Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-09-10
Formally Accepted.
The Letter That Was Looked
for Has Arrived.
MR.. OLEVELAND's LETTER IN FULL.

Most of the Document Devoted to the
Tariff Question and an Argument in Fa-
var of Lower Duties-An Endorsement of
the ST. Louis Platform-The Surplus and
Labor Questions Considerable Policy
Outlined Criticised.
WASHINGTON CITY, Sept 10-The follow
ing is the full text of President Cleveiand's
letter of acceptance 1t is dated at Wash
ington, Sept. s, 1888, and addressed to Hon.
Patrick A. Collins and others, committee:
GENTLEMEN: In addressing to you my formal
acceptance of the nomination 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 10 the political party to which | he |
long, just entering upon contest for continu d |
supremacy. The world does not afford spec |
tace more sublime than is furnished when mill |
ions of free and intelligent American citizens Sc
lect their chief magistrate, and bid one of their
number to find the highest earthly honor and the
full measure of public duty in ready submission
to their will
1t follows that a candidate for this high office
can never forget that when the turmoil and the
strife which attend the selection of its incumbent
shall be heard no more there must he in the
quiet calm which follows complete and solemn
of every faculty and endeavor to the service of a
coufiiing and generous nation Of freemen. These
thoughts are int nsifed by the light of my expe-
Renee in the presidential Office, which has sober
ly impressed me with the severe responsibilities
which ii imposes while it has quickeued my love
for American institutions aud taught me the
priceless value of the trust OF my coutrymen
1t Is of the highest Importance that those who
administer our government should jealousy pro
r.l,.t nd mai h. II m
Gems at home and abroad, aud should strive to
Fhieve 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 regulation of sound financial system suited
to our needs, thus securing efficient agency OF
national wealth and general prosperity; the con
structioB and equipment of means of defense TO
insure our national safety and maintain the honor
| beneath which such national safety repoSes; the
protection of our national domain, still stretching
/ beyond the needs of a cer tury's expansion, and
its preservati for the settler and the pioneer of
| our marvellous growth: sensible aud sincere
! recognition OF the value of American labor, lead
! ing 10 the scrupuous care and just appreciation
/ Of the interests of our workingmen; the lmita
ton and checking of such monopolistic tendencies
and schemes interfere with the advantages and
| benefitS$whch the people may rightly claim; a
| generous regard and care for our surviving sol
| diers and sailors and for the widows and orphans
of such as have died, to the end that while the ap-
probation of their services and sacrifices is quick
ened the application of their pension fund to i'm
| proper cases may be prevented; protection
against a servile immigration which injuriously
completes with laboring men in the field of toll
| and adds TO our population an element ignorant
| Of our institutions and laws impossible of assim-
| nation with our people. and dangerous to our
| peace and welfare; strict and steadfasI adher-
auce TO the principles of civil service reform and
| thorough execution of the laws passed for their
| enforcement, thus permitting to our people the
advantages of business methods in the operation
of their government; the guaranty TO our coiored
citizens of all their rights of citizenship, and their
/ Just recognition and encouragement in all things
| pertaining to that relation; firm. patient and
| humane Indian policy, that in peaceful rela-
tons with the government the civilization of the
Indian may be promoted, with resulting quiet and
safety to the settlers on onr frontiers; and the
curtailment of public expense by the Introduction
of economical methods in every department oil
the government.
The pledges contained in the platform adopted
! by the late convention of the national Democ
! racy lead to the advancement of these objects
and insure good government-the aspiration Of
| every true American citizen and the motive for
| every patriotic action and effort. In the con
/
ton of good government by the present admins
tration and submitting its record to the fair in
spectiOn of my cOuntrymen, indorse the plat
form thus presented with the determination that
if am again called to the chief magistracy
there shall he continuance of devoted endeavoi
to advance the interests of the entire country.
