The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-02-06

mating that even if the Democrats con-
trolled both houses of Congress and the
executive. the separate bill plan. rather
than q measure for general revision, would
be the wiser course. The letter OF Mr..
Wells is addressed to the chairman of the
the ways and means committee. and is as
follows:
L have given considerable thought to your
question as to the best method of procuring
tariff reform by legislation and lind myself more
and more inclined TO the opinion that even II the
Democratic party was I'm full control Of both
branches Of Congress and OF the executive, the
wisest and most practical plan would be what
To frame new tariff bill wisely. emb0dying re-
form ideas-even IL the plan OF the Walker tarih
or 1S46 Is adopted as astructuralmodel-will re-
quire much time, great labor and almost super
human wisdom. The best experts can rarely
tell where, IN our complicated industrial and
commercial organization, the final incidence OF
any tax will fall No bill can be framed that
will not contain incongruities, inexpediencies,
errors, and. perhaps absurdities, which only
partisan political discussion that will follow such
q bill, all these weak points will be picked out,
exaggerated and used to obscure more impor-
Suppose, for example, the proposed bill puts
works OF art. paintings and statuary, not ordi-
nary merchandise, on the free list, as would be
desirable The argument in favor of such iegis-
laton is that such products do not need the pro-
lection OF any tariff; that all civilized countries
and OF not restricting them, and that their pres
ence in the country develops artistic tastes
mand for % artistic products and SO calls into ex-
fstence new domestic industries employing
highly skilled labor at high wages, both OF men
and women. But how much would this plea
avail before the great mass OF voters in the agri
cultural districts with a political opponents
counterasser.l1ns Una. IS.ores ana ,aa,s ~
luxury. and are. therefore. eminently nt sub
jects for taxationi Can we afford 60 give the en-
emy any advantages in discussion or opp0rtuni-
ties for befogging the real issues.
Again. with a complete tariff bill the friends OF
reform would have to meet the entire force OF
the protectionists-active and compact through
the attraction of further opportunity for public
plunder. On the other hand, under the tentative
tendency of those interests not Immediately az
fected would be to sluggshness and indifference.
The old maxim. divide and conquer" seems to
me, therefore, most pertinent under existing cir
cumstances.
SIR ROBERT PEEL's PLAN.
would also ask your attention to q matter OF
historical experience. full Of suggestion. which
thus far seems to have been entirely overlooked,
and that is, that Sir Robert Peel, in dealing with
exactly the same problem as now confronts
tariff legislators but from . British standpoint,
adopted the tentative method, and owed all Of
his great to the fact that he did adopt it
At the time Mr.. Peel took office, in 1e41, the
British tariff was in every feature extremely pro-
tective or better, extremely restrictive on Brit
ish foreign commerce, as 1t had been for
greater number of articles than the Mckinley
law. The first measure or bill for tariff reform.
introduced by him in ls42. was very conserva-
tive and proposed little more than the removal
of duties from crude materials essential TO man
ufacture, with O view OF cheapening the cost OF
has been since characterized in history as an
elaborate attempt to foster trade by reducing
import duties, and. at the same time, continuing
violent opposition. Precisely the same argu-
ments were brought forward In favor of the con-
in SUPPORT eao Of the them eaisns British tariff
The same predictions Of impending disaster to
domestic Industries as are now made were
bill proposed by Sir Robert Peel became law.
No further impor. tariff legislation was pro-
Years the benefcisl infIuenee of the tarif redue
tions of 1S42 had become so manifest in reyiv-
ing industry and commerce that Mr.. Peel's chief
opponents In the former year became his chief
supporters in the latter, and voiced q general
public sentiment in demanding further and
greater reforms. A bin was accordingly intro
duced and passed In 1S45 removing or reducing
the duties on large additional number of arti-
cles. but still maintaining protective duties both
products, and IL was not until ls46 that Sir Rob
ert Peel directly attacked the protectionist sys.
TEN by introducing and passing the bill which re-
pealed the corn laws and greatly reduced or
entirely removed the duties on manufactured
products.
After this although Sir Robert Peel did not
remain In office, his policy continued. but IL
was not until 1852, when the last relic OF the
British navigation laws was swept from the
came wholly antagonistic to the maintenance
and enactment Of any laws restrictive to free
dom OF exchange or the imposition or duties for
any other purpose than revenue.
HISTORY WOULD REPEAT ITSELF
From this brief review Of British experience
1t is clear that II Sir Robert Peel, In 1912, had
attempted to reform the British tariff q whole
and adopted any course in dealing with his
problem other than the tentative one, he would
not thave been successful And venture to pre-
dict that It we now adopt the same policy. his-
tory on q grander SCALE would repeat itself.
Every relaxation of the existing restriction on
freedom and Of exemption from all unnecessary
taxation will be so understood and appreciated
by the masses Of our people that retrogressive
A brief word further. BY adopting the tenta-
tive method and sending 10 the Senate few
ing duties on wool. salt coal. lumber. tin.plate
and the iike-the Democratic party will define
and formulate the plan and scope on which
shall be conducted. General debate win to q
great extent be dispensed with, and discussion
will will be concentrated once on the essentials. ais Every
OF taxation from such articles as above specified
puts himself at once on the defensive and in q
position sure to be politically uncomfortable.
The masses have been and probably always will
be slow to comprehend the tariff question when
discussed generally, but they will not be slow 10
recognize and appreciate the effect OF taxation
on commodities that enter directly and largely
into their consumption and increase the most OF
their living and products.
1t is assumed that none OF the reforms in the
tarih, which IL is proposed 10 embody In separate
bills, can receive the sanction OF the Senate and
executive and become enactments. This L do
not regard as altogether certain But, suppose
the assumption is to be fully warranted by ex-
perience, and that In the coming presidential
| contest the people indorse by their votes the
action OF the House. Then In the next Congress,
or the next session OF the Ffty-second Congress,
| twould be wise 10 renew the detailed measures
face of decided ratification OF them by the people
1t would be difficult TO how they could be
jected And II accepted, even In part, the future
work of reforming the tariff, either by
| general bill, or In detail. would be
| comparatively easy, for every interest deprived
would follow the example of the quinne manu-
facturers when this commodity was put on the
free list and become ardent tariffreformers, GO
suggesting the fable of the old fox, who. when
he lost his tail in trap, was most anxious, Tor
| general considerations, that all the other foxes
should have their tails cut of.
Such are some OF the reasons which induce me
| to prefer and recommend the attacking OF our
existing tariff system In detail, or by what
have termed the tentative method, rather than
by general bill, which involves a contest al
along the line, and In respect 10 every particular
| spectfully, DAVID A. WEELs.
MILLS MEANS WAR.
| He Will vigorously Oppose the Springer
Policy In Regard to the Tariff.
Nkw YORK, Feb 5.-A dinner was given