New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-02-19
PROTECTION VS.. FREE TRADE
wILKESON ON WELLS.
20 he Ed,tor Of The Tribune

80 ~ ~, a,,o, oh,r,t, school at West Point in
command OF armies and gave TO them 10 sehu 'he youth
and The howcr of land 10 ilSSaero anu "ouS anu
,,lrou death IN hospitals there came 10 washington
H. another nscratahle permission an unknown Rustic
-, the marvellous adventure Of making himself the
5sut of the Revenues and the administrator
81 the Finances Of the United States Of America in the
midst a. a war which millions Of fighting
His equipment for this vast work practice in the
use OF pair 81 scissors and paste-pot He had cut
shiacs oa onewspapcrs and books, and published them
as vOlGle q science His look, when not sidelong, was
prone o. the earth. lie had the air OF being watched.
and he Tried to stink out of sight as he
walked. aYis man. writing for hire against
- covntry', industry to the Golden Free Trade
club in Lot0n, giNos relish OF malice to his Nat hash
Say,'R sGo. and Bastat, by saying that the argl-
i..at iu ms pamphlet, How the National Debt, well
managed nay prove National Blessing" TO show that
lie Funded Debt the Certificates of Indebtedness, and
e. G.cen sack issues of the United States, prdc
icI.y au addition to the mOneyed capital of the
cou:.ry. "v undoubtedly 90 down to history as one
a.. r,., mos. ,,r.ns Of financial absurdities" Alas
5.a.c is something Tor American history far more ~"
Ioas than jlt Lc?csy in the creed of the fools ""c
'vt' ftor .s less theories grind nations TO 'o""',
have tina 10 make bat sclnt contribution 10 VI"
l..to,s r;t i pause my way to 1t TO lc'h pnoA ." Wv
ROBUST L-,.I, OF distinguished banl-r Va w" ''N
ty.a13 tae a0lest hrln.icr OF III. ways anu "''"'
COMMITTEE, be stood ~" foo oi the iIouf" VI ,P
,..c,q.i.cs on the ION of Aar 1864. ana uttered ny
s41-.-por, jhc truth. which the untruthtu nature ana
1a, clas. intellect Of us htcing of the BRUSH Free
Taa, i.e.-r, cannot receive;
.e. I,ce-aayrge' sons color 70 a. pr'no1.S3 ',.
..c litl nave ft. 'ct ~ 'h'i k'', N ",
t,r - 'e' iai even ne Nee sar IN, n'2 2 OF
.- ,-.s -.,es,net ana I'o0c yenos' Of tier industry
l,rtc Revenue Commissioners were appointed NJ
~, bead Of them a OF ripe fame as writer on
, ,aory aui Finance; men quoted and consulted for
l. i'm Iir-, and complicated affairs man OF prac-
tt.al lr,ri..5 ~ and trained wisdom in two important
i.1l.s os mauufao turing industry The hats of all
Dill. D.. vlv r..0 10 VIII be lifted when name stephen
C..r.' H.. D.. ,Dg.S ucfn the Revenue ComniS>Ion'
t. r, o. 10 devise and to establish systems OF eX-
t... .ll ternal revenue. country at this moment
v4rll he g. e .,eo q, tie tTccS and the most powerful
O.. fI. el Bu. lie had Two associates. One OF them
~t.-15n whose co 'inwont was the pair OF scissors
aud tie rl-.e-p0t, who looked conscious OF being
watched ana who Rugged the walls and fences as he
~ scl 'o...9- Downward when he did not look side
l.- Tl.v.uAof tbc t.4ec Commissioners divided
1.,rcl tb.n In time. Two OF Them reported 1.-THE third
,- t.,J .ocI water by the man with the paste-pot,
.aj officially Drowned uttar!ug feeble resentment at
li-I-" 70, fhe Commission reports were published.
