Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1888-09-21

sented the official announcement of my
nomination tor the presidency of the
United States by the republican national
convention, promised as soon as practic-
able to communicate you more formal
acceptance of the nomination. Since that
time the work of receiving and address
ing almost daily large delegations of fel-
lOw-citlzcns, has not only occupied all my
time, but has in some measure rendered 1t
unnecessary for me to use this letter as q
medium Of communication of my views
on the questions involved in the campaign.
appreciate very highly the, confidence
and respect manifested by the convention
and accept the nomination with a feeling
of gratitude and full sense of the respon-
sibilities which accompany it.
1t is matter of cOngratulati0n that the
declaration of the Chicago convention
upon the questions that now attract the in
terest of our people are so clear. There is
further cause tor cOngratulation in the
fact that the convictions and utterances Of
the democratic party, if in any degree un-
certain, can now be judged by execu-
tive acts and messages and by definite
propositions in legislation. This is es-
pecially true of wha; is popularity known
as
THE TARIFF QUESTION.
The issue cannot now be Obscured. 1t
is not a contest between schedules, but
wide apart principles. Foreign compet-
ltors of our markets have with quick in
stinct seen how one issue of the contest
may bring them advantage, and our own
people are not so dull as to miss the grave
interests that are involved for them. The
assault on the protective system is open
and defiant. Protection is assailed in
the views of principle, and those who
hold such views sincerely can not stop
short of absolute elimination from our
tariff laws of the principle of protection.
The Mills bill is only step, but it is to-
ward an object that the leaders of demo-
cratic thought and legislation have clear
ly 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 debate in congress, anC by the
st. Louis platform, in the democratic par
ty will if supported by the country, place
the tariff laws on purely revenue basis.
Is this not
PRACTICAL FREE TRADE
in the English sense? The legend on the
banner may not be free trade. 1t may be
the more obscure motto of tariff reform,
But neither banner not inscription is con
elusive or very important. The assault
itself is an important TACT. Those who
teach that duty upon all foreign goods
sold in our market is paid by the cOnsum-
ers, and that the price of domestic cOmpe-
ting articles is enhanced to the amount of
the duty on imported articles, that every
>c lo1l fn ctcfn
duties represents that many millions more
which don't reach the treasury, .but are
paid BY our citizens as the increased cost
of the domestic product resulting from the
tariff law, may not intend to discredit in
the minds Of others our system Of levying
duties on foreign products. but it is clearly
already discredited in their own. We
cannot doubt without impnnging their in
<egrity that ii free to act on their convic-
tiOns they would SO revise our laws as to
lay the burden of
CUSTOMS REVENUES
on articles that are not produced in this
country ana place on the free list compel
ing foreign products. do not stop to re-
flute the theory to the effect on our duties.
Those who advance it are students of
maxims. They may be safely allowed to
call their project Tariff REFORM" if peo-
pie understand that in the end the argu.
meht compels free trade in all competing
products. This end may not he reached
abruptly, and its approach may be accom-
panied with expressions of sympathy for
our protected industries and the working
people, but it will certainly come If these
early steps do not arouse the people to ef-
fcctive resistance. The republican party
holds that the protective tariff is constitu-
tiOnal, wholesome and necessary. We
will revise the schedule and modify rates,
but always with an intelligent provision
as to the effect on domestic production
and the wages of our wOrkingmen. We
believe it 10 be worthy object Of tariff
legislation to pr, serve the American mar
ket for American products, and to main
tam the
AMERICAN SCALE OF WAGES
BY adequate discriminating duties on for
eign competing products. The effect OF
lower rates and larger importations on
public revenue is contingent and doubt
fu., but not so the effect upon American
production and American wages. Less
work and lower wages must be accepted
as the inevitable result of increased Offer
ing of foreign goods in our market. By
way Of rccOmpense of this reduction of
wages and loss of American market it is
suggested that the diminished pay of
wOrkingmen will have an undiminished
purchasing power, and that they will be
able 10 make up for the loss Of the home
market by the enlargement of the foreign
market. Our wOrkingmen have the set
tlement of the question in their own
hands. They now obtain higher wages
and live more comfortably than those of
any other country. They will make
choice of the substantial advantages they
have in hand and defective promises and
forecasts of those theOriZing refsrmers.
They will decide for themselves and for
the country whether
THE PROTECTIVE SYSTEM
shall be continued or not. The fact of
the surplus, the amount Of which Is var
iously stated, has directed public atten-
ton to consideration of the methods ty
which tile national income may best lie
reduced to the level of wise and neces-
sary expenditure. This condition has
been used by those who are hostile TO pro-
tectivc custom duties as an advantageous
cause of attack on our tariff laws. They
have magnified the surplus which they MI
tect to deprccatc seemingly for the pur-
DOS of exaggerating the evil in order to
reconcile the people 10 the extreme rem
ely they propose. The proper reduction
of the revenue does not necessitate that
anyone should suggest the abandonment
or impairment OF the protective system.
The methods suggested By our convention
will not need 10 he exhausted in order to
effect the reduction. We are not likely
to Ike called, l think, to make at present a
choice between the surrender OF our pro-
tective sy stem and the entire internal tax
es. Such contingency, IN view OF the
present relation Of expenditures to the rev.
epue. is remote. The inspection and reg
ulation of the manufacture and sale Of
Oleomargarine is important, and the rsve-
nue. derived from it is not SO great that the
repeal of the law need enter into any
plan of revenue reduction.
THE SURPLUS
now in the treasury should be used in the
purchase of bonds. The law authorized
This use of it, and if it Is not needed for
current or deficiency appropriations the
people and not the banks 10 which 1t has
been deposited have the advantage OF Its
use. By stopping the interest on the pub
lie debt, ut least those who needlcssly
hoard it, should not b. allowed to use the
fear of momentary stringency thus pro
duced 10 cOercc public sentiment on othel
questions.
Closely connected with the subject o.
III. tariff is that Of the importation OF ior
eign iAborers. The law now in force pro
limiting ouch contracts received my cor