Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1892-09-07
MIR. BLAINE'S LETTER
THREE ISSUES or WHICH TO OPPOSE
THE DEMOCRACY.
m--Reciprocity-The Chicago
Platform Plank In Favor or State
Banks--Just These Three.
fBy telegraph 70 the Dispatch.l


| of Hon. James g. Blaine to Chairman
Manley, Of the Republican State Commit
tee, was made public tonight. tits dated
Bar Harbor. September sd, and rs in
tended to be MIR. Blaine's contribution
to tho campaign.
The letter, almost in full. is as follows:
Not being able, for reasons which /
have explained TO you. to deliver public
speeches in the present campaign. take
the liberty of submitting my views on tho
issues which ] regard as being strongest
for the Republicans TO urge before the
people.
IL. The issue OF the greatest oonse-
quence is the tariff on imports, and 1t will
continue to be until the question involved
il settled by a majority so large that it will
be tentamOunt to general acquiescence.
The Republicans are aggressive on this
subject. Two years ago they passed
general enactment known as the Mckinley
| tariff act, which for time failed 10 meet
with popular approval. and was regarded
| with q certain degree OF distrust by
! those who had always upheld the protective
system. But powerful reaction has come
in consequence of the vindication Of the
Mckinley tarlf by experience. 1t Is found
| 20 have worked admirably, aud within the
last year has produced greater volume Of
| business, internal and external. export and
| import, than the United States ever trans
acted before. Notwithstanding the charac-
| ter and extent of the opposition to II, agri-
culture Is remuneratlve, manufactures
are PHOSPHORUS. and commerce is more
| fiourisaing than at any previous time,
! thus vindicating the Mckinley tariff by
an impressive and undeniable series OF
facts. Against this tariff the Democratic
party hos taken position almost without
parallel in the history of the country.
/ They reject entirely the doctrine of pro-
lection, pronounce il fraud. and
arathematize it generally reso,
luton to this effect was adopted
by the Democratic convention against
the report of the Committee on Resolu-
tions by two-thirds vote, thus manifest
ing the intelligent participation OF every
man in the convention. Sometimes reso-
luton may be adopted in haste, or just
when the convention is adjourning it may
fail to receive the attention of the men,
bers, but this resolution was debated, Dro
and con, was adopted after contest, and
was perfectly understood by the members
OF the convention"
DEMOCRATIC TARIFF PLANK.
Mr.. Blaine then quotes the Democratic
tariff plank. IF any one will take the
trouble to read the resolutions by which
Mr.. Calhoun sought TO defend his nulllf-
cation scheme in 1888, he will find the
tarIH platform Of the Democratic party
If be examines the subject further
no will discover that the duties in
the compromise tariff which recOnciled
Mr.. Calhoun and appeased his angry fol-
lowers iu South Carolina were of more
comprehensive character than those con-
templated in the Democratic resolution OF
1892. Democrats are in the habit OF naming
Jefferson as the founder OF their party;
aud vet on the subject of tariff. they are
In radical opposition to the principles lald
down by Jefferson"
Mr.. Blaine then cites the history of JEFF
ferson's Administration, his declaration IN
favor of the maintenance of import duties,
and the devotion of the surplus accumu-
lated during his administration TO rlver
and harbor improvements in support OF
this statement.
PRINCIPLE OF RECIPROCITY.
80. When the principle of reciprocal
trade was hrst proposed to be introduced
into the tariff system the Democrats showed
most generous appreciation OF the queS-
ton and gave IL their support so long as
the Republicans refused to accept 1t, but
when the Republicans came TO approve it
the Democratic support vanished and
instead of favoring. we find the Democratic
National Convention passing resolution
hostile to the system. But in spite
of Democratic opposition We have attain
ed, through reciprocity, new ard vaiusOle
trade, and the system has demonstrated
its many advantages. We were about to
declare sugar, mOlasses, coffee, and hides
free of all duties in the Mckinley bill, but
instead of that we passed a law by which
we asked the several nations in
terested what they would give to
have those articles made free. We
found that the privileges which we were
about TO give without cost aud without
charge would secure large trade IN
Brazil. in Cuba, and IN Porto Rico, IN the
WindWard and Leeward islands. IN British
Guiana and Jamaica, SaL Domingo, and
the five Central American States, and TO
MINOR degree IN Austria, France, and Ger
many. ali IN exchange for the articles
which we had intended to Gratuitousy
admit. The free-list Of the Mckinley
tariff Is larger in the number of articles
and in the aggregate amount Of their lIn-
port value than the dutiable list. WHAT
would have been the result 10 the United
States If every article put on the free list
had been made the subject OF inquiry 10
see what we could get IN exchange for 1t
We omitted to do so for many years. and
that neglect has cost the government ad-
vantages in trade which would have
amounted to tens of millions Of dollars.
This IS the whole of the reciprocity
scheme. Ii is very plain and very slmple.
1t secures a valuable trade IN exchange for
articles otherwise destined to be put on
the free list. lhe Democratic party think
they can discredit 1t, and they make the
! effort apparently for tho unpaulotlc rea-
son that they did not originate It,"
THE CURRENCY QUESTION.
80. With all its calamities the war
brought Us one great blessing-a national
currency. There are many who Will say
that il was worth the cost OF the war TO
| bring about so auspiclous result 10 capi-
tai and labor. Prior TO the war we had
the worst currency system of any enlight-
| ened nation IN the world. The State
banks, with some exceptions, were
! thoroughly irresponsible. They exist
ed by thousands throughout the United
States. Whenever one of them failed the
result was a large loss and great distress
| among the people. No one was response
bic for their bills, and they were generally
| found scattered in the pockets OF the la
boring-man, TO whom they were total
| loss without any redemption whatever.
OF the State banks 1t was often ana
| truly said that their debts were
the measure of their profits. Ihey
| have caused an aggregate loss OF hundreds
of millions of dollars among the people.
| Since the close of the war all this Is
different. Every paper dollar that clreu-
| lates among the people has the Onlted
States guarantee. All the banks that exist
are under the control OF the National Gov
| ernment, and if they tail as financial IN
| stitutons the government has taken
care that their bills shall be paid
| by securities deposited Ill government
vaults. Under these circumstances 1t is q
matter for extraordinary surprise that the
| Democratic convention should deliberately
\ pass resolutions for the revival OF state
banks. The palpable effect of this policy,
If carried out, would be TO cheat
| the poor man out of his daily
bread. If State banks be adopted
and their circulation attain large
ISSUE no device could be more deadly Tor
the deception and despoilment OF all the
commercial and laboring classes. How the
| Democratic convention came TO make
such a declaration, who was ITS author
wnat intelligent purpose is In IT.. VIII re-
main q mystery. 1 have heard the argu-
ment adduced that We would keep the
money at home If State banks
were instituted: but we should keep
it at home because 1t would De
so worthless that nobody would take II
abroad. We're the system OF State BANKS
revived. we would again have discounts
at the State lines. large charges for drafts
| on financial cenfras and general suspicion