The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1897-01-08
THB VIEWS OF DINGLEY
He Hopes For q New Tariff by
A. July I.
THE COMMERCIAL DEPRESSION.
He Thinks We Are Nearly at the End Of
tho Panic Period and Says the Great
! Trosble Now IL Lack OF Purchasing
Power Of the People.

Power Of the People.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 7.-[Special Gov
ernor Dingley of Maine present chairman
oc the ways and means committee OF TIT
house, and without doubt the next secre
tary Of the treasury, is very interesting
man. Among ell my acquaintances IL
pubic life do not know another man wht
has such logical mind as that possessed
by the distinguished leader Of the Repub
licans In the house Mr.. Dingley abhors @
man who cannot think and talk In log
ical manner 1t Is u cur3ous study TO see
him during a debate In the house III q
man gets up and starts speech and shows
at the outset that he is neither master OF
his subject nor capable of telling the little
he does know in a logical aud impressive
way, Mr.. Dingley's face taxes on an ex-
pression Of pain He listens few mo-
ments more, and then he fees from the
hall. He cannot endure to sit and listen
to a disconnected, rambling, bungling ef-
fort, no matter who the perpetrator Is. 1t
follows, as a matter of course, that Mr.
Dingley is not much in his seat while de-
bates are on
Dingley's Opinions.
Just now the governor Is very busy
man. He is hard at work upon the prep
hTdtlOu VI tUo hcW ubIii JILL oshcd biiiA
today what the outlook was for the meas
nre and whether or not 1t was going to
help the country to get greater measure
of prosperity. His reply was interesting,
and, though 1t Of course presents the pro-
lection and distinctively Republican view
OF things, feel sure my readers will be
glad to know his opinions
"Yes, we are going to pass tariff bill, !"
said Governor Dingley, 'and am of the
firm belief that it is going to help the
country to prosperity. We are not only
going to pass a BILL but we are going to
pass it In reasonable time OF the house
there Is, Of course, no question. We can
push the bill through at our end as fast as
we wish. The senate is another sort of body,
and the Republicans there are still scant
-pf votes But / have information which
,'~sds me to a strong belief that we shall
ba, ~ no serious difficulty in passing our
hi,, Ger . reasonable debate. The policy
NJ tho <mOerats there, az understand 1t,
is to anal, 70 the bill, point out their OBJ
iections 70 so ~oe Of its details. make the
Repubhcan na, ~ wholly responsible for it
and it's effect upo,, the prosperity Of the
country and then let 1t pass without fac
tious opposition or imp. Oper delay. ! see
no reason why we shoul,1 not i@vo 'no
new tariff measure upon t,e stat'u"s -
time to go into operation by tne Ia" VI
July, wSsn the new government 0S0a' ~
begins.
Discounting the Future.
"In order TO ascertain whether or noo
we are going to give tho country gre10er
measure OF prosperity by mea..sa - ou'
tariff bill, continue. Governor Dingi.,.
IT Is first necessary to inquire what was
$40 cause Of the recent commercial depres-
sion. 1T was to some extent an inevitable
condition, due to the temperament OF our
people. We are a hopeful people, self
confident people, an optimistic people. In
normal times we build very fast. We con-
struct many railways, build many shops,
produce much, borrow much, speculate
much, overstrain our credit, discount the
future. There must come time OF settle
ment. q time Of rest and recuperation, a
time of catching up. These periods t4re
panios. The weak are shaken out. The
Insecure find their footing gone
The Bond Issues.
"In my Judgment we Wee approaching
some such period when the election OF 1899
gave an impetus to the danger. Tho coun'
try was carried In that year by party
which threatened Evolutionary tariff leg
islation. The threat Of revolutionary tariff
legislation 10 often worse than the reality
In that case not as much was realized a
had been threatened but the mischief wa
done. When the new tariff law itself wa
nut in operation, 1t failed to bring II
enough revenue for the needs OF the gov
crnment, and q deficit helped to unsettl
confidence Distrust was bred, and Tn
whole difficulty was accumulated and en-
phasized by the bond issues.
'sNow we have como nearly to tho on
of this period of panic We are at the end
AZ reports from all parts Of the countr
NAV be believed. In the nature Of thing'
business will get better II there be no LEI
islation by congress- But just ~ the ma
ural conditions which were tending
bring about panic were given an imp'
tus by unwise tariff legislation, % the ma
urul conditions which are tending TO brin
about recovery may be aided BY wiso let
islation. That IL precisely what we hoI
70 do. We do not delude ourselves VIII
the Idea that by law we can do the thin
itself, but we can help.
Lessened Pure hasing Power.
"The great trouble with the people no
10 that they lack purchasing power. III o
curate statistios IA to the reduced purcha
ing power Of the people could be gatherc'
they would make a startling chapter.
the people do not earn, they will not bu,
Some stop buying or curtAl expenditur
through necessity, others through oautio
and sympathy. The people Of this oountl
ars now buying % per cent less Of far
products per capita than they bought
1v02 They are buying only one half
much woolens, and 90 with cotton.
addition to lcsseDed power Of purchasin
which means reduced consumption, '
have under the present tariff law import
too much. The foreigner has had me
than his fair share OF our market. PI
duction having been continued at a gre,
or rate than consumption, prices have
evitably fallen. Wages have bcen cut
those who retained work, and many hs
not been able 10 work at all or only she
time.
Eve propose 10 give the country me
crate tariff law which will revive strick
industries. keep out a part OF the impor
fsons, put more men nt work, increase
purchasing power OF the masses, ms
moro demand for goods, enable produo