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About East Oregon herald. (Burns, Grant County, Or.) 1887-1896 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 26, 1888)
KMMi g UFPLEMENT WEDNESDAY. SEPT. 26, 1666. thorough execution of laws passed for this purpose. The people are soberly considering the necessary measures of relief. The government is a creation of the l»eople, established to carry out their de signs and accomplish good. It was founded on justice and made for free and virtuous people. It is only useful when within their control and only serves well when regulated and guided by their con stant touch. It is a free government be cause it guarantees to every American citizen the unrestricted use and enjoy ment of all reward of his toil and of all his income except what may tie his fair contribution to necessary pubhp ex- penses. Therefore, it is not only the strict and steadfast adherence to principles of civil service reform right but the duty of free people in enforcement of this guarantee, that they insist that such expense be limited to ACTUAL PUBLIC NEEDS. LETTER OF ACCEPTANCE. 4ble and Statesmanlike Document in Cleveland's Clear and Cliar- acterlBtic Style. the Subject of Cnjnst Tariff and Iniquitous Trusts it Ctters no I ncertain Sound. Honest and Mailly Defense of Doin’ oeratic Tariff Reform. A Patriotic Appeal to tlie Intelli gence of American Citizen*. The Democratic Party the Friend of the Workingmen. W ashington , Sept. 8, L888. Hon. Patrick A. • Collins, and Others, Committee— Gentlemen : In addressing to you my formal acceptance of the nomi nation to the presidency of the United •- Slates, my thoughts presistently dwell on the impressive relation of such action to the American people, whose confi dence ia invited, and to the political party to which I belong, just entering on a eontest for continued supremacy. The world does not afford a spectacle more sublime than is furnished when millions of free and intelligent American citizens select their chief magistrate, and bid one of their number to find the highest earth ly honor and full measure of publicity in ready submission to their will. It fol lows that the candidate for president can never forget, when the turmoil and strife which attend election shall be- heard no more, that there must be, in the quiet calm which follows, complete and solemn self-consecrating, by the people’s chosen president, of every faculty and endeavor to the service of a confiding and generous nation of freemen. These thoughts are intensified by the light of my experience in the presidential office, which has soberly impressed me with the severe responsibilities which it imposes, while it has quickened my love for American institutions and taught me the priceless value of the trust of my country. It is of the highest importance that those who administer the government should closely protect and maintain the rights of the American people at home and abroad and should strive to achieve for our country her proper place among the nations of the earth ; but there is no jieople whose home interests are so great and whose numerous objects of domestic concern deserve so much watching and Among these are: The regulation A BOUND FINANCIAL SYSTEM to our needs, thus securing an efficient agency of national wealth and general prosperity ; the construction and equip ment of means of defense to ensure our national safety and maintain the honor l>eneath which such national safety re- |M«es; the protection of our national do main still stretching beyond the needs of the century’s expansion, and the preser vation for the settler and pioneer.of our marvellous growth; the sensible and sincere recognition of the value of Amer ican labor, leaning to the scrupulous care and jiist appreciation of the interest of our workingmen; the limitation and checking of such monopolistic tendencies and schemes as interfere with the ad vantages and benefits which the people mar rightfully claim ; a generous regard and care for our surviving soldiers and sailors and for the widows and orphans of such as have died, to the end that while appreciation of their services and sacrifices is quickened the application of their pension funds tn improper cases may be prevented; the prevention- of servile immigration which iujur»*s indus tries, commerce and laboring men and adds to our population an element ignor ant of our institutions and laws, impos sible of asHimibtf ion with our people and dsngeroH« to <xir "peace and welfare . immediate iuflpofrtance to the mass of the people, and only” concerns those engaged in large financial transactions. In the restless enter priBb and activity which free and remly money among the people produce is, found that opportunity for labor and employment and that impetus to business and production which bring in their train prosperity to the people in even- station i i life. New'ventures, new investments in business and manufac turing, the construction of