The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-02-01

membership has just been recruited from the
immediate adherents Of Beecher. The vice.
president and factotum is Thomas G.. Shearman,
famous as the managing counsel in the scandal
trial, and other of Plymouth leaders on the new
roll are Fl. c. Claflin. Gen. G. D. Christensen,
Frederick w. Hinrichs, Deacon John Howard,
Horace E. Deming and the Rev. Charles Hall.
The first public move was an address by David
A. Wells. But Beecher himself is preparing to do
some OF his abiest speaking on the subject. He
said This will likely be my last political fight,
and go into it to win" He
referred your correspondent to Mr., Shearman for
particulars, and that gentleman said that he was
devoting most of his time to the club. He added:
+" The Brooklyn Revenue Reform Club is about
equally divided between the two parties. It is
bent on agitation for free trade, and other
wise is non partisan. A circular was sent out to
about $50 gentlemen, signed by Mr.. Beecher, in
viting conference upon the subject About
fifty took part in it, and the only question was
to determine whether it should be an absolutely
free trade organization, or rather one for the
discussion of the subject without committing its
members to extreme views. It was decided to
adopt the name Revenue Reform Club in order
W AtSp IL Out oL pdTJlodu poiitiCSs DuO VIC
greater part of the members of the club have
always been radical free traders. With them
are associated number of more moderate ad
vocates of revenue reform, and even few mild
protectionists. The club seeks to promote dis
cussion and to its public meetings invites pro-
tectionists as well as free traders to take part
1t will give annual course of lectures in which
rrotectionists are invited to take part.
ut is not too much to say that it was due to
the work done by Mr.. Beecher and his friends
more than to anything else, that, whereas in
1882 all the members of Congress from Brook
lyn voted in favor Of increasing the tariff, the
members elected since then are on the other
side. All voted against Mr.. Randall for Speak
er. Three of them, one being Republican,
voted for the consideration of the Morrison bill
reducing the tariff; and although on the final
vote the Republican member was overborne by
his associates, he distinctly stated that he was
in favor of large reductions of duties. He was
reelected last November 1884, by large major
ity. The free-trade campaign in Iowa was al
most entirely organized under the direction of
this cotere. We shall hereafter do vast
amount of such work. We became interested
in two or three Iowa young free traders and en-
abled them to organize the whole State
WlJnOuC BeecherS assistance the Work
could not have been done We
shall assist in. starting national movement,
especially throughout Western States. Our in
fuence has already had marked results in Mich
igan, Iowa, Nebraska and Missouri. The club
has prepared for a series of lectures for 1885,
The first of them was that delivered by David A.
Wells. 1t will also hold local meetings for the
purpose of reaching workingmen in different
cities. It's fund is not large, but it conducts its
affairs economically, and issues and distributes
many thousands of tracts and pamphlets 1t is
the intention of managers to do the strictly
educational work. leaving it to other organiza-
tions to bring to bear more direct influence in
politics. They are satisfied that the process has
been entirely successful in the past. Although
the average politician is quite unable to compre-
hend that any association which never nomi-
mates anybody can have any political influence,
he will find out that this, as political society,
has very great influence upon political action.