Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1892-09-10
THREE GREAT ISSUES.
Hon. James q. Blaine Addresses q
Letter to Chairman Manley
Defining Three Issues Which Should Be
Kept Before tho People During tho
Coming gCampaign-Thcy Arc
the Tariff, Reciprocity
and Finance.

AUGUSTA, Me-, Sept. THE follow
ing letter from Hon. James G. Blaine
to Chairman Manley, of the republican
state committee, was made public last
night:
BAR HARBoR, Me-, Sept 8, 1892.
To Hon Joseph II. Manley, Chairman, etc, Au'
My Dear Sir: Not being able, for reasons
which have explained to you, to deliver public
speeches In this present campaign, take the
liberty OF submitting my views on the issues
which regard as being the strongest for the re-
publicans to urge before the people.
l-The issues of the greatest consequence is
until settlement is effected by n majority SO
large that 1t will be tantamount to general ac-
quiescence. The republicans are aggressive on
TINS subject Two years ago they passed gen,
eral enactment known as the Mckinley tariff
which Tor u lime failed to meet with popular ap-
proyal and was regarded with certain degree
of distlust by those who had always upheld the
protective system. But u powerful reaction has
come in conSeau 3nce Of the vlndication of the
have worked admirably and within the last year
has proaGced greater volume of business, In
ternal anu external. export and import, than
the United States ever transacted before.
Notwithstanding the character and extent
OF the opposition to 1t agriculture Is remuner-
ative, manufacturers are prosperous and COM
merce Is more tiourishing than at any previous
time, thus vindicating the Mckinley tariff by
an impressive and undcniable series of facts.
Against this tariff the democratic party have
taken position almost without parallel in the
history OF the country. They reject entirely
the doctrirc of protection, pronounce 1t q fraud
and anathemetze it generally. resolution
to this effect was adopted by the democratic
convention against the report of the committee
on resolutions b. two.thirds vote thus mani
resting the intelligent participation of every
man in the convention. sometimes resolu-
ton may be adopted in haste when the Conven-
ton is adiourning; it may fail to receive the at
teniion of members; but this resolution was de-
batcd proand con. adopted after u contest ard
was perfectly understood by the members of
the convention. 1t is contained in these words:
I'VE denounce the republi, an protection as a
fraud upon the labor of the great majority OF
the AM r can people for the benefit of few.
| We declare IL Il fundamental principle OF the
| democratic party that the Federal government
| has No constitutional power TO impose and col
lect tariff duties except for the purpose for
revenue only. We demand the collection OF
| such taxes be limited to the necessities of the
| government when honestly and economically
administered
| resolution by which Mr. Calhoun sought to de.
fend his nullitication scheme of 1888, he will find
| the tariff platform of the democratic party in
general harmony Herewith.
| 2-When the principle Of reciprocal trade was
| first proposed to be introduced into the tariff
system the democrats showed as much gener.
| Gus appreciation Of the question and gave 1t
| their support rs long as republicans refused to
| acceptit; but when the republicans came to ap.
| prove II the democratic support vanished and
| iustead OF favoring we find the democratic ma
| tional convention passing resolution hostile to
the system. But in spite of democratic oppoSi-
| tion we have attained through reciprocity n
| new and valuable 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 q law by which we
| asked the several nations interested what they
| would give to have their articles made free. We
| found that the privileges which we were about
| to give without cost and without charge would
| secure large trade in Brazil, in Cuba and Porto
| Rico, in the Windward and Leeward Islands, in
| British uinea and Jamaica, San Domingo and
| the five Central American states, and to minor
| degree in Australia France and Germany, all
| in exchange for the articles which we had in
| tended TO gratuitously admit The free list OF
the Mckinley tariff is larger in the number OF
| articles and in the aggregate amount of their
| import value than the dutiable list.
| This Is the whole of the reciprocity scheme.
| 1t is very plain and very simple 1t secures a
valuable trade in exchange for articles other
| wise destined to be put on the free list The
| democratic party think they can discredit and
they make the effort, apparently for the unpa-
| triotic reason that they did not originate it.
3-With all its calamities the war brought us
| one great b,essing-national currency. There
are MANY who will say that il was worth the
cost of the war to bring a ,ut so auspicious a
result to capital and labor. Prior to the war we
had the worst currency system of any enlight-
| ened nation in the world The state banks with
| They existed by thousands throughout the
United States. Wherever one OF them failed
the result was large loss and great distress
| among the people, No one was responsible for
their bills and they were generally found scat
tered in the pockets of laboring men, to whom
they were q totnl loss without any redemption
whatever. OF the state banks it was often and
| truly said that their debts were the measure OF
their profits
Since the close of the all OF this is differ
ent Every paper dollar that circulates among
the people has the United States behind rs
| guarantee. All the banks that exist are under
the control OF the national government, and II
they fail as financial Institutions the govern
mcnt has taken care that their bills shall be
paid by securities deposited in government
vaults. Under these circumstances II is mat
ter for extraordinary surprise that the demo
cratic convention should deliberately pass reso
lutions for the revival of state banks. The pal
pable effect of this policy, If carried ont, would
he 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 for the deception and espoilment of al
the commercial and laboring classes How the
democratic convention came to make such q
declaration, who was its author, what inteli
gent purpose was in it, will remain n mystery.
The issues which have given are the issue:
upon which i would arraign the democrati,
party. / would not multiply issues nor be di
verted by our opponents from a steadfast ad-
herence TO and constant presentation OF thes'
questions before the people until every voter l.
made to know and understand their true an(
weighty Significance. Very sincerely yours,
| JAMES q. BLAINE.