Our scale Of federal taxes and its consequence,
largely engrnss AT this time the attention of on
citizeus, and the people soberiy considering
the necessity of measures of relief. Our gov
ernment is the creation of the people, established
to carry out their designs and accomplish thei
good 1t was founded on Justice and was mad
for free. Intelligent end virtuOus people II
only Useful when within their control and onl,
serves them well when regulated and guided b,
their constant touch. IL is a free government
because it guarantees to every American citizei
the unrestricted personal use and enjoyment o
all the reward o his toll and of all his income
except what may be his fair contribution to nee
essary public expense. Therefore it is not onl
the right but the duty OF a free people, in tn
enforcement OF this guaranty, to insist that sue
expense should be strictly limited to the actus
public needs 1t seems perfectly clear that whe
the government-thiS instrumeufality create
and maintained by the people to do their bid
ding-turus upon them and, through an ute
perversion of its powers, EFFORTS from their labo
and capital tribute largely in excess of publ
necessities the creature has rebelled against tn
creator and the masters are robbed by their ser,
ants
The cost of the government must continue 3
be met by tariff duties collected at our custom
houses upon imported goods and by internal re,
enue taxes assessed upon spurious and ma
liquors. tobacco and oleomargarine. suppose
Is needless to explain that all these duties and a
sessments are added to the price of the article
upon which they are levied, and thus become
tax upon all those who buy these articles for lis
and consumption. ] suppose. too, il is well III
derstood that the effect of this tariff taxation
not limited to the consumers of imported article
but that the duties imposed upon such articls
permit corresponding increase in price TO
laid upon domestic productions of the same kline
which increase, paid by all our people as col
sumers OF home productions and entering ever
American home, constitutes a form. of taxation
certain, as inevitable, as though the amount wa
annually. paid into the hand of the taxgatherer
These results are inseperable from the plan "
have adopted for the collection of our revenue b
tariff duties. They are not mentioned to disered
the system, but by way of preface to the stat
ment that every million OF dollars collected I
{ our custom houses for duties upon imported art
ces and paid into the public treasury represen
mnny millions more which, though never reael
ing the national treasury, are paid by citizeI
as the increased cost of domestic productions r
- suting from our tariff laws.
necessary effect of the operation of our plan f,
( raising revenue the absolute duty of limiting Il
rate of tariff charges to the necessities of fir
gal and economical ADMINISTRATION of the COVER
ment seems to be perfectly plain. The contin
4 ance upon pretext of meeting public expend
: lures of such scale OF tariff taxation as draw
from the substance of the people sum large
= in excess of public needs is surely somethiI
0 which, under government based upon jnstic
and which finds its strength and usefulness in Il
faith and trust of the people, ought not to be tt
Grated. While the heaviest burdens incident
q 4 the necessities Of the government are uncor
plainingly borne light burdens become grievo,
9 and intolerable when not justified by such nece
: sites. Unnecessary taxation is unjust taxatio
And yet this is condition. We are annual
cnltartine at our custom houses and by means
our internal revenue taxation many millions
,. excess Of ali legitimate public needs Asa &C
= sequence there now remains In the national trei
\ ury surplus of more han Sl30, 1000 No b,
II ter evidence could be furnished that the peoI
o are exorbitantly taxed. The extent of the sup.
o fiuous burden indicated by the surplus will be b
n ter appreciated when it is suggested that SUI
!. surplus alone represents taxation aggregate
a more than BIDS 900 in a county containing 50,(
q inhabitants
Taxation has always been the feature of orgs
> lied government the hardest to reconcile with /
, peoples ideas of freedom and happiness VIII
presented in a direct form nothing will aror
l. popular disc intent more quickly and profound
o than unjust and unnecessary taxation Our far
n ers, mechanics, laborers, and all our citze
Q closely the slightest increase in the taxes
v sessed upon their lands and other property, q
a demand good reasons for such increase. And
they seem to be expected, in some quarters, to
J., gard the unnecessary volume of insb.ious and
direct taxation visited upon them by our prest
rate of tariff duties with Indifference, II not W
Q favor The surplus revenue remaining in
d treasury not only furnishes conclusive proof