The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1892-09-14
MR.. HARRIsoN's LETTER OF Ac.
CEPTANcE.
Effects of the Tariff Upon Wages. Elec.
tion Laws and Labor Troubles Of the
Summer.

President Harrison's letter of acceptance
has been made public II is addressed to
Hon William Mckinley, Jr., and the other
members of the ratification committee ap.
pointed by the Minneapolis convention
Much space is devoted to the tariff question,
and the President says:
THE appeals of the free trader to the
workingmen are largely addressed to his
prejudice or to his passions, and not infre-
quently are pronounced communistic. The
new Democratic leadership RACES at the
employer and seeks to communicate his
rage to the employee. greatly regret that
all employers of labor are not lust and con-
sidcrate, and that capital sometimes takes
too large share of the profits. But ! do
not see that these evils will be ameliornted
by tariff policy the first necessary effect of
which is n severe wage cut, and the second
"A large elimination of the aggregate
amount of work 10 be done in this country.
If the injustice of the employer tempts the
workman TO strike back, he should be very
sure that his blow does not fall upon his
own head, or upon his wife and children.
The workmen in our great industries are, rs
body, remarkably intelligent, and are
lovers of home and country. They may be
reused by injustice, )r what seems to them
to he such, or be lead for the moment by
settle the tariff contest in the calm light of
their iiresides. and with the sole reference
to the prosperity of the country of which
they are citizens and of the homes they
have founded for their wives and children.
| No intelligent advocate of protective tariff
claims that II is able, of itself TO maintain
a uniform rate of wages, without regard to
| fluctuations in the supply of and demand
for the products of labor, but II is confident
| ly claimed that protective duties strongly
tend to hold up wages and are the only
barrier against reduction TO the European
| scale"
On the question of election laws he says:
| MANY times have had occasions to say
| that laws and election methods, designed
| to give unfair advantages to the party max
| ing them, would some time be used to per
petuate in power faction of party against
the will of the majority of the people. OF
| this we seem to have an illustration in tn,
recent state election in Alabama. There
was no Republican IN the field The con
| test was between white Democrats. Tn,
| kolb party say they were refused represen
tation guaranteed by law upon the election
board. and tha, when the courts by manda
mus ATTEMPTED to right this wrong. an ap
p al that could not be heard until after, tn,
election made the writs Intellectual. Balo
boxes were thrown out for alleged irregu
larities or destroyed; and il is asserted oi
behalf of one.half at least of the whit,
voters of Alabama that the officers to whom
certificates have been given were not hon
estly elected.
These new political movements in tn
states and the recent decisions of some o
the state courts against unfair apportiOn
ment laws encourage the hope that parti
san election laws and practices which hay
prevailed may be corrected by the states
the law made equal and non-partisan an,
the election free and honest. The Reput
lcan party would rejoice at suce a solution
as healthy and patriotic local sentiment
the best assurance of free and honest cleo
tions. ! shall again urge congress that pro
vision be made for the appointment of
non.partisan commission TO consider til
subject of appointments and elections d
their relation to the choice of federa
officers