Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1892-09-16
Leaders, Views.

System.
headers Views.
The following letter from the Hon.
James G.. Blaine to Chairman Manley,
of the Republican State Committee, 10
made public:
The Hon. Joseph H. Manley. Chairman, etc:
MY DEAR SIR-Not being able, for reasons
which ! have explained IMta to YOU. . to deIigeT + p puks
the liberty of submitting my views on the
issues which I regard as being strongest roonng,t for.
the Republicans to urge before the people.
/. The issue Of the greatest consequence Is
the tariff on imports, and 1t will continue to
he until a settlement is effected by Q majority
40 large that It will he tantamOunt to general
acquiescencc. The Republicans are aggressive
on this subject. Two years ago the, passed
III, which for a time failed to meet witt
lar approval and was regarded VIZ -
degree of distrust by those who had avs
reaction has come in consequence OF the vim
dication of the Mckinley tariff by experience;
within the last year has produced q greater
volume of business. internal and external, ex-
port aud import, than the United, ST cs ever
transacted before. Notwithstanding the char
acter and extent of the opposition t. 1t. agr1-
culture ia remunerative, manufacturers are
PROSPEROUS and commerce is more iioaT,shing
the Mckinley tariff by al impressive and un-
deniablc series Of facts.
I'LL UkllS UHEIL tllc lIcItOCTNUlGU tSsGy ii0NO
taken Il position almost without parallel IN the
history of the country. They reject entirely
the doctrine of protection pronounce IT q fraud
and anathcmatlze 1t generally. A. resolution
to this effect was adopted by the Democratic
convention against the report of the Commit.
tee on Resolutions by q two-thirds vote. thus
manifcsting the intelligent participation OF,
every man i'll the convention. Sometimes 9
resolution may he adopted in haste. or Just
when the convention is ;diourning 1t may fail
to receive the attention of the members. hut
this resolution was debated. pro and con,
derstood by the members Of tho convention.
II any one will take the trouble to read the
gssoluii sis by which Mr. Calhoun IN $50 sSn Ha t,i tG
find the tariff platform of the Democrats
party IN general harmony herewith, and II he,
that the duties In the compromise tart1 which
reGoncilcd Mr.. Calhoun and appeascd his angry.
followers in South Carolina were of a more
plated in the Democratic resolution of 1892.
The Democrats are in the habit OF naming
vet. on the subject OF tariff. they are in radi-i
cal opposition to the principles laid down by
Jefferson; Toward the close of his admins
produced a considerable surplus. and the
question was what should be done. Should!
the tariff be reduced or should this surplus be
maintained?
Jefferson pointedly asked: Shall we sup
press the imposts and give that advantage to
himself he recommended that the imposts be
maintained" and that the surplus created
sh9uid ne approprlated to the Improvement OF
Constitution did not give sufficient power to.
warrant these appropriations Jefferson went,
80 far as to recommend that it be amended.
This presents the strongest condition of af-
fairs upon which a protective tariff can be
Justified. and Jefferson did not hesitate to
1t. The Democrats of the present,
day. 1t is needless to say, are in direct opposi-
ton to the policy which Jefferson thus OUT
lined and adhered to.
.. When the principle of reciprocal trade was
first proposed to be introduced into the tariff
system, the Democrats showed a most gener-
Gus appreciation of the question and gave 1t.
their support. long as Republicans refused to-
accept, it; but when Republicans came to APP
prove it the Democratic support vanished. and;
National Convention passing a resolution hos
tile to the system. But in spite of Democratic
ity. a new and valuable trade and the system
has demonstrated its many advantages. We
and hides free of all duties. in the Mckinley
bill. but instead of that we passed a Law,
by wsisd WE wf,,i aSke ,hsS the w ssSsral ,I nations ms
have those articles made free. We
found that the privileges which we were
charge would secure a large trade in Brazil. in
Cuta and Porto Rico. in the Windward and Lee
ward islands. in British Guiana and Jamaica.
France, and G~ier1nany-all in exchange for the
~ 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. What would have been the.
result to the United States IL every article. be-
fore 1t was put on the free list. had been made
the subject of inquiry, to see what we could
tor many years. And that neglect has cost the
government advantages in trade which would
have amounted to tens of millions of dollars.
This IL the whole of the reciprocity scheme.
1t is very plain and very simple. 1t secures q
valuable trade in exchange for articles other
wise destined to he put on the free list. The
Democratic party think they can discredit it.
and they make the effort. apparently for the
unpatriotic reason that they did not origi-
nate 1t.
!. With all Its calami iics the war brought us
one great DiessinG-national currency. There
are many who will say that it was worth the
cost Of the war to bring about so suspicious q
result to capital and labor. Prior to the war we
had the worst currency system of any enlight-
with some exceptions, were thoroughly ire,
s sps the T;ni neay s EXISTED M y,hoasan .ha t hf
distress among the people. No one was respon-
sible for their bills. and they were generally
man. to whom they were a total loss. without
any redemption whatever. OF the State banks
1t was often and truly, said that their debts
were the measure of their profits. They have
caused an aggregate loss or hundreds Of mil
non or dollars among the poor. Since the close
Of the war all this is different. Every paper
Gollar tnat ctrculatcs among the people mas
the United States behind it az a guarantee.
AZ the banks that exist are under the control
" S"S government, ana II thew fail IA
financial institutions. the Government has
taken care that their bills shall be paid by secu.
rules deposited in Government vaults. Under
these circumstances it is a matter for extra
ordinary surprise that the Democratic conven-
ton should deliberately pass resolutions for
OF this policy, if carried out. would be to cheat
the poor man out of his daily bread. II State
OanKs De adopted and their circulation attain
2 large Issue, no device could be more deadly
lor the deception and despoilment Of all the
commercial and %lahoring classes, How the
democratic convention came to make such q
gent purpose was in it. will remain a mystery.
l. nave heard the argument adduced that we
Mouid keep the money at home IL State banks
were instituted, but we should keep it at home
because IT would be SO worthless that nobody
Mould take 1t abroad. We're the system OF
GounIs at the State lines, large charges for
utaLIs on financial centers and general sus-
Htca9n 81 every bill offered in payment, with q
iLuuiua.ion every few years that would be Q
Ihssntruetive loss to the innocent holders Of
owning the banks.
line three issues which I have given are the
issues on which 1 would arraign the Democratic
2sstvs l would not multiply issues nor be de
ses.eu ~ our opponents from q steadfast ad-
astence 70 and constant presentation Of these
questions DefOre the DeOn1e until every voter