Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1888-09-21
Gen. Harrison's Letter.
Statesmanlike Document
Which Dodges None OF tho
Issues.

nc Ioiio"iuS IL Sene1dl IlIrri-
sons letter accepting the Republi.
can Presidential nomination:
lNpIANAPoLIs, IND, Sept. II.
Hon. VI. M Estee andothers, Com
mittee:
GENTLEMEN:-When your com
mittec visited me on the 9TH of Ju-
ly last and presented the official an
nounnement of my nomination for
the Presidency of the United States
by the Republican Convention, l
promised, rs soon as practicable, to
communicate to you more formal
acceptance of the nomination. Since
that time the work of receiving and
addressing almost daily large dele
cations of my fellow citizens has
not only occupied all my time, but
has in some measure rendered it
unnecessary for me to use this letter
rs medium of communicating to
the pubic my views upon the ques-
tons involved in the campaign.
appreciate very highly the conf.
dcnce and respect manifested Ivy the
convention, and accept the nomina-
ton with feeling of gratitude and a
full sense of the responsibilities
which accompany it.
1t is matter of congratulation
that the declarations of the Chicago
Conyention upon the questions that
now attract the interest of our peo-
pie are so clear and emphatic. There
is further cause for congratulation
in the fact that the Convention mt
terances OF the Democratic party, if
in any degree uncertain or contradic-
tory, can not be Judged and inter
pretcd by executive acts and mes.
sages, and by definite propositions
in legislation. This is especially
true of what is popularity known as
the tariff question.
THE ISSUE CANNOT he oBsCURED.
1t is not 4 contest between sched-
ules, but between vide apart princi
piles. The foreign competitors of
our market have, with quick in
stinct, seen how one issue of this
contest may bring them advantage,
and our own people are not so dull
rs to miss or neglect the grave in.
terests that are involved for them.
The assault upon our protective
system is open and defiant. Protec-
ton is assailed rs unconstitutional
in law or as vicious i'll principle.
and those who hold such views sin
cerely cannot stop short of an
absolute elimination from our tariff
laws of the principle of protection.
The Mills bill is only Il step, but it
is toward an object that the leaders
of Democratic thought and legis-
lation have clearly in mind.
The important question is not so
much the length of the step as the
direction of it. Judged by the
executive message of December
last, by the Mills bill, by the debates
ir Congress, and by the St. Louis
platform, the Democratic party will,
if supported by the country, place
the tariff laws upon Il purely reven.
ue basis.
THIS is PRACTICAL FREE TRADE
Free Trade in the Engligh sense.
The legend upon the banner NAV
not be Free Trade" it may be the
more obscure motto, Tariff Re
FORM" but neither the banner nor
the inscription is conclusive, nor in
deed, very important The assault
itself is the important fact. Those
who teach that the import duty upon
foreign goods sold IN our market is
paid by the consumer, and that the
price of the domestic competing ar.
ticle is enhanced to the amount
of the duty on imported articles
that every million of dollars collect.
ed tor customs duties represents
many millions more which do not
reach the treasury, but are paid by
our citizens as the increased cost OF
domestic productions resulting from
the tariff laws-may not intend to
discrcdit in the minds of others our
system oflevying duties on compel.
ing foreign products, but it is. clear.
", already discredited in their own.
We cannot doubt, without impupn.
ing their integrity, that it free to
act upon their convictions, they
would so revise our laws as 10 Law
the burden Of the customs revenue
upon articles that are not produced
in this country, and to place upon
the free list all competing foreign
products. ] do not stop TO refmte
this theory as to the effect Of our
tariff duties. Those who advance il
are students Of the maxims and not
Of the markets. They may be safe.
ly allowed to call the project "Tar.
III Reform # the people under.
stand that in the end the argument
compels free trade in all competing
products.
CLEVELAND ANSWERED.
This end may not be reached alb.
ruptly, and its approach may be
accomplished with some expressions
Of sympathy for our protected in.
dusiries and our working people,
but it viii certainly come. If these
early steps do not arouse the peo.
pie to effective resistance. The Re
publican party holds that a protec
tive tariff ie cousttfuffonoI y,bof.