New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-09-12

OF SCHEDULES But OF WIDEAPARI
PR1NCIPLEs-rHE MAGNIFIED AND
NURsED SURPLUS FOREIGN
CONTRACT LABoRERs AND
OTHER QUESTIONS.
FoRCIBLY DIS
CUssED
'TyY TELEGRAPH rRrBUvB-1
indianapolis, Sept. 11.-Gcneral IlarrisOn's let
ter of acceptance was placed in the hanis Of
printers this morning for the purpose of obtain
ing proof sheets TO be used in furnishing IL to the
newspapers and press associations Of the country
simultaneously. II was not put in complete
form until last night and late
as this morning some slight changes were made in
the manuscript The finishing touch was given at
s o'clock this evening in an important alteration
Of one OF the closing sentences when the printed
proofsheets were taken to General Harrison for his
final examination before permitting the document
to 20 to the public E. W EIalford, the managing
editor of The indianapolis Journal one Of the
three or four OF General Harrison friends TO whom
the letter wns read when it was put in
shape says that while it was the Generals
purpose to write it while at Middle Bass Island
he really did very little work upon it there. and
brought back with him only few notes that he
had jotted down in a desultory way. lie
settled down TO work upon it Friday, and the
fragments OF manuscript were soon put together
and some additions and changes were made yes
terday, with which 1t was completed. 1t is as
follows:
indianapolis Ind, Sept II.
! To the Hon. NJ NJ Estce and others, Committee.
Gentlemen: When your committee visited me
on the Fourth Of July last and presented the Ofli-
! cial announcement of my nomination for the Presi-
dcncy Of the United States by the Republican Con
vention promised as soon practicable to COM
/ municate TO you a more formal acceptance Of the
nomination. Since that time the work OF recelv-
ing and addressing almost daily large delegations
of my fellow-citizens has not only occupied all OF
ny time, but has in some measure rendered it un-
necessary for me to use this letter as medium OF
communicating to the public my views upon the
questions involved in the campaign. I appreci-
ate very highly the confidence and respect mani
tested by the Convention, and accept the nomna-
tion with feeling Of gratitude and full sense Of
| the responsibilities which accompany il.
It is matter Of cOngratuatlon that the declara-
tions Of the Chicago Convention upon the questions
that now attract the attention Of our people are
so clear and emphatic. There is further cause
Of congratulation in the fact that the Convention
utterances OF the Democratic party, If IN any
degree uncertain or contradictory, can now be
| Judged and interpreted by Executive acts and
messages, and by definite propositions in leeisa-
ton This is especially true of what is popularity
known as the tariff question. The issue cannot
now be obscurcd II is not a contest between
Il min ofrlac
foreign competitors OF our market have, with quick
instinct. seen how one issue Of this contest may
bring them advantage and our own people are
not so dull as to miss or neglect the grave interests
that are involved in them. The assault upon our
protective system is open and defiant. Protection
is assaed as unconstitutional in law, or as vicious
in principle, and those who hold such views SIN
cercly cannot stop short Of an absolute elimination
from our tariff laws Of the principle OF protection
THE MILLS BILL A STEP TOWARD FREE TRADE.
The Mills bill Is only a step but 1t IS toward
an object that the leaders Of Democratic thought
and legislation have clearly IN mind.
The important question is not so much thc
length Of the step as the direction Of it. Judged
by the Executive message Of December last, by
the Mills bill By the debates in Congress, and by
the St Louis platform, the Democratic party VII"
II supported by the country, place the tarilI laws
upon a purely revenue basis. This IS practical
free trade-frce trade in the English sense Inc
legend upon the banner may not be free trade ;
it may be the more obscure motto tarlh Ne
form but neither the banner nor the inscrip-
tion is conclusive, or, indeed. very important Ihe
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 COM
netting article is enhanced to the amount of the
duty on the imported article; that every million
Of dollars collected for customs dutloS repre-
scnts many millions more which do not reach the
Treasury. but are paid by our citizens as the IN
creased cost Of domestic productions resulting
from the tariff laws-maY not intend To dlScredlt
in the minds Of others our system OF lcvying duties
on competing foreign products, but it IS clearly
already discrcdted IN their own. We cannot
doubt, without impugnlng their integrity that II
Tree 70 act upon their convictions they would
so revise our laws to lay the burden OF the
customs revenue upon articles that are not pro-
duced in this country, and to place upon the free
list all competing foreign products.
7 do not stop TO rcfutc this theory as to the
ceo.t of our tariff duties. Those who advance it
are students OF maxims and not of the markets.
They NAV he safely allowed 10 call their project
tariff reform if the people under tand that IN
the end the argument compcls free trade IN all
competing products This end may not be reached
abruptly. and its approach may be accompanied
with some expressions of sympathy for our pro-
tectcd industries and our working people but II
will certainly come if these early steps do not
arouse the people TO effective resistance
The Republican party holds that a protective
tariff is constitutional, wholesome and necessary
, We do not offer n fixed schedule, but principle
We will revise the schedule, modify rates, but al
| ways with an intelligent provision as to the cIec
upon domestic production and the wages of oul
working people We believe it to be one of tho
worthy objects Of tariff legislation to prcser'c th'
American market for American IiocucerS anf ID
maintain the American scale Of wages, by adc
quate discriminating duties upon foreign com