Esree and Others. Commit
tee-Gentlemen: When your committee
wished me on the Fourth of July last,
and presented the official announce
mens of my nomination for the presi-
dency of the United States by the Re-
publican convention. 1 promised as soon a.
practicable to communicate to you more
formal accepts nce of the nomination. Since
tina: time the work Of receiving and address,
ing. almost daily, large delegations OF my
fellow citizens has not only occupied all OF
my time, but has in some measure rendered
1t unu ecessaiy fer me 10 use this letter rs .
medium Of communicating to the public my
views upon the questions involved in the
campaign appreciate very high y the con-
fidence and respect manifested by the con-
venlion, and accept the nomination with q
feeling of gratitude aud full sense Of the
responsibilities which accompany it
1t is q matter of congratulation that
the declarations Of the Chicago con-
vention upon the questions that now
attract the interest Of our people are SO clear
and emphatic. There is further cause OF
congratulation in the fact that the conven-
ton utterances of the Democratic party, If
in anv degree uncertain or contradictory,
can now be judged and interpreted by ex-
ecutive acts and messages, and by definite
propositions in legislation. This is especially
true of what is populariy known as the tariff
question. The issue cannot now be OBJ
scured 1t Is not 3 contest betw cen sched-
ules, but between wide-apsrt principles
The foreign competitors Of our market have.
with quick instinct, seen how one issue Of
this contest may bring them advantage. and
our own people are not SO dull Ms to miss or
neglect the grave interests that are involved
for them. The assault upon our protective
system is open and defiant Protection is
ASA led as unconstitutional In law, or AZ
vicious In principle, aud those who hold such
views sincerely cannot stop short of an elm
ination from our tariff laws of the prin-
ciple of protection. The Mills bill Is only q
step. but it is toward an object that the lead
ers of Democratic thought and legislation
have clearly in mind
THE IMPORTANT QUESTION
is not SO much the length Of the step as the
direction Of it Judged by tie executive mes
sage of December last, by the Mills bill, by
the debates in congress and by the st. Louis
platform, the Democratic party will, il sup
ported by the country, play the tariff laws
upon purely revenue basis. This Is prac-
tically free ,rsee-free trade in the English
sense. The legend unon the banner may not
lie Free Trade" it may be the more obscure
motto, sTaiiff Reform" hut neither the ban
.ier nor the inscription Is conclusive. or, in.
deed very important The assault Itself Is the
impor tant fact. Those who teach that the
import duty upon foreign goods sold In our
a 49, h. aud hat he
price of the domestic competing article is en-
HANGED to the amount of the duty on I'm
ported articles-that every million Of dol
lars collected for customs duties
represents many millions more which
do not reach the treasury, but are
paid by our citizens as the in
creased cost Ct domestic productions result
ing from the tariff laws-may not intend to
tiscredit in the minds Of others our system
Of levying duties on competing foreign
products, but it is clearly already discredited
in their own. We cannot doubt, without
impugn ming their integrity. that if free to act
upon their own convictions. they would 30
re Use our laws as to lay the burden Of the
customs revenue upon articles that are not
produced in this country and to D'acs upon
the Fl ee list all competing foreign products
do not stop to refu.e this theory as to The
effect of our tariff duties Those who cd
vance i, are students of maxiIns and not OF
the markets They may bo safely allowed
to call their project tariff reform Il the
people understand that in the end the a-gu-
ment conpels free trade IN all competing
products This end may not be reached ab-
ruptiy. and its approach may be accom-
panied with some expressions OF sympathy
for eur protected industries and our working
people. but it will certainly come it these
earIy stems do not aro1ae the people 10
effective resistance.
NOT SCHEDULE, BUT PRINCIPLE.
The Republican party holds that bro.
tecttye tariff is constitutional. wholesome
and necessary we do not offer q fixed seized
ule. but a principle. We will revise tbs
schedule. modify rates, hnt always with M
Intelligent provision as to the effect upor
domestic production and the wages OF oul
working people. We believe it to re one Of
the worthy objects of tariff legislation t.
preserve the American market for American
producers, and to maintain the American
sca:e OF wages, by adequate. DISCRIMINATING
duties upon foreign competing products
The effect of lower rates and larger tmpoFta
lions upon the public revenue 10 c0nstngeR
and doubtful, but not SO the eftec
uron Aner.can production and American
waoes Less work and lower wages must d
accepted az the inevitable result OF the In
creased Offering Of foreign goods in our m ar
kst Iyway OF recompense for this reduc
ton in his wages, aud the loss OF the Ameri
can market. It .s suggested that the dimin
ished wages of the working man will hav'
an undiminished purchasing power. mt
that he will be able TO make up for the los
of the home market bv an enlarged foreigl
market Our workingmen have the settle
ment Of the question in their own hands
They now obtain higher wages and live NOR
comfortably than those of any other coun
try. They will make choice between tn
substantial advantages they have In bag!
and the deceptive promises and forecasts o
those thoriznS politicians They will decid
for themselves and for the country whethe
the protective ~ stem ehall be continued %
destroyed The feet of
A TREASURY SURPLUS.
the amount of which is variously stated. he
directed pu. lie attention to a consideration
of the methods by which the national incom
muv hest be reduced to a level Of q wise AM
necessary expenditure This consideration
hos been seized upon by those who are hos
tile to protective custom duties az An advan
tageous base of attack upon our tariff law
They have magnified and nursed the surpluf
which they affect to deprecate, seeminel
for the purpose OF exaggeratlng the evil Il
order to reconcile the people to the extrem
remedy they propose. 4 prSpsr reduction
of the revenue does not necessttats On
should not suggest the abandonment ~ IN
psirment of the protective system Tn
methods suggested by our convention vii
not need to be exhausted in order to effec
the necessary reduction. We arg not hkel
to be called upon. think, to make fsesen
cnoice between tho surrender OF on
protective system and the entire repeal
lie internal taxes Such q contingency. 4
view of the present relation OF expenditure
TO revenues. 10 remote. The inspection an
regulation of the manufacture OF oleoEai
garine is portaut. and the revenge derives
from it is not 80 great that the repeai ct th
law need enter into any plan Of revenue re
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