The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1892-09-29
A LONG LOOKEDFOR LEIl TER
Grover Cleveland Sends HiS Letter Of
Acceptance
TO WILLIAM Wilson And OTHERS.
y Bold and F. arless Document-A
Mastery Exposition of the Chicago
PIatform-The Tariff Issue Discuss
ed>Opposition of the Radical Force
Bill an Impulse of Democracy
NEW YORK, Sept. %, 1892.
D Hon, William Wilson and Others

ed>Opposition of the Radical Force
Bill an Impulse of Democracy
New YORK, Sept. %, 1892.
To Hon. William Wilson and others,
Committee, ETC.:
GENTLEMEN spending to your
formal notification of my nomination
to the Presidency by the National De
mocracy, hope | may be permitted
i, to say at the outset that continued
reflection and observation have con-
| firmed me in my adherence to the
opinions which | have heretofore
plainly and publicly declared touching
| the-queS tionS involved in the canvass.
This is time above all others when
these questions should be considered
| in the light afforded by sober appre-
| hension of the principles upon which
our Government is based and a clear
| understanding of the relation it bears
| to the people, for whose benefit it was
created. We shall thus be supplied
with test by which the value of any
| proposition relating to the maintain
| tainance and administration of our
| Government can be- ascertained and
| by which the justice ard honesty of
every political question'can be judged.
| If doctrines or theories are presented
which do not satisfy this test local
| AmericaniSm must pronounce them
| false and miSchievOuS.
| THE TARIFF.
| The protection of the people in the
exclusive use and enjoyment of their
| property and earnings concededly con-
StituteS the especial purpose and mis-
sion of our free Government. This
design is SO interviewer with the
| structure of our plan of rule that fail
ure to protect the citizen in such use
and enjoyment or their unjuStifiable
diminution by the Government itself
is betrayal of the peoples trust.
| We have, however, undertaken to
build a great nation upon plan espe-
| cially our own. To maintain it and
to furnish through its agency the
means for the accomplishment of ma
| tional objects the American people
are willing, through Federal taxation
to surrender part of their earnings
and income. The tariff question pre-
I sents familiar form of Federal taxa
tion. Such legislation results as
surely in tax upon the daily life OF
our people as the tribute paid directly
into the hands of the tax-gatherers
We feel the burden of these tariff
taxes too palpably to be persuaded by
kany SOphistry that they do not exist
or are paid by foreigners.
Such taxes, representing diminu
tiOn of the property rights of tn,
people. are only justifiable when laiC
and collected for the purpose of main
tanning our Government and furnish
ing the means for the accomplishment
of its legitimate purpose and func
tiOnS. This is taxation under tn
! operation of a tariff for revenue. /
accords with the profession of Ameri
can free institutions, and its justice
and honesty answer the test, supplied
by correct appreciation of the prin
ciples upon which these Institution
rest.
This theory of tariff Legislation
manifeStly enjOins strict economy il
public expenditures and their limit
alton to legitimate public uses, mas
much as it exhibits as absolut
eXtortion any eXaction by way O
taxation from the substance of tn
people beyond the necessities of
careful and proper administration @
the Government.
Opposed to this theory, the dogm
is now bodily presented that tart
| taxation is justifiable for the expires
I purpose and intent of thereby Pre-
noting especial interests and entel
| priSeS. Such a proposition is S
clearly contrary to the spirit of on
/ | Constitution, and so directly encoul
ages the disturbance by selfishnes
and greed of patriotic sentiment, tina
! it's statement would rudely shock on
| people, if they had not already bee
insidiOusly allured from the safe lane
marks of principle.
PERNICIOUs DOCTRINE.
!, Never have honest desires fC
e | growth, patriotic devotion to cOuntr.
and sincere regard for those who to
1 been so betrayed to the support of
i pernicious doctrine. In it's behal
o the plea that our infant industrit
should be fOStered did service unit
$ discredited by our staiwart growth
s Then followed the exigencies of
! terrible war, which made our peop
needless of the opportunities for ult
e riOr schemes afforded by the willin
o and patriotic payman of unpreceden
ed tribute; and now, after Ion
o dened countrymen ask for relief an
9 for a restoration to the enjoyment {
their incomes and earnings. they al
q met by the claim that tariff taXatiO
: for the sake of protection is an Anne
= lean system, the continuance of whic
is necessary in order that high wage
D may be paid to our workingman and
f home market provided for our far
products.
These pretenses should no longt
deceive. The truth is that such
system is directly antagoniZed by 6vel
sentiment of justice and fairness {
which Americans are pre-eminentl
: proud. 1t is also true that while OIL
e workingmen and farmers can, til
least of all of our people, defend then
selves. against the harder home Iii
q which such tariff taxation decree
=. the wOrkingman suffering from I'll
importation and employment of pal
/ per labor instigated by his professe
# friends and seeking security for h
interests in organized cooperation
still waits for division of the adva
r tages secured to his employer undo
v the cover of generous sOlicitude II
: his wages, while the farmer is lear
ing that the prices of his products a.
r fixed in foreign markets, where
suffers from a competitor invited ar
built up by the system he is asked
e support.
s The struggle for unearned .adva
tage at the doors of the GovernmeI
tramples on the rights of those wi
u patiently rely upon assurances
J. American equality. Every Cover
, mental concession to clamorouS fave
ties invites corruption in polite
e affairs by encouraging the expend
r. ture of money to debauch suffrage
support in support of a policy direct
re favorable to private and selfish gal
,e This in the end must strangle patrio
= ism and weaken popular confidence
= the rectitude of Republican instit
J. tionS.
70 Though the subject of tariff legisl
tion involves a question of market
l it also involves question of moral
le We cannot, with impunity, permit i
). Justice to faint the spirit of right al
equity, which is the life of our r
s. public, and we shall fail to reach o.
,e national destiny if greed and selfis