The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1891-01-09
THE OUTLOOK FOR REFORM.


For the Battle of 90
Congressman William NJ. Springer
was recently in New York, and while
there he was interviewed by a member
of the Reform Club on the present out
look of tariff reform The Illinois
Congressman said;
THE Republican politicians OF Wash
ingtOn are now endeavOring to divert
public attention from the principal issue
upon which they were rePudiated at the
November election. They seem to be
OF the opinion that there is but one way
open through which success is possible
in 1892 Upon the tariff question they
have been thoroughly repudiated. They
now hope by reviving sectional issues,
through and by means of the force bill
and appeals to sectional prejudice, to
reform political issues upon other lines
than tariff and taxation. In this they
viii be as much disappointed as they
were overwhelmed by the result of the
recent election The people OF the cOun-
try have pronounced against taxation
of the many for the benefit of the few.
They will not give up this issue until it
has eventUated in practical Legislation
In accordance with their demands. If
we were now living under the form OF
government which prevails in monarch
ical England, the new Congress would
be at once convened and the Mckinley
= y
but under our conservative methods we
must abide the constitutional forms re-
quired for securing results.
''On the tariff question the Republic
ans can neither go forward or backward
with any prospect of lettering their
condition. To stand still is conceded de-
feat; to move in the other direction Of
fers scarcely less advantage. If they
go forward they must rely upon the
fulhllment of pledges made before the
election and pending the passage of the
Mckinley bill, to the effect that while
prices of articles affected by the tariff
might be temporarily advanced, yet,
ultimately and in the near future, by
means of competition, such prices could
be greatly reduced and articles would
be sold cheaper than before the passage
of the bill, thus placing their reliance
in the future for a reversal of the pop
ular Judgment in NOvem Der upon claim
that competition is to come to their re-
lief, and that by the time of the next
Presidential election the people will be
in the full enjoyment of cheap neces-
saries of life secured through COMPETE
ton. This hope is d fiattering one; il
can never be realized.
Competition has already done its
perfect work in this country in the mat
ter of reducing prices. So perfectly has
competition been carried on that COM
DtAdIlOH IOE Tie pose OF drTSSClnR
competition has been resorted to all
along the line. There is scarce
~ manufacturing industry in the
United States that is not more or less
controlled by. some kind of combination
for the purpose of limiting the output
and regulating the prices. In some
cases this com bination has taken the
form of trusts, or organized monopolies.
These trusts have secured the concentra-
ton of nearly all the capital engaged in
a given industry, and by this cOmbina-
ton a complete control OF the output
and prices has been secured. In other
cases a more mild type of combination
has been resOrted to. In some cases
the combination has been secured by
means of correspondence between the
various interests and tacit agreement
reached to output and prices, year
after year. But through one form or
another scarcely an industry can be
mentioned in which further competi-
ton is not prevented or made impossi-
BILE by the mutual concurrence of those
engaged in the business.
''Those, therefore, who look to COM
petition for q reduction of prices
will be deceived. Prices of manu-
featured articles can only be reduced,
while the Mckinley bill is in force, by
the reduction of wages or by the adOp-
ton of improved processes. The latter
tirely independent of it. In most lines
OF industry it would seem that the pro-
cesses of manufacture were almost per-
feet at this time; but still we may hope
for continual improvement in this di-
rection, although such improvement
will scarcely be perceptible in the brief
space of two years. Lower prices, Sc
cured by reduction of wages, would be
attended with greater disaster than if
present prices should be maintained and
wages increased; SO that wherever
cheapness is secured by reduction of
wages the remedy Will be worse than
the disease-spealzing IN a political
sense-as it will affect the interests of
the Republican party. Hence it seems
| conclusive that the Republican party
can not improve its position on the
tariff or on taxation by adhering to the
Mckinley bill.
eff, however, the leaders of the party
should determine to reverse their posi-