The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1888-09-13

Hon, W. ~ Esiee and Offers Committee Elo :
GEsTLrMEsl-rWhen your committee Wis
ited me on the fourth Of July last and pre-
scented the Official announcement OF my
nomination iOr tho Presidency OF the
United states by the Republican eonyen'
ton, promised as soon as practicable 70
communicate 10 you more formal accept
Anee Of the nomination, since that time
the work OF receiving and addressing al
most daily large delegations OF my fellow
oitlzens has not only occupied all OF ny
time, but has IN some measure rendered II
unnecessary for me 10 use this letter % q
medium OF communicating 10 tho public
my views on the questions involved In the
campaign, | appreciate very highly the
confidence aud respect manifested by the
convention, aud accept the nomination
with feeling Of gratitude and a Iull sense
OF tho responsibilities which aeeompanylt
IL iaa matter OF COngMtulatlOn that the
declarations OF the Chicago convention
upon the questions that nov attract the
Interest Of our people are 30 clear and ein'
phatlo There n turther cause for con-
graduation IN the fact that the convention
utteranocs Of the Democratic party u ~
hdy degree uncertain or contradictory can
now be Judged and Interpreted by exeon-
tive acts aud messages, and by definite
DIDlNNlAhNN ~ ANkNHAHNAFNff 'HtH q" "hNl'''Nf'H
true Of what ID pOpularly known ah the
tariff question, The issue cannot now be
obscurrd. ~ IL not q contest between
schedules, but between wide apart prlncl'
pies, The foreign competitors for our
market have, With quick instinct seen
how one issue OF this contest may bring
them gain, and our people are not 40 dull
as 10 InlM or neglect The grave Interests
that are involved for them,
The assault upon our protective system
II open and defiant, Protection u assailed
~ unconstitutional In law, or ~ vicious In
principle, and those who hold such views
sincerely, cannot stop short Of an absolute
elimination from our tariff laws Of mo
principle OF protection, The Mills bill u
only a step, but II is toward an object that
the leaders of Democratic thought aud
legislation have In the mind Tho im'
portani question Is not 10 much the length
OF the step ~ the direction Of II, Judged
by the executive message OF December last
by the Mills bill, by the debates In Con
gress and by the 81 Louis platform, the
Democratic party will, II supported by tho
country, place the tariff laws on purely
revenue basis. This Is practical free trade
free trade In the English sense, The
legend upon tho banner may not be the
more obscure motto, tariff reform, but
neither the banner nor the inscription IA
conclusive, or indeed very Important,
The assault Itself Is the important TACT
Those who teach that tho import duty
upon foreign goods sold 10 our market Ia
paid by the consumer, and that the price
OF the domestic competing article II on
hanoed 10 the amount OF the duty on the
imported artlole that every million OF dol
lars collected for custorl duties represents
many millions more which do not reach the
treasury, but are paid by our citizens ~ the
increased cost OF domestic productions 70,
sulung from the tariff laws may not intend
20 dlsGredt In the minds OF others our sys'
ten OF loyying duties on competing foreign
products but IL IL clearly already diserod'
tied In their own. Wo00nnot doubt, with
out lmpugnIng their integrity that II free
10 act upon their convictions, they would |
80 revise our laws ~ 10 lay the burden OF |
the customs revenue upon articles that arc |
not produced In this country, and 10 place |
upon the free list all competing produch,
! do not stop 10 rciute this theory |
Ms 10 the effect OF Our tariff |
duties Those who advance II are students |
OF maxlms and not OF the markets They |
may be safely allowed 20 call th0lr project |
"TarT Reform, II the people understand |
that In the end the argument compes FREQ
trade In all competing products This end |
may not bo reached abruptly and Ia APP |
prOach may bc accompanied with some ek' |
presyons Of sympathy for our protected IN |
dustries aud our working people, but II |
will certainly come, u these early stops do |
not arouse :ho people 10 effective resist
ance, The Republican party holds that a !
protective tariff N constitutional, whole |
some and necessary, We do not offer q |
fixed schedule, but principle, We will |
~. .al.I,.I. fnAlify rat hut al. |
ways with an intelligent provision as 70 the
effect upon domestic production and the
wages OF our working people. We believe
Il 10 be one OF the worthy objects OF tnrih
legislation 10 preserve the American mar
ket for American producers and 10 main
tain the American scale OF wages, by ade'
quate discriminating duties upon foreign
competing products. The effect OF
lower rates and larger importa.
tions upon the public revenue
Is contingent and doubtful, but not 80 the
effect upon American production aud
American wages Less work and lower
wages must be adopted as the inevitable re-
suit Of the increased Offering OF foreign
goods In our market by way OF recon.
pense for this reduction In his wages and
gested that the diminished wages OF the
workingman will have an undlmlnished
purchasing power, and that he will be able
10 make up for the loss Of the home market
by an enlarged foreign market our
worltinamen have the settlement OF the
question In their own hands. They now
obtain higher wages and live more COM
fortably than those Of any other country
They will make choice between the sub.
stantial advantages they have IN hand and
the deceptive promises and forecasts OF
these theorizing reformers' They VIII
decide for themselves and for The
country whether the protective sys
tenn shall be continued or destroyed.
The fact OF Treasury surplus, the
amount Of which varlously stated, has di.
rected public attention 10 consideration
OF the methods by which the national In.
come may best be reduced 10 the level OF
wise and necessary expenditures This
condition has been seized upon by those
who are hostile 10 protective custom duties
as an advantageous base OF attack upon
our tariff laws. They have magnificd and
nursed the surplus, which they affect 70
deprecate, seemingly for the purpose OF eS'
aggerating the evil In order TO reconcile the
people TO the extreme remedy they propose.
A proper reduction Of the revenues docs
not necessitate and should not suggest the
abandonment or impairment Of the pro
tective system The methods suggested by
our convention will not need 10 be ex.
haustod In order 10 effect the necessary re.'
dnction. We are not likely TO be called upon
Think 10 make present choice between.the
surrender OF the protective system and the
entire repeal OF the Internal taxes. Such q
contingency, In view OF the present relation
OF expenditures 10 revenues, 10 remote.
The inspection and regulation OF the manu-.
facture and sale Of oleomargaline Is import.
ant and the revenue derived from II Is
mot so great that the repeal of the low need
enter into any plan OF revenue reduction
The surplus now In the treasury should be
used In the purchase Of bonds The law
authorizes this use Of II, and II II Is not
needed for current or deficiency apprapria
tions, the people and not the banis In
which Il has been deposited, should have
lhn nh unnA Anna OF ita uaa by atopplnR intnr