Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1891-01-10
THE OUTLOOK FOR REFORM.

Congressman Springer Gives His Views On
the Sltuatlon-The Predicament Of the
Republicans on the Tsrin Question-The
Democrats VIII Keep the Question Open
For the Battle Of '92.
Congressman William NJ. Springer
was recently in New York, and while
there he was interviewed by 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
will 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 viii NOT gey 1shis issue until II
has evenMated 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
bill would be repudiated Immediately;
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 bettering 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
fulfillment 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 reversal of the pop
ular judgment in November 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 competi-
ton. This hope is a fattering one; it
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
bination for the purpose of arresting
competition has been rcsorted to all
along the line. There is scarce
ly 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 combination has taken the
form of trusts or organized monopolies.
These trusts have secured the concentra-
ton of nearly all the capital engaged In
given industry and by this combina-
ton 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 as 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 reduction of prices
will be deceived. Prices of manu-
factured 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
will come without the tariff; it is en-
tirely independent Of 1t. 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-speaking in 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.
IL, uOWCNCi, thC iVd'tSIS VI bic pdi "
should determine to reverse their posi-
ton, overturn the leadership of Harri-
son. Mckinley and Reed, and put Mr..
Blaine forward with the implied prom
Use of the repeal of the Mckinley bill,
the enlargement of trade through reci-
procity and the bettering of their condi-
ton by repudiating all that the Repub-
lican party has done since it came into
power, 1t will find this latter condition
more hopeless than the former.
president Harrison in his message to
Congress pointed with pride to the
fact that there had been, recently, an
increase in the prices Of agricultural
products, such as corn, wheat, ETC., and
he endeavored to convey the impression
that such increased price of agricult-
ural products was the result of the Nc
Kinley bill. Nothing could be further
from the truth. II he had taken pains
to examine the report on the condition
of the crops-which issued from the
Agricultural Department almost stimuli
taneously with his message - he
would have found that in Kan
sas the average yield of corr
per acre was only eleven bushels
whereas II ought to have been thirty
The very fact that there is almost q