Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1888-09-14

NESE QOEOIlON ELAlN raw -
FOR THE VOTERS.
INDIANAPOLIS, IND, Sept. IL
The following is General Harrison's
letter, accepting the Republican
presidential nomination
INDIANAPOLIS, IND, Sept. IL.
Hon. M. NJ Estee and Others, Committee:
Gentlemen-When your commit
tee visited me on the 4th of July
last, and presented the official an
nouncement of my nomination for
the presidency of the United
States by the Republican Conven.
ton, promised as soon as practi-
cable to communicate to you a
more formal acceptance of the nom
nation. Since that time the work
of receiving and addressing, al.
most daily, large delegations of my
fellow citizens, has not only Occu-
pied all OF my time, but has IN
some measure rendered il unneces.
sary for me to use this letter as a
medium of communicating to the
public ny views upon the ques-
tons involved in the campaign
l appreciate very highly the conf
dence aad respect manifested by
the convention, aud accept the NOM
ination with a feeling of gratitude
and foil sense of the responsible
ties which accompany it.
1t is matter of congratulatiOn
that the declarations of the Chi
cago Convention upon the ques-
tons that now attract the interest
of our people are so clear and EN-.
phatic. There is further cause of
congratula;ion in the fact that the
convention utterances of the Dem.
Ocratlc party, if in any degree un-
certain or contradictory, can now
be judged and interpreted by exec
utive acts and measures, and by
definite propositions in legislation.
This is especially true Of what is
popularity known as the tariff ques-
ton. The issue cannot now be OBJ
scured. Ii is not a contest between
schedules, but between wide.apart
principles. The foreign competi-
tors 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 in
terests that are involved Tor them.
The assault upon our protective
system is open and defiant. Pro
lection is assailed as uncOnstitu-
tiOnal in law, or as vicious IN prln-
clple, and those who hold such
views sincerely, cannot stop short
of an absolute elimination from our
tariff laws OF the principle of pro-
lection.
The Mills bill is only step, but
it is toward an object that the lead
ers of Democratic thought and leg.
islatiOn have clearly in mind. The
important question is not 80 much
the length of the step as the direc'
ton of it. Judged by the excel
tive message OF December last, by
the Mills bill, by the debates in
Congress and by the st. LoIis plat
form, the Democratic party will, If
supported by the country, place
the tariff laws upon purely rev.
enue basis. This is practical free
trade-free trade in the English
sense. The legend upon the ban.
ner may not be "Free trade"; it
NAV he the more obscure motto
"Tarifi Reform bot neither the
banner nor the inscription is con-
elusive, or, indeed, very important.
The assault itself is the important
fact.
Those who teach that the import
duty upon foreign goods sold in
our market is paid by the con-
sumer, and that the price of the do
nestle competing article IS en-.
HANGED to the amount of the duty
on imported articles-that every
million of dollars collected tor Gus.
toms duties represents many mil
lions more which do not reach the
treasury, but are paid by our citi-
Zens as the increased cost OF do
nestle productions resulting from
the tariff laws-may not intend to
discredit in the minds of others our
system of levyIng duties on com
peting foreign products, but it Is
clearly already discredited in their
own. We cannot doubt, without
impugning their integrity, that, if
free to act upon their convictions,
they would revise our laws as TO
lay the burden Of the customs rev
enue upon articles that are not pro-
duced in this country, and to place
upon the free list all competing for
elgn products.
l do not stop to refute this theory
as to the effect of our tariff duties.
Those who advance it are students
of maxlms, and not of the markets. |
They may be safely allowed to call
their project "tarif' REFORM" If the |
people understand that in the end |
the argument cOmpels free trade in
all competing products. This
end may not be reached abruptly,
and its approach may he accOmpa-
MED with expressions OF sympathy
for our protected industries and
our working people, but it will GER
tainly come, if those early steps do
not arouse the people to effective
resistance.
NECESSITY OF PROTECTION.
The Republican party holds that
\ protective tariff is constitutional,
aud necessary. We do
Tot offer a fixed schedule, but
principle. We will revise the
schedule, modify rates, but always
With an intelligent provision as to
he effect upon d nestic produc-
ion aud the wages of our working
people. We believe it to be one
If the worthy objects OF tariff legis-
alton to preserve the American
markets for American producers,
md to maintain the American scale
If wages, by adequate dlscrimina-
ing duties upon foreign competing
PRODUCTS. TIE effect of lower rates
md larger importations upon the
public revenue Is contingent and