Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1888-09-20
CLEVELAND'S LETTER
Accepting the Presidential Nomination.
Ills Position Clearly Defined

Matters OF Importance Touched Upon.
The following Is President Cleveland's
letter Of acceptance:
WASHINGTON, Sept. 8, 1885.
Hon. Patrick A. Collins and others, com.
mittee, etc. Gentlemen. In addressing to
You my formal acceptance of the nomina-
Cion to the Presidency OF the United States,
my thoughts persistently dwell upon the
impressive relation Of such action to the
American people, whose confidence is thus
invited, and to the political party to which
belong, just entering upon contest for
continued supremacy.
The world does not afford q spectacle
more sublime than Is furnished when mil
lions Of free and intelligent American citi-
zens select their chief magistrate, and bid
one of their number 70 tiud the highest
earthly honor and the full measure OF pub
lie duty in ready submission to their will.
1t follows that candidate for this high
Office can never forget that when the tur-
MOL and the strife which attend the selec-
ton of its incumbent shall shall be heard
no more, there must be in the quiet calm
which follows complete and solemn self
conservation by the peoples chosen Presi-
dent of every faculty and endeavor to the
service of conhding and generous Nation
of freemen.
These thoughts are intensified by the
light of my experience in the Presidential
office, which has soberly impressed me
with the severe responsibilities which 1T
imposes, while it has quickened my love
for American institutions and taught me
the priceless value OF the trust OF my
countrymen.
1t is Of the highest Importance that those
who administer our government should
jealously protect and maintain the rights of
American citizens at home and abroad, and
should strive to achieve for our country
her proper place among the nations of the
earth; but there is no people whose home
interests are so great, and whose numerous
objects of domestic concern deserve so
much watchfulness and care.
Among these are the regulations OF a
sound financial system suited to our needs,
thus securing an efficient agency OF national
wealth and general prosperity the con-
struction and equipment OF means OF de-
Tense, to insure our National safety and
maintain the honor beneath which such
National safety reposes: the protection OF
our national domain, still stretching be-
yond the needs Of a century's expansion,
and its preservation for the settler and the
pioneer of our marvellous growth; sensi-
BILE and sincere recognition Of the value OF
American labor, leading to the scrupulous
care and just appreciation Of the interests
of our workingmen; the limitation and
checking of such monopolistic tenden-
cies and schemes as interfere with
the advantages and benefits which the
people may rightfully claim; generous re-
gard and care for our surviving soldiers
and sailors and for the widows and orphans
of such as have died, to the end that while
the appreciation of their services and Sacri-
fees is quickened the application Of their
pension funds TO improper cases may be
prevented; protection against servile
immigration, which iniuriously completes
with our laboring men in the field of toll,
and adds 10 our population an element
ignorant of our institutions and laws, i'm
possible Of assimilation with our people
and dangerous TO our peace and welfare;
a strict and steadfast adherence to the prin-
ciples of civil service reform and thorough
execution Of the laws passed for their en-
forcement, thus permitting to our people
the advantages of business methods in the
operation of their government; the guaran
ty to our cOlored citizens of all their rights
of citizenship, and their Just recognition
and encouragement in all things pertaining
TO that relation; a firm, patient and hui
name Indian policy, so that in peaceful re-
lations with the government the civiliza
tion of the Indian may be promoted, with
resulting quiet and safety to the settlers on
our frontiers; and the curtailment OF pub
lie expense by the introduction of econom
ical methods in every department Of the
government
The pledges contained in the platform
adopted by the late convention Of the nat
ional democracy lead to the advancement
of these objects and insure good govern
ment-the aspiration Of every true Ameri-
can citizen and the motive for every patri-
otto action and effort. In the conscious
ness that much has been done in the direc-
ton Of good government by the present adj
rninistratiou, and submitting its record to
the fair inspection OF my countrymen, i en-
dorse the platform thus presented, with
the determination that, if am again call
ed to the chief magistracy, there shall be
continuance OF devoted endeavor to advance
the interests of the entire country.
Our scale of federal taxation and its con-
sequences largely engross at this time the
attention of our citizens, and the people are
soberly considering the necessity Of meas
ures of relief. Our government is the Gre
alton Of the people, established TO carry
out their designs and accomplish their
good. 1t was founded on justice, and was
made FOR a free, intelligent and virtuous
people. II is free government because 1T
guarantees to every American citizen the
Unrestricted personal use and enjoyment of
all the reward of his toll and OF all his in
come, except what may be his fair contri-
button to necessary public expense. There.
fore il is not only right, but the duty OF
free people, in the enforcement Of this guar
anty, to insist that such expense should be
strictly limited TO the actual public needs.
1t seems perfectly clear that when the gov
eminent, this fundamentally created and
maintained by the people to do their bid
ding, turns upon them, and through an
utter perversion of it's powers EFFORTS from
their labor and capital tribute largely in
excess of public necessities the creature
has rebelled against the creator and the
masters are robbed by their servants.
The cost Of the government must con-
tinue to be met by tariff duties collected at
our custom houses upon imported goods,
and by internal revenue taxes upon spiritu-
GUS and malt liquors, tobacco and oleomar-
garine. l suppose it is needless to explain
that all these duties and assessments are
added 10 the price of the articles upon
which they are levied, and thus become n
tax upon all those who buy these articles
for use and consumption. / suppose, toe,
il is well understood that the effect of this
tariff taxation is not limited to the consum-
ers of imported articles, but that the duties
imposed upon such articles permit cor
responding increase In price to be laid upon
domestic productions of the same kind I;
which increase, paid by all our people as
consumers of home productions and enter.
ing every American home, constitutes a
form of taxation as certain and as newt
able as though the amount was annually
paid into the hand Of the tax gatherer.
These results are inseparable from the
plan we have adopted for the collection of
our revenue by tariff duties. They are not
mentioned TO discredit the system, but by