stephen CJi Wells work The product of statesman
aa- Lasted fine true principles of national and i'll
Transitional 1nony. The logic as clear and as per-
t- o. DENOMINATION in ma hemaJics. The facts and
,.,.r..e, which sustained the argument and proved
tla con .ls concurrent and complete. Through
eng. Gin. q, .olp he'd Economists work was admirable
t- te c.t4olcity of its for all. his conscientious
.rx fr his coun,vs greatness and remarkable for
tl.,.,> and beautiful srilfOrGetiuness and i'm
rrI,,nsl TINS Report s h.dGcnaway in the back part
e. ths volume dumped topOf it was mass Of rub
i tie i,ut product of that pair OF scissors aud that
loi ur p.-t. supplemented with clippings from note
l,ar v.,1 which the clGoier OF financial shreds had
CONNIE. I'd 10 educate him- III the great American
Iu.t.,. .oa.u.,," by jot.ilc down what he CHANGED
O., ay.r ..s say OF wage, prices, cost and products
| ISL. c,.r through tbs astonishingly puerle,
.r'.-.. ..j pjntlrss work, Outcropped visible
vein a.. yilIiuy. The feeling of disgust in
l.. WIS displaced by alarm. The treason
q Er Free Trade stuck ont of this heap of refuse
ikrt.. --e points OF The scraps of til, in the dirt
leaps ar5lI Towns Had the grand the vital business
{. H"y-I-a system OF revenue for the United States,
l-u ia tllt into the hands Of man whose creed at
81 represented the intcrc Of foreign manufacturers
..I. importers. and hostile to the interests of his
own couuuut
yeut to Stephen C,lwel,, and 1 asked him what
va> tie meaning of ;lo precedence given to the
r,r. o., David \. Well. and of the burial OF his
o.r V,k H., an ur.4lspcrJUs and undesignated place
lir... .,'r.l- lir CDytl t1d me, in the sad sweet
s..- M watch IAjdolpAiau, Will recall the grand old
gentleman. when speaking OF pablc misfortune, that
N.-t .l..c tJ h.m one day, when lie was weary with
otr,to aul begged TO DE permitted to take the head
O. n. C.lssl.I siyIug that Mr.. COlwell was famous
AID ,i in cu successes. ani that he was young ana
100. ana o scure and anxious to make pane and to
.f on I'D tine world Taken by surprise unsuspcious,
generous. md modest and out, too, with unusual
I,rs ,.c ,r.at man made the mistake of concession
end r'., ID Free Trade Effected Judgment in the Policy
and Finances OF the Government Of the United States
The Utp OF the 80 ssOrs and the pastepOt who Rugged
the walls and tne fences he walked, and who ever
looked downward when he did not look sidelong, now
ceased 90 BE- contemplate. DAVID A. Wells became
.Wr lie could 90 INTO and out of the rooms OF the sen
Id. Committee on Finance and the House Committee on
Nv. and Means TIc could enter the guarded room OF
tc secretary Of the Treasury. lie could 20 upon the
r,oftc son and the floor of the House while either
isiy v ia session. lie could glide through the figures
rf a debate at either end Of the Capitol, ana
whisper with the enemies Of Tariff. His once
ide Ln adtant 10 the Finance bills aud the Revenue
IIsiabatA Of those C0mmitee-rOoms. Though with
,0- , riyat to be in either and unprivi-
icr.d to open bis mouth in either, save to an
-,ger a question, he always present when mea-
sues concerning either the Customs Finances were
under discussion, and always got his schemes
hearing and constantly hut steathily worked for
the fo-ei n importers He Rugged the furniture and the
walls Of tine cOmmitee-rOODs he walked. and he ever
looked down save when he looked sdeOng-but he
avenged himself or hls CONSCIOUSNESS OF DdSehoss anu
lcni-s y stabbng his cOuntrys Industry, aud stab
bIuy H. and stabbug again Wells OF course Will deny
fha' he begged h place the Commission from stephen
C0we and will deny that il given 10 him in charity
Tie grca. Economist IN his grave and cannot witness
flI But surely he must often have 6eWailed his gen
lou error ga the circle OF his life in Philadelphia ask
Henry C. Carey, william Elder Samuel Reeves, stephen
Fraley John Hayes they had not this history, sub
etau,ily Is told It, from stephen COlwells lips
* inc departed gentleman sons If they heard not their
theI tell this crafty fraud on his generous and trust
Twas an era OF nrmy-rOOted imbecilities and shams.
and lies, II required disasters like Bull Run, and nor
or. ike Balls Buh TO waken occasionally the People
and tLc Government to the consciousness Of the truth
That the life nation committed III large part
10 organized idocy. The organized scoundrelism was
roucerived for IL did not crush entire states With
widowhood aud orphaDage, and create fever Tor s%lt
lctrbution. l did what could to pull up David A.
Wells by the roots az least had the success 10 put MN