Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1888-09-14
GEN. HARRlS0N'S LETTER.
A STRONG, ABLE AND STATES VAN
LIKE DOCUMENT.
Decided Ground Taken in Favor of Pro.
lection. the Laboring Man, Liberal
Pensions-Improper Immigration,
and Trusts Condemned.

aud Trusts Condemned
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind, Sept. 11.-Following
is zen. Harrson's letter accepting the re-
publican presidential nomination:
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind, Sept. II.
Hon. VI. M EStce, and others, Commit
tee:
Gentlemen: When your committee visit
Ell me on he 4th Of July last, and present
ed the official announcement of my nom
ination for the presidency of the United
states 10y the republican convention, |
promised as soon as practicable to com
munic5te to you a more formal acceptance
OF the nomination. Since that time the
work or receiving and addressing almost
daily large delegations OF my fellow cti
ZenS, not only occupied all my time, but
has III some measure rendered it unneces-
sary for me to Use this letter as a medium
or communicating 10 the public my views
upon the questions involved i'll the cam
palgn. | appreciate very highly the con-
hdence and respect manifested bv the con-
ventlon,and c.ept the nomination with u
feeling OF gratitude and a full sense of the
sponslblltiesw hich accompany it.
THE TARIFF QUESTION
1t Is matter Of cOngratulaton that the
declarations of the Chicago convention
upon the Question that now attract the in
telest OF our people are 50 clear and EN-.
phatic. There is a further cause of con-
graduation in the fact that the conven-
ton utterances of the democratic party
heretofore If in any degree uncertain or
contradictory, can now be judged and in
ferpreted by executive acts and mes
sages and by definite propositions in
legislation This is especially true of
what Is popul4rly known as the tariff
question. The issue cannot now be Oh
scured 1t is not a contest between
schedules but between wide apart princi-
pies. The foreign competitors OF our mar
ket have with quick instinct seen how the
one issue of this contest may bring them
advantage, and our own people are not so
dull as to miss or neglect the grave inter
ests that are involved for them. Inc as
Sault upon our protective system is open
and defiant. Protection is assailed as un
constitutional in law or as vicious in prn-
clple, and those who hold such views sin
cerelv cannot stop short OF an absolute
elimination from our tariff laws Of the
princip pie of proteC.io
The Mills bill is only a step, but it is
toward an object that the leaders Of
democratic thought and legislation have
clearly in mind. The important ques ion
is not so much the length o. the step as
tive message Of December last, by the
Mills bill, by the debates in Congress and
by the St. Louis platform, the democratic
party will, if support by the couLtry,
place the tariff laws upon purely revenue
basis This is practical free tlt de,-free
trade IN the Englisl sense The legend
upon the banner may not be free trade"
1t may be the more obscure motto
tariff reform" but neither the banner
nor The Inscription is conclusive, or in
deed, very Important. The assault itself
is the important fact.
Those WHO teach that The Import duty
upon fC'eiLI -u'dS s..d IN "ur market is
paid - fH- Cou-uu-:, and bat tIe price
OF the d"lIe,t.c cOmpo'HE article IS en-
lJrczd - The amount # The uluy ou the
impJILed articles, that eve y uilliou of
dollars collected for customs duties repre-
seut 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 disccedit in the minds
of Others our system of levying du
ties on competing foreign products,
but it is Clearly already discred-
1tC d in their own. We cannot doubt
without impugniug their integrity, that
if free to act upon their convictions they
would so revise our laws as to lay the
burden of the customs revenue upon ar
tlcles that are not produced in this coun-
try, and to pl' upon the free list all
competing foreign products. do not stop to
refute this theory as to the effect of our
tariff duties. These who advance it are
students of maXims and not of the mar
kets. They may be safely allowed 10 call
their prof Jet tariff reform" if the people
understand that in the end the argument
cOmpels free trade in all &C Cmpeting pro-
ducts This end may not be reached
abruptly, and its approach may be accom-
panied WITH expressions OF sympathy for
our prOtt ctei lnduStrie, and our working
people, but 1t Will certainly come if these
early steps do not arouse the people to
effective resistance.
The republican party holds that a pro-
cL.ve tariff is constitutional, wholesome
AZ d necessary We do not offer a fixed
schedule. but principle. We will revise
the schedule, and modify the rates,
but always with an intelligent pro-
vision as to the effect upon do
mestc production aud the wages of
our working people: We believe it to be
one IF the wort hy objects of tariff legisla-
tion TO preserve the home market for
American producers, and to maintain the
American scale of wages bg adequate
dlscrl minatng duties upon foreign com
peting products. The effect of lower rate
and larger mpOrtations upon the public
revenue Is contingent and doubtful, but
not so the effect upon American produc-
tlon and American wages Less work
anu lower wages must be accepted as the
Inevitable result OF the increased Offering
Oh foreign goods in our market
by way or rtcompense for this reduction
IN ms wages aud the loss of the American
market, IL Is suggested that the dimln
lshed wages OF the workingman will have
an undimlnlshed puchasing power and
that he VIII be able 10 make up for the
loss of the home market by an enlarged
foreign market. Our workingmen blve
the settlement of the question in III d"
own hands. They now obtain higher
wages and live more comfortably than
those of any other country. They will
make choice between the substantial ad-
vantages they have in hand and the de-
ceptve promises and forecasts of those
theOrzng reformers. They will decide
for themselves and for the country
whether The protective system shall be
continued or destroyed.
THE SURPLUS.
The fact of treasury surpl lus, the
amount of which is varlously stated, has
directed public attention to conslderh-
ton OF the methods by which the national
income may best be reduced TO the level
of wise and necessary expenditure:
This condition has been seized
upon by those who are hostile
to protective custom duties as an
advantageous base OF attack upon our
tariff laws. They have magnfed and
pI no axuhi ioh bau ntTa tn