The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1891-01-16


Democrats VIII Keep she Question op~a
For the Hattie of 'o2.
Congressman William N. Springer
was recently in New York. and While
there he was interviewed BY = incmbcr
Of the Reform Club ON the present ont
look Of tariff reform. The Illinois
Congressman said:
"The Republican politicians Of Wash
ington are now cndeavoring 20 divert
public attention from the principal issue
upon which they were rcpudiatcd at the
November election. They seem 70 be
Of the opinion that there is but one way
open through which success is possible
in ls92. Upon the tariff question they
have been thoroughly rcpudiated. They
now hope BY reviving sectional issues,
through and by means Of the force bill
end appeals 70 sectional prejudice, 10
reform political issues upon other lines
than tariff and taxation. In this they
will be As much disappointed a. 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 IL
has eventuated in practical legislation
in accordance with their demands IL
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 rnder our conservative methods we
must abide the constitutional forms re-
quircd for securing results.
ION 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
fulfillmcnt 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 q reversal Of the pop
ular Judgment In Novemb Der upona 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 fiattering one: it
can never be realized
Competition has already done its
perfect work in this country in the mat
ter Of reducing prices Soperfectly has
competition been carried on that com
bination for the purpose Of arrcsting
competition has been resortcd TO all
along the line. There Is scarce
ly a 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 o. nearly all the capital engaged in
given industry, and by this combine
ton complete control Of the output
and prices has been secured. In Other
cases more mild type Of combination
has been rcsorted to- In some cases
the combination has been secured by
means Of correspondence between the
various interests and q 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-
bic by the mutual concurrence Of those
engaged in the business
Those, therefore, who look 70 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
will come without the tariff; It is en-.
tirely independent Of IL In most lines
Of industry il 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 perceptiblc in the brief
space Of two years. Lower prices, Sc
cured by reduction Of wages, would be
attended with greater disaster than II
present prices should be maintained and
wages increased; 90 that wherever
cheapncss 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 Il seems
rorclusivc that the RcDuh1ican nar-fv