The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1888-09-21
HARRLgONsS LETTER OF AC-
CEPTANCE.

Following are extracts from Gen.
Rarrfson's letter of acceptance:
nR matter Of eongratulation that the declar-
atfens Of the Chicago convention upon the ques-
tons that now attract the interest Of our people
are 50 clear There is further cause Of congratp-
latson IN the fact that the convention utterances
Of the Democratic party, If In any degree uneer-
tain, can now be judged by executive acts and
messages, and by definite propositions In legisla-
ttcn. This Is especially true of what is popnlarly
known IS the tariff question The issue cannot
now be ohsczred It Is not contest between
srhedules but wide-apart principles Foreign
conpetitors Of our markets have. with quick in
sesRcf, seen how one issue Of the contest may
bring them advantage, and cur own people are
not 20 duh 20 miss the grave interests that are in
vciyed for them The assault on the protective
system Is open and definite Protection is assailed
In Law, or IN views Of principle, and those who
hold such views sincerely cannot stop short of alb
solnte elimination from tariff laws ofthe prin-
cipie Of protection. The Mills bin is only step
but il is toward IN object that the leaders of Dem
ocratic thought and legislation have clearly in
mind. The important question is not so much
the length Of the step as the direction of it.
Those who teach that the duty upon al foreign
goods sold In our markets is paid by the con-
suners and that the price Of domestic competing
articles Is enhanced to the amount of the duty on
imported articles. that every million of dollars
collected for customs duties represents many mil
Hons more which do not reach the treasury, but
are paid by cur citizens as the increased cost Of
the domestic product resulting from the tariff
laws may not intend 20 discredit in the minds of
Others our system OF levying duties on foreign
products but 1t ia clearly already dfscredited In
their own. We cannot doubt without impuentng
then integrity, that free to act on their eonTsc-
tons they would 50 revise our laws As TO lay the
burden Of customs revenues on articles thAt are
not produced IN this country, and place on the
free list competing foreign productions.
The Republican party holds that the protective
tariff is constitutional, wholesome and necessary
We do not offer fixed schedule, but principle
We win revise the schedule and modify rates
hut always with an intelligent provision as 20 the
eEect on domestic production and the wages of
our workingmen. We believe il to be a worthy
ebject Of tariff legislation TO preserve the Ameri
can market for American products and to main
tain the American scale of wages by adequate
discriminating duties on foreign competing pro
duesa
The effect Of lower rates and larger fnporta-
lions on the public revenue is contingent and
dou6tful nszt ret 50 the erect upon American
production and American wages. Less work and
lower wages must be accepted as the inevitable
result Of increased offerings Of foreign goods in
cur markets.
By way Of recompense Of this reduction in
wages and loss Of American market, 1t is sug
gested that the diminished wages of the working
men wil have an undiminlshed purchasing
power, and that he VIII be able to make up tor
the loss Of home market by en- enlargement Of
the foreign market.
Our workingmen have the settlement Of this
question In their own hands. They now obtain
higher wages and i've more comfortably than
those Of any other country They VIII make a
choice Of the substantial advantages they have in
hand and the defective promises and forecasts OF
those theorizing reformers They VIII decide for
themselves and for the country whether the pro-
teetive system shall be continued or not.
The fact of a treasury surplus the amount of
which is varioasfy stated has directed public at
tention TO the consideration Of methods by which
the national income may best be reduced to the
level Of wise and necessary expenditure. This
condition has been seized upon by those who are
hostile to protective customs duties as an advan-
tageous cause Of sttack our tariff laws. They
have magnihed the surplus which they effect to
depreciafe, seemingly for the purpose Of exagger.
ating the eyI in order to reconcile the people to
the extreme remedy they propose. A proper re
duetion Of the revenue does not necessitate, and
should not suggest, abandonment or impairment
the protective system The methods suggested
by our convention VIII not need to be exhausted
n order to effect reductions. We are no likely
70 be called think, to make at present choice
between the surrender Of our protective system
and the entire repeal of internal taxes. Such
contingency In view Of the present relation o
expenditures to revenue, is remote.
The surplus now In the treasury should be used
In the purchase Of bonds The law authorized
this Of it, and if is not needed for current o.
deficiency appropriations the people and not the
banks in which it has been deposited, should
have advantage Of its use by stopping interest OF
the public debt. At least those who needlessly
hoard it should not be allowed to use the fear o
monetary stringeney thus produced 10 coercS
public sentiment on other questions.