Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1888-09-19
HARRISON'S LETTER
Accepting the Republican Presidential
Nomination.

HE FAvoRs HIGH TARIFF, AND OPPOSES
PAuPER DECENTRALIZATION THE PEN
SION ROBBERY, AND OPPOSES BLAINE'S
VIEWS ON TRUSTS.
INDIANAPOLIS, September 11.-General
Harrison's letter of acceptance Is made pub
lie this evening. 1t opens with an explana-
ton of his delay in writing it on the ground
that visiting delegations have occupied his
time, and says: 1t is matter of copgratula-
ton that the declaration of the Chicago con-
vention upon the questions that now attract
the interest of our people are so clear and
emphatic. There is further cause of con-
graduation in the fact that the convention
utterauces of the democratic party, if any
degree uncertain or contradictory, can no W
be judged and interpreted by Executive acts
and messages, and by definite propositions
in legislation. This is especially true of
what is known as the tariff question. The
issue cannot now be obscured. 1t is not a
contest between schedules but between
wide-apart principles. The foreign COM
petitors for our market have with quick
eyes 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 for them.
The assault upon our protective system is
open and defiant. Protection is assaulted as
unconstitutional in law or as vicious 10 prin-
ciple, and those who hold such views sim
cerely cannot stop short of an absolute
elimination from our tariff laws the princi-
Piles of protection. The Mills bill is only a
STEP but it is toward an object that the
leadera of democratic thought and legisla-
tion have clearly in mind. The important
question is not so much the length of the
step as the direction of it, Judged by the
Mills bill, by the debates in Congress and
by the St. Louis platform, the democratic
party will, if supported by the country,
place the tariff laws upon purely revenue
basis. This is practically free trade-free
trade in the English sense. The legend up
on the banner may not be Stree trade;" it
may be the more obscure motto, tariff re-
FORM" but neither the banner nor the ill.,
scrp.ion is conclusive, or indeed very i'm
portant. The assault itself is the importaD t
fact. Those who teach that the import
duty upon foreign goods sold in our mark
cts is paid by the consumer, and that the
price of the domestic competing article is
enhanced to the amount of the duty on the
imported article-that every million OF
dollars collected for customs duties repre-.
sents many millions more which do not
reach the treasury, but are paid by our citi-
zens as the Increased cost of domestic pro-
ductions, resulting from the tariff laws, too
may not intend to discredit in the minds Of
others our system in levying duties ON COM
peting foreign products, but it is clearly al
ready discrediJed in their own. We caanot
doubt, without impugning their integrity
that if free to act upon their convictions
they would SO revise our laws as to lay the
burdens of the customs revenue upon att.
cles that are not produced in this country
and replace upon the free list all competing
foreign products. do not stop to refute
this theory as to the effect of our tarif
duties. Those who advance it are students
Of maxims and not Of markets. They
may be safely allowed to call their projec
htariff reform" if the people understand
that in the end the argument oompels fret
trade in all competing products.
The declarations of the convention
against all combinations of capital organized
in trusts or otherwise to control, arbitrarily
the condition of trade among our citizens
is in harmony with the views entertained
and publicly expressed by me long befor,
the assembling of the convention. Ordina
rily capital shares the losses of idleuess Will
labor, but under the operation of the trus
in some of its forms the wage worker alon,
suffers loss, while idle capital receives it
dividends from trust. Producers who re
fuse to join the combination as an elemen
of prices, is eliminated. 1t cannot bt
doubted that the legislative authority
should and will find method of dealing
fairly and effectively with these and Other
abuses connected with this subject. 1t car
can hardly be necessary for me to say that
| am heartily in sympathy with the declara
ton upon the subject of pensions to our sol.
diers and sailors.
Our fisheries should be fostered and pro-
teated. The hardships and risks that are
the necessary incidents Of the bushes
should not be increased By an inhospitable
exclusion from the near lying ports. The
resources of firm, dignifed and consisten
diplomacy are undoubtedly equal to the
prompt and peaceful solution of the din
culties that nov exist. Our nei ghbors will
| surely not expect in our ports commercial
hospitality they deny to US in theirs. |
cannot extend this letter by a special ref
erence to other subjects upon which the
convention favors an expression. In re-
speot to that as we'll as to those have no.
ticed | am in entire agreement with the
declarations of the convention. The resolr-
tions relating to the coinage, to the rebuild
ing of the navy, to coast defences and to
public lands, express conclusions to all OF
which gave my support in the Senate. In
yiting calm and thoughtful consideration
Of these public questions, we submit them
to the people. Their intelligent patriotism,
and the good Providence that made and has
kept us nation will lead them TO wise and
safe conclusions.
Very respectfully,
Your obedient servant,
BENJAMIN HARRISON.