The record-union., 1892-10-19


Through Republican Legislation.
Special to the RECORD-UNIoE.
New YORK, Oct. lS.-The following is
a synopsis of the letter of acceptance of
Whitelaw Reid, Republican candidate for
Nice-President. The letter is addressed
to Hon. W. D. Durbin, Anderson, Ind,
and begins:
when the nomination with which the
National Convention honored me was
formally announced by your committee,
] accepted it at once. in so doing, | also
accepted the principles set forth in the
resolutions adopted by the convention as
a basis of its appeal to popular suffrage.
There will be no misunderstanding as to
the purposes of the Republican party in
this contest, and no doubt as to the atti-
tude of its candidates. Party platforms
are more important this year than usual.
The declarations of our opponents de-
mand 2 close scrutiny, as their victory
now would give them the first opportu-
nifty they have had since 1859 to put in
practice their policy.
1T is obvious, in common judgment,
TO the people that the really vital issues
this year are those relating to the tariff
and currency. Fortunately both sides
stated their positions on the subjects with
directness, simplicity and frank ness. The
issues thus made between the rival candi-
dates are specially sharp and distinct.
We maintain that the tariff should cover
the difference in the cost of home and
foreign product, caused by the difference
III home and foreign wages. Our oDpo-
Eeuts distinctly Iepudiate the proposition
that American wages should be consid-
cred in the matter, and declared instead
k,saf, -FF.s1 I
enue only is unconstitutional. #
We maintain that the present tariff
worked well, developed American manu-
1actures, increased American wages and
promoted general prosperity. Our op-
ponents deny all this and denounce the
Republican party. 81 q -
''In the census of 1850 the true value of
property in the United States was set
down at SH,0JJ,0 100000, making an in
crease OF over double the entire growth of
the previous 80 years. 1t appears that
property in the United States still further
increased in the last ten years by Sl4000,-
100000, making total increase in thirty
years of Republican rule and under Re-
publican protective tariff of S44. 600 COO
900, against Sl4,00O,00 900 earned in the
previous 80 years.
"Our opponents deny that there has
been any increase in prosperity, and de-
clare that wages have been reduced, and
oeI:1unce oar policy. 1t has been n for
tunate circumstance for the impartial
public that in the regular course of ofIi-
cial duty number OF Democratic officers
have since been required to report sta
tistics in the several departments bearing
upon this subject. All of these reports
tend to show an increase during the year
1891 in wages, in value of products. in
deposits in savings banks or building
and loan associations, and in the value Of
r-nol anh al
''At the close of the fiscal year in June
last the reciprocity policy had been in
operation but few months, and under
al the disadvantages attending the OPEN
ing Of new lines OF trade in foreign conn
tries, it increased our trade with the for
eign countries to which il had been an
piled 2}.76 per cent. Since then there has
been a still greater increase, amounting
on September ist to 27.0S per cent The
net value of the sham reciprocity.
therefore, to the United States in this
brief period, and during its infancy, was
81, 500, ,2S4. To abandon this system,
which is absolutely equitable on both
sides, which costs us nothing and which
brings such results, would be madness
while to denounce it as sham is an un-
truth.
ION the subject of currency, the issue
between the Republican party and its on
ponents, is almost as sharply defined as
on the tariff. We demand that every
dollar, paper, silver, or gold, shall be
made and kept as good as any other dol
lar. Our opponents, while protesting
the same desire, demand that national
bank currency shall be broken down by
repeal OF the 10 per cent. tax on issues
of State banks. No human being ever
lost a dollar by a note of the national
bank, solvent or otherwise. The losses
by State banks are counted by tens of
millions if : Tia1t ba troI,
ment of Government bonds may require
some change in the securities demanded
as a guarantee for national bank notes
The party which devised the system and
made II a magnificent success may be
relied upon to meet the emergency when
II arises. There are good reasons 10 hope
Tor some practical union of effort for a
common solution OF the silver problem.
with an increased use of silver, through
the International Silver Conference, but
in any effect the country has learned 10
trust the financial skill and integrity of
the Republican party and dlstrust its
opponents.
"It is sometimes said: You predicted all
manner OF disastrous results when Cieve-
land was elected, but nothing happened.'
4 good many regretable things did hap
pen, though the worst could not because
the hands of the party were tied in Con-
gress. But the present political situation
makes 1t plain that Democratic victory
in the States which they must now carry
in order to elect their President would
also insure them enough new Senators to
reverse the present slender majority in
the Senate. If they eject their President
they will certainly have both the House
and Senate, and thus viii he placed in
absolute control for the first time since
1859. with nothing to prevent their carry
ing out the threats they made against the
present tariff aud currency. Ii is as idle
therefore, as it is slanderous 60 say thai
there is no danger from triumph OF our
opponents, since the candidate Will not
refuse to carry out their principles. He
could not with credit, and he could not
anyway, because the power would not be
with him but with Congress.
"The attempt to change the issue from
the tariff and currency and divert atien-
ton to the alleged force bill scarcely calls
for notice. The very title OF the blIl pro-
claims its object to be to prevent the use
of force at elections. II failed. anyway,
and the Southern white men who were
lately its chief and most interested oppo-
nents now begin TO wish 1t revived to
protect them from being themselves
counted out of elections they have fairly
won, as the other day in Alabama by
their own white fellow Democrats. 1t Is
well, however, to say that the enuncia-
ton in the Democratic platform Of the
principle that the Federal Government
may supervise the election of Federal
officers is grotesque. The principle has
long been recognized and sustained by
the courts. 1t now stands undisputed on
the statute books and was enforced at re-
cent elections by Grover Cleveland, then
President. But it is not to be disguised
that the recent clannor against this prin-
IN