Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1912-11-02
FILENE ANSWERS
Mr.. WANAMAKER
Noted Boston Merchant Appeals
to Business Men With
Logic For Wilson
STABILITY WHAT WE NEED,
Full Measure Of Prosperity Cannot Be
Realized Until Country 10 Satisfied
With Genuine Tariff Reform.

With Genuine Tariff Reform.
Edward A. Filcne 10 president OF Ed
ward A. Fiiene a. Son. Boston. Mass. ono
OF the largest retail dry goods stores Of
the country. flo is q former president OF
the Boston chamber OF commerce. menu
Der OF the National Council OF Commerce.
National Civic federation. National News
paper league, Cleveland chamber OF COM
merce and a member OF o score Of clubs
and other organizations: is the author OF
many articles on business. civic. labor and
Industrial relations.
To the Merchants and Business Men
OF the United States:
John Wanamaker's appeal to you In
the New York Herald of Oct. 4. calling
port of Mr.. Taft on the part Of the
merchants and business men of the
country. has no doubt received your
serious attention. 1t has seemed to
me that those of us In business who
believe Mr.. wanamaker's position Ia
mistaken should make known our po-
sitions and the reasons for our firm
belief that the business OF the country
VIII be best served by the election Of
Governor Wilson TO the presidency.
There Is every reason to believe that
we are Oh the eve OF abundