The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1892-09-07

AUGUSTA lMe.), Sept. 6.-The follow
ing letter from Hon. James @. Blaine to
Chairman Marley of the Republican
State Committee was made public to-
night:
BAR HARBoR Me.), Sept. 3. 1892.
Hon. J0SCph II. Ndntey, Chairman,
etc., augusta, Ne.-MY DEAR SIR: Not
being able, for reasons which l have ex-
planned to you, to deliver public speeches
IN the present campaign, | take this lib
erty OF submitting my views on the
issues which / regard as being the strong
est Tor the republicans to urge before the
people.
FIrst--Theissue of greatest consequence
IS the tariff on imports, and it will con-
tinue to be until a settlement is effected
by majority SO large that it will be tant-
amount to general acquiescence. The
Republicans are aggressive on this sub
Ject. Two years ago they passed a gem
eral enactment known as the Mckinney
1arlh Act, which for a time failed to meet
with popular approval, and was regarded
with a certain degree of distruSt by those
who always upheld the protective sys-
tenn. But powerful reaction came, and
IN consequence a vindication of the Nc
klnley tariff by experience 1t was
found to have worked admirably, and
within the last year produced a greater
volume OF business, internal and eXter-
nal, export and import, than the United
States ever transacted before. Notwith-
standing the character and extent OF the
opposition TO it, agriculture was remun-
eradVe, manufacturers prosperous and
commerce more tlourishing than at anv
previous time, thus indicating the NC
kinney tariff by an impressive and unde-
nlaDle series Of facts.
Against this the Democratic party has
taken position almost without parallel
IN the history of the country. They re-
ject entirely the doctrine of protection
pronounce it fraud and anathemize il
generally. a resolution to this effect
was adopted by the Democratic Conven-
ton against the report of the Committee
on RESOLUTIONS by two-thirds vote, thus
manifesting the intelligent PARTICIPATION
OF every man in the convention. Some
times resolution may be adopted in
haste, or just as a convention is adjourn
ing, and 1t may fail to receive the atten-
ton of members. But this resolution
was debated pro and con, adopted after a
contest, and was perfectly understood by
members of the convention. 1t contained
these words: I'VE denOunce Republican
protection as fraud upon the labor of n
great majority Of the American people for
the benefit OF a few. We declare it the
fundamental principle Of the Democratic
party that the Federal Government has
collect tariff duties, except for the pur-
pose of revenue only. We demand that
the collection OF such taxes be limited TO
the necessities Of the Government. when
honestly and economically admins
tered.n
If anyone will take the trouble to read
the resolutions by which Mr. Calhoun
sought to defend his notification scheme
III 1888, he will find the tariff platform of
the democratic party in general harmony
herewith, and ii he examines the sub
ject further he will discover the duties in
the compromise tariff which reconciled
Mr.. Calhoun and appeased his angry fol-
lowers in South Carolina Of a more com
prehensive character than those contem-
plated i'll the Democratic resolution of
1892.
The Democrats are in the habit of
naming Jefferson as the founder of their
party, and yet, on the subject of tariff.
they are in radical opposition to the
principles laid down by Jefferson. To-
ward the close of his administration the
revenue from the tariff on imports pro-
duced 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 suppress i'm
ports and give that advantage to foreign
over domestic manufacturers? For him
self he recommended that imports be
maintained and a surplus created. which
should be appropriated to the improve
ment of roads, canals, rivers and educa-
ton. If the Constitution did not give
sufficient power to warrant these appro-
priations, Jefferson went so far as to
recommend that it be amended.
This presents the strongest condition of
affairs upon which protective tariff can
be justified, and Jefferson did not hesitate
- Nd
present day, it is needless to add. are in
direct opposition to the policy which
Jefferson thus outlined and adhered TO.
Second-When the principle of reci-
prOcal trade was first proposed to be in
PRODUCED into the tariff system, the DEM
Ocrats showed the most generous appre-
citation of the question, and gave it their
support as long as the Republicans re-
fused to accept it, but when the Repub-
leans came to approve of it the Demo-
cratic support vanished, and instead of
tavoring it we find the Democratic Ma
tional Convention passing a resolution
hostile to the system. But in spite of the
Democratic opposition we attained
through reciprocity, new and valuable
trade, and the system demonstrated its
many advantages.
We were about to declare sugar, mo-
lasses, coffee and hides free of all duties
in the Mckinley bill, but instead of that
we passed a law by which we asked the
several nations interested what thew
would give to have those articles made
free. We found that the privileges which
we were about to give without cost and
without charge would secure a LARGE
trade in Brazil, in Cuba, and Porto Rico.
in the Windward and Leeward Islands,
IN British Guiana and Jamaica, San Do,
mingo, and five Central American States
and to minor degree in Austria, France
and Germany-alI in exchange for arti-
cles which we intended gratutously to
admit.
The free list Of the Mckinley tariff is
larger in 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 if
every article, before it was put on the free
list, had been made the subject of INQUIRY
to see what we could get in exchange for
it? We omitted to do so for many wears.
and that neglect cost the Government adj
vantages in trade which would have
amounted TO tens of millions of dollars.
This is the whole of the reciprocity
scheme. 1t is very plain and very simple.
1t secures valuable trade in exchange for
articles otherwise destined to be put on
the free list. The Democratic party
think they can discredit it, and they NAV
make the effort, apparently for the un-
patriotic reason that they did not origi-
nate 1t.
with all its calamities, the war
brought us one great blessing, national