, 1892-02-06
GO FOR EN-, SPRINGER.
That Is What Economist Wells
Tells the Illinoisian.
He Is Enthusiastic Over Sprin-
gers Plan of Attack.
Grandma Thayer Has Herself
Interviewed Once More.
Economist wells o Springer.

Economist wells Ddorse Springer.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 5. Chairman
SprineeI's policy Of attacking the Repub-
lican high tariff by separate bills has found
endorsement from the great political
economist and father OF tariff reform. Hon.
David A. Wells of Connecticut. At the
next conference of the Democratic mem
bers OF the ways and means committee a
letter will be read not only endorsing
SpriDger's policy as the wisest party
course at this time but intimating even If
the Democrats controlled both houses OF
congress and the executive a seperate bill
plan rather titan a measure for a general
revision would he the wiser course.
That a gentleman whose works and es-
says for years has served as the chief
Democratic literature 10 the agitation for
tariff reduction should approve the plan
now adopted by the Democrats of the
ways and means committee is naturally a
source of great graf ~fication to Springer
and the other members of the house who
have stood as the advocates Of a separate
bill policy as opposed to a demand for the
attempt at a general revision. Mr.. Wells,
in mis- letter. referring to the framing OF a
complete new bill, says no bill can be
framed that will not contain incongruities.
errors, and perhaps absurdities, winch
only time and experience will reveal.
In the hot partisan discussion following
such a bill all the weak points will be ex
aggerated and used to obscure the more
important issues and confuse the public.
We cannot afford to give the enemy any
advantage in discussion or opportunities
for befogeing the real issues. Again,
with a complete tariff bill the friends OF
reform would have to meet the entire
force of protecuonists, active and com
pact through the attraction of a further
opportunity for public plumber.
On the other hand, under a tentative
plan that OF comparatively few issues-a
tendency of those interests not immedi.
ately affected would be to s~lugeishness
and indifference. The old maxim divide
and conquer" seems, therefore, to Wells,
the most pertinent under existing circum-
stances. He also asks the attention to
the matter of Historical experience, full of
suggestion which thus far seems to have
been overlooked, and that is that Sir Rob.
ert Peel, in dealing with exactly the same
problem, but from a British standpoint.
adopted a tentative method and owed all
VI Ills great SuCcesS 10 tHe IacU tndL ne ulu
adopt it.
Mr.. Wells then goes on to detail the
attacks made by Peel in 1912, I845 and
1916 on the British tariff laws. and how
under a continuation of his policy, after
he left Office. the last relic of the British
navigation laws were swept from the
statute book in 1852 and the policy of
Great Britain became wholly a~ntagonistic
to the maintainence and enactment OF
any laws restrictive of the freedom of ex-
change or imposition of the taxes for any
purpose other than revenue. And [
venture to predict" said MIR. Wells.
that if we now adopt the same policy
history on a grander scale will repeat itself.
Every relaxation of existing ~restric.
tiops on trade will increase trade and the
blessing of freedom and the exemption
from ell unnecessary taxation will be 30
understood and appreciated by the masses
ot our people that retrogressive action
will not be tolerated. Furthermore. by
adopting this method and sending to the
senate a few simple bills enacted by the
house, removing the duties on wool, salt.
coal, lumber. tin plate and the like, the
Democratic party will define and formulate
a plan and scope on which the tariff
debate in the coming presidential contest
shall be conducted.