new and im- l>ortant works and the enlargement of enterprises already established depend upon obtaining money upon easy terms with fair security; all these things are stimulated by an abundant volume of money in circulation; even the grain of the farmer remains without a market unless money is forthcoming for trans portation to the seal>oard. The first result of the scarcity of money among the people is the exaction of terms for its use; increasing distrust and timidity is followed by a refusal to loan or ad vance on any terms; investors refuse risks and decline all securities, and in the general fright money still in the hands of the people is persistently hoarded. It is quite apparent when this ¡»erfectly natural, if not inevitable, stage is reached, the depression in all business and enterprise will as a necessary conse quence lessen the opportunity for work and reduce the salaries and wages of labor. Instead of them being exempt from the influence and effect of an immense surplus idle in the national treasury, our wage-earners, and others who rely on their labor for support, mostly of all are directly concerned in the situation. Oth ers, seeing the approach of danger, may provide against it, but it will find those depending on daily toil for bread unpre pared, helploss and defenseless. Such a state of affairs does not present a case of idleness resulting from disputes between the laboring man anti liis employer; but it prodaces an absolute enforced stoppage of employment and wages. In reviewing the bad effects of this accumulated surplus and the scale of tariff rates by which it is produced, we must not overlook the tendency to gross and scandalous It seems clear that when a govern ment thus instrumentally created and maintained by the people to do their bidding, turn? upon them and through an utter perversion of its powers extorts from their labor and capital a tribute largely in excess of public needs, the creature has rebelled against the creator and the masters are robbed by their ser vants. The cost of government must continue to be met by a tariff duty col lected at our custom houses upon im ported goods and by an internal revenue tax assessed upon spirituous and malt liquors, tobacco and oleomargarine. 1 suppose it is needless to explain that aii these duties and assessments are added to the price of the article or articles ui»on which they are levied, and thus become a tax on all those who buy these articles lor use and consumption. I suppose too, it is well understood that the effect of this tariff’ taxation is not limited to the consumers of imported articles, but that the duties imposed on such articles per mit a corresponding increase in the price to be made upon domestic productions of the same kind, which increase is paid by the people as consumers of such produc tions, and entering every American home constitutes a form of tax as certain rUBUC EXTRAVAGANCIES and inevitable as though the amount was anrtually paid into the hands of tax gath Which a congested treasury induces, nor erers. These results are inseparable the fact that we are maintaining without from the plan we have a«lopted for col excuse in a time of profound peace sub lection of revenue by tariff duty. They stantially the rate of duties imposed in are not mentioned to discreilit the system but by way of preface to the statement lime of war when the necessities of gov that every million dollars collected at our ernment justified the imposition of the custom houses for duties on imported ar weightiest lsirdens upon the people. ticles and paid into the public treasury Divers plai have been suggested for. represent many millions more, which, file return of this accumulated surplus though never reaching the national to the people and to tlye channels of treftau/y, are paid-by- oti’r ‘citizen,, aR iff- trade.'.some'of the devices are at vari- ( reased.cost of productions resulting from ‘ ince with all rules of good finance; some our tariff laws. are delusive, some absurd and some be These circumstances and, in view of tray by their reckless extravagance the this necessary effect Qi the operation of demoralizing influence of a great surplus our plan for raising revenue, the abso of public money on the judgment of in lute duty of limiting the rate of tariff dividuals. While such efforts should be made as charges to the necessities of a frugal and economical administration of govern are consistent with public duty and ment seems to be perfectly plain. The sanctioned by sound judgment to avoid continuance, upon pretext of meeting danger by a useful disposition of the public expenditure^ of such a scale of surplus remaining in the treasury, it is tariff taxation as draws from the sub evident if its distribution were accom stance of the people a sum largely in plished another accumulation would soon excess of needs, is surely something take its place, if the constant flow of which in a government based on justice redundant income is not checked at its and which finds its strength and useful source by a reform in the present tariff ness in the faith an«i trust of the neopl? laws. VVe do not propose to deal with ought uot to be tolerated. While th? these conditions by merely attempting heavy burdens incident to the necessi to satisfy the |»eople of the truth of ab ties of government are coinplainingl.v stract theories, nor by alone urging their borne, light burdens become grievous assent to a political doctrine. We pre and intolerable when not justifi?«! by sent to them the projiosition that they are unjustly treated by the extent of the such necessities. present federal taxation ; that as a result UNNECESSARY TAXATION a condition of extreme danger exists; Is unjust taxation, and yet this is our that it is for them to demand the remedy condition. We are annually collecting at and that defense and safety promise«! in our custom houses and by means of our the guarantees of a free government. We believe the same means which are internal reveue taxation, many millions adopt«?«! to relieve the treasury of its in excess of all legitimate public needs. present surplus and prevent, its recur As a consequence there now’ remains in rence should cheapen to the people the the national treasury a surplus of more, cost of supplying their daily wants. Both than $130,000,000. No l>etter evidence of these objects we seek in part to gain by could t»e furnished than that the people reducing present tariff rates on the nec are exorbitantly taxed. The extent of essaries of life. We fully appreciate the the superfluous burden indicated by this importance to the country of domestic surplus will lie better appreciated when industrial enterprise. In the rectification it is suggested such surplus alone repre <jf existing wrongs their maintainancr sents a taxation aggregating more than and prosperity should lie carefully and in $108,000 in a country containing 50,000 a friendly spirit considered. Even such inhabitants. Taxation has always been reliance on the present revenue arrange a feature of organized government hard ments as have been invited or encour est to reconcile with the people’s idea age! should be fairly regarded. of freedom an«l happiness when pre Abrupt and radical changes, which sented in a direct way. Nothing will might endanger such enterprises and arouse popular discontent more quickly injuriously affect the interests of labor and profoundly than unjust and unnec dependent >n their success and continu essary taxation. ance. ar? not contemplated or intended. Our farmers, merchants, laborers an«l But we knew the cost of our domestic all our citizens closely scan the siifhteM products is increased and their price increase in taxes assess?«! on their land to consumers enhanced by a duty im and other property and demand a good posed on the raw material used in their reason for such increase, and vet they manufacture We know that this in seem to be expected in some quarters to 1 creased cost prevents the sale of our regard the unnecessary volume of insidi productions foreign markets in compe ous and indirect taxation visited upon tition with ‘.hose of mintries which them by our present rate of tariff duties I have the with indifference, if not with favor. ADVANTAGE OF FREE 1«W m M e RIAL. THE SURPLUS REVENUE We know that «onfined to a home mar Now* remaining in the treasury m»t onfe ket, etrr rnanofac taring operations are furnishes conclusive evidence ot unjust curtailed, thei: demand for labor irregu- taxation but its existence constitutes a 1 lar, and the rrtes of wages paid tim er- separate and independent menace to th? ■ tain. prosperity of the people. This vast ac We propose, therefore, to stimulate cumulation of idle funds represents that t our domestic ri'lnstrial enterprises by rnueh money drawn from the ein-ulation freeing front duty imported raw material of the country which is needed in the which by the employment of labor ar? channels of trade and business. Jt is a used in our homi manufactures, thus ex great mistake to suppose that the conse tending the maikets for their sale and quences which follow the continual with permitting an increased and steady pro- drawal and hoarding by the government <lq<2ion with allowance of ab«inuant of the cnrrency of lhe people are not el True to the underiating courte of the.. Democratic party we • will not neglect .Jhe interests of our laborers and our workingihen. In al) our efforts to remedy existing evils we will furnish no excuse for the loss of employment or the reduc tion of the wages of honest toll. On the contrary, we propose, in any adjustment of our revenue laws, to concede such en couragement and advantage to the em ployes of domestic labor as will easily compensate for any difference that may exist between the standard of wages which should be paid to our laboring men and the rate allowed in other coun tries. We propose, to^ by extending the markets for our manufacturers, to promote steady employment of labor, while, by cheapening the cost of the necessaries of life, w’e increase the pur chasing power of the workingman’s wages and add to the comforts of his home. Before passing from this phase of the question I am constrained to express the opinion that while the INTERESTS OF LABOR Should always be sedulously regarded in any modification of our tariff laws, an additional and more direct and efficient protection to these interests would be afforded by the restriction and prohibi tion of immigration, or the importation of laborers from other countries who swarm upon our shores, having no pur pose or intent of becoming our fello^r citizens or acquiring any permanent, in terest in our country, but who crowd every field of employment with an unin telligent labor which ought not to satisfy those who make a claim to American citizenship. The platform of our party contains the following declaration : “Judged by dem ocratic principles, the interests of the l»eople arc betrayed when, by unneces sary taxation, trusts and combinations are permitted and fostered, while only enriching the few that combine for the robbery of our citizens by depriving them as purchasers of the benefits of nat ural competition.’’ Such combinations have always been condemned by the Democratic party. The declaration of its national convention is sincerely made, and no member of our party will be found excusing the existence or be littling the pernicious results of these devices to wrong the people. Under va rious names they have been punished by the common law for hundreus of years, and they have lost none of their hateful features because they have assumed the name of trusts instead of conspiracies. We believe these trusts are the natural out spring of a market artificially re stricted. An inordinately high tariff, besides furnishing temptations for their existence, enlarges the limit within which they may operate against the peo- ple, and thus increases the. extent of their power for wrong doing. With an unalterable hatred of all such schemes, we count the checking of their baleful operations among the good re sults promised by revenue reform. While we cannot avoid partisan misrep resentation, our position upon the ques- tion of revenue reform should be so plainly stated as to admit of no misun derstanding. We have entered upon no crusade of free trade. The reform we seek to inaugurate is predicated upon the utmost care for established industries and enterprises, a jealous regard for the interests of American labor and a sincere desire to relieve the country from the injustice and danger of a condition which threatens evil to all the people of the land. We are dealing with NO IMAGINARY DANGER. Its existence has been repeatedly con fessed by all ¡»olitical parties, and pledges of remedy have been made on all sides. Yet, in the legislative body where under the constitution all remedial measures applicable to this subject must originate, when the Democratic majority were at tempting with extreme moderation to redeem these pledges common to both parties, they were met by the deter mined opposition and obstruction of the minority refusing to co-operate in the House of Representatives or to propose another remedy; but they have remitted the redemption of their party pledge to the doubtful power of the Senate. The people will hardly be deceived by their abandonment of the field of legis lative action to meet in political conven tion and flippantly declare in their party platform that our conservative ami care fill effort to relieve the situation is de structive to the American system of pro tection, nor will the people be misled by the appeal to prejudice contained in the absurd allegation that we serve the in terests of Europe while they support the interests of America. They propose in their platform to thus support the interests of our country by removing the internal revenue tax from tobacco ami upon spirits used in the arts and for mechanical purposes, they de clare also that there should be such a re vision of our tariff laws as shall tend to check the imrx/rtation of such articles as are produced here. Thus, in proposing to increase the duties upon such articles to nearly or quite a prohibitory point, they confess themselves willing to travel backward in. the road of civfWzation and deprive the people of markets for their .goods which can only l»e gained by a semblance at least of an interchange of business, while they abandon our con sumers to the unrestrained oppression of trusts and combinations which are in the same platform perfunctorily condemned. They propose, further, to release en tirely from import duties all articles of foreign production except luxuries the like of which cannot lie produced in this country. The plaiu people of the land and the poor who scarcely use artictes of any description produced extjludvblV abroad and not alrea«ly free, wiR find it difficult to discover where their interests are regarded in this proposition. need in their homes cheaper domestic necessaries, and this seems to be entirely unprovided for in this proposed scheme to serve the coantry. Small compensation for this neglected need is found in the further purpose here announced anil covered by the declara tion that if, after tne changes already mentioned, there still remain a larger revenue than is requisite for the wants of the government, the entire internal taxation should lie repealed “rather than surrender any part of out protective sys tem.’’ Our PEOPLE ASK RELIEF From the undue and unnecessary burden of taxation now resting on them. They are offered free tobacco and free whisky. They ask for bread and they are given a stone. The implication in this party declara tion that desperate measures are justified or necessary to save from destruction or surrender what is termed our protective system should confuse no one. The ex istence of such a -system is entirely con sistent, with the regulation of the extent to which it should be applied and the correction of its abuse. Of course, in a country as great as this, with such wonderful varietv of interests often lead ing in entirely different directions, it is impossible to settle upon a perfect tariff plan, but in accomplishing the * reform we have entered upon, the necessity of which is so obvious I believe we should not be content with the reduction of revenue involving the prohibition of importation and the. removal of the in- ternal'tax on whisky. It « an l»e better and more safely done within the lines of granting actual relief to the people in their means of living, and at the same time giving an improvement to our do mestic enterprises and furthering our national welfare. If misrepresentations of our purposes and motives are to gain credence and defeat our present effort, in this direc tion, there seems to be no reason why every endeavor in future to accomplish REVENUE REFORM Should not be likewise attacked and with like result, and yet no thoughtful man can fail to see in the continuance of the present burden of the people and the abstraction by the government of the currency of the country, inevitable dis tress and disaster. All danger will be averted bv timely action. The difficulty of applying tJiw remedy Will never be less and the blame should hot be laid at the door of the Democratic party if it is ap plied too Jate. With a firm faith in the intelligenc? and patriotism of our countrymen, and relying upon the conviction that misrep resentation will not influence them, prejudice will notcloud their understand, ing, and that menace will not intimidate them, let us urge the people’s interest and a public duty for the vindication of our attempt to iimuguraAe a righteous and beneficial reform." GROV ER CLEVELAND. Whom Protection Protects. Chicago News (Rap.^. . • Hardly a.d^y passes that some new phase of the labor question is not pre sented. Yesterday the Americap work men engaged in the Plymouth rolling- mill at Coshocton, <)., set atmul driving out of the place a recent importation of foreign « heap laborers, who had been brought in by the owners of the mills. These foreign laborers are Italians who have been recently imported to take the places of American workmen at reduced wages. Last week the foreign workmen were warned that it would be better for them to leave town, an«l several did leave. A body of Poles, however, did not go, and a riot took place last night. It is easy to moralize on this question and discuss the personal rights of indi viduals in this “great, free republic.’’ But it is not curious that at a time when American workmen were being cajoled and threatened to walk up anti vote for the protection of these same iron-masters, on the ground that “protecting th«? man ufacturer is protecting the laborer,” while they themselves are putting th? knife to tlie throat of the American la- liorer by im|>orting Hungarians, Poles and Italians to supplant them In the very industries the workman is asked to use his vote to protect. Is it not time that the fiction that a protective tariff in creases the wages ol the workingmen was fully ex posed and exjJoded/ His the highest protected industries that are the in<jst grinding, rapac ious an«l nig gardly, to their employes, and it is those industries in which trades unions are the most effective an«I necessary, (’annul the workingmen in this country tie made to iinderstiind that a tariff I ip I^ m the manufacturer only, an«l that any benefit the laliorer derives froriK ti^U I* wrung from the employer,. Ithe moat determined efforts and action^ A few 4hi<(’ gh Q« m Son affair plight to show workingthe In-* sincerity of much that is teld «thwm of the blessings of a continuance of a sys tem under which they have suffered iut long. While wealthy monopolists flop to the Republican party with a great noise, lhe- intelligent commoners are quietly joining the tariff refonn procession aa i.t grandly moves to victory.— Pitk^hra Putt. W