Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1892-09-07
WEDNESDAY. SEPTEMBER 7. 1892
Mr.. Harr!son,s Letter of Acceptance

Mr.. Harrison's Letter OF Acceptance
MIR. HARErsoSs letter accepting the
nomination OF the Republican National
Convention for President OF the United
States is rather Presidents annual mes
sage than letter accepting a nomination
for President. II is. too, plausible pre-
sentation of the Republican theory of the
issues between the two national parties.
IL is remarkable. not so much for what 1t
SAYS as for what il leaves unsaid
The Democrats, Mr.. HARRIsoy says, ask
the people for q vote of want OF conf
dence He then proceeds TO argue bis side
of each of the most prominent questions
involved in this vote of confidence. We
are persuaded that 1.-THE stars in their
course" are fighting against Nh. HARRT-
son. At any rate, we need not seek to con-
vince the people that such is to be the re-
suit Of Mr.. HARRIsoS's policy. 1t seems to
US that he Is doomed TO defeat.
Mr.. HARRISON claims great credit for the
Republican party because. so he claims, il
destroyed Q bad banking system and Gre
ated q good one; and also originated
paper currency acceptable at par not only
In every one of the United States but in
some foreign countries. He makes
strong argument in this behalf. We hope
that Mr.. CLEVELAND IN his letter of accept.
snce will let us all know what he thinks
upon this interesting subject.
The ocean-carrying trade next claims
Mr. HARKIsoS's attention but he will
hardly cause the voters 10 desert the De-
mocratic party on this question.
Reciprocity receives much attention
from MIR. HARRISON. He really seems to
be unable TO perceive that reciprocity is
only modified form of the Democratic
doctrine of a tariff for revenue. Reel
procity is Democratic, not Republican,
measure. The fall in the price of sugar
consequent upon the enactment of the
MCKINLEY bill into law was an object
lesson to the voters. They saw for them
selves that they paid the tariff on all i'm
ported goods when they saw sugar fall in
price as soon as the law was passed. They
cannot now be humbugged INTO the belief
that the British manufacturer paws the
duties upon the goods he sells to this
country. Protection and reciprocity do
not join hands.
bir. HARRIsoN argues that the South
needs protection of her sugar. rice. coal,
sron, ores, &c. Here be makes an inge-
nious argument on protection and its sd-
Santsges.
Next Mr.. UARRIsoN touches the silver
question, but says nothing new on the sub
sect. He remarks that two UNEQUAL coins
called by the same name ought not TO be
-. n,,1 h,N 10
gets to tell his readers that this evil is just
what the friends of the free coinage of
silver desire to get rid of. They would
have a silver dollar to be as valuable as a
gold dollar whether both DO used as money
exclusively or as commodities exclusively.
On this subject we shall say but little,
however, seeing that the Republican ma
tional platform and the Democratic ma
tional platform are verg much alike in re-
spect TO their utterances on the silver
question.
The Presidents talk about "a free ballot
and fair count" il bosh, nonsense, stuff,
Mahoneism. Any law that a Republican
Congress would pass to regulate elections
IN the southern States would within a few
years become, by amendment, law for
perpetuating the rule of the Republican
party. If fair and promising words were
worth anything the people might consent
TO favor the passage of a national election
law. But these words are just the same
twaddle which BEN. BUTLER, THAD.
STEVENS. CHARLES SUMNER. and the rest Of
the reconstructionists of twenty years ago
visited upon the people when they were
devising their diabohcal schemes. Well
does Mr.. HIRRIsoS claim :" a free ballot and
fair count" as ian old Republican bat
tle-cry.n We thank him for his candor.
Forewarned, the southern people should
be forearmed.
Mr.. HARRISON continues in like strain
when he speaks of unfair apportionments.
With Republican Congress passing cleo
ton laws and apportionment laws the
country would be no longer free coun-
Try.
Ciyil-service reform receives due notice.
So DO the public schools. And then MIR.
HARRISON makes an absurd ATTEMPT TO en-
list the farmers in behalf of protection.
Next he commends the Nicaragua Canal,
as he ought perhaps to have done. He de-
tends his foreign policy.
MIR. HARRISON would discriminate against
undesirable immigration. So would every
body else just now. He deplores mob law,
of course.
The letter is too long. II might have
been epitomized in one third of the space
81 occupies. We predict that MIR. CLEyE-
LAND will not follow tho example set for
him by MIR. HARRISON.