Omaha daily bee., 1899-06-17
VIEWS ON HAvEMEYER VARY
Prominent Men Admit thrt His Tes-
timOny is Worthy of Serious
Thought.

NEW YORK, June 16.-The Herald says
Opinions widely different are being ex-
dressed in this city in regard to the state
ment Of Henry o. Havemeyer, president of
the American Sugar Refining company, be-
fore the industrial commission at Washing
ton recently.
Senator Thomas C. Platt said: Mr..
Havemeyer expresses the views of demo-
crat and his statement was in the interest
of the democratic party"
Edward Lauterbach said "Mr. Have
meyers statement is pregnant with ideas
that call for careful consideration by those
who shape our national policy. The acquisi-
tion of Hawaii Porto Rico and the Philip
pines and what appears to be almost the
certainty of the early acquisition Of Cuba
will beget situation. AS soon as these
provinces become a part of the United
States that will necessitate the most careful
consideration of the tariff question.
But republican would rashy and
without the most abundant consideration
advocate an alteration of existing tariffs.
Changes in tariffs. and even threats of
changes, do more to unsettle business con-
dtions than anything else, and even a
faulty schedule is better than agitation on
the subject, unless it shall result in a pol
icy that shall be just, and, above all. last
ing for continued PERIOD
Former Representative John Dewitt War
ner, one of the leading members of the Re-
form club said: "If Mr.. Havemeyer imag-
ines he can elude pursuit by crying Stop
thief he is not the first man who has made
that mistake though the accuracy of his
statements as to other peoples sins makes
one query as to whether, with a somewhat
further development of veracty, he may not
10 hA tbn
prophets.
should he once become converted his
courage would make him invaluable. In
face OF the facts, his own conduct and the
course of Sugar stock prices, his suggestion
that he is protected by only one eighth Of
per cent is simply heroic. 1t is true how
ever, that since Doescher and Arbuckle have
been producing he has actually realized but
little more than one-eighth, to which he
owns up"
Edward M. Shepard, leading attorney
for large corporations, said: " l thoroughly
agree with the proposition that the serious
evils of the so-caled trusts and monopolies
are evils arising from the tariff system.
This general doctrine was very well put
by Augustus Van Wyck in his speech at the
democratic dinner in April. Whatever ex-
cuse there may have been in the past for
the maintenance of infant industries 1t Is
certain the United States has grown far
beyond the usefulness, II there ever was
any usefulness, of the extreme protective
system under which we now live. The true
warfare against monopoles ought not to be
waged by undemocratic interference with
the liberty of business, but by dealing with
the system of special privileges created by
the existing tariff"
General Wagner Swayne said: There is
not doubt in my mind that the instltu-
tion and maintenance of protective tariff
as one of the features of the government of
this country were originally wise and right
and have been an essential If not an indis
pensable factor in its growth and welfare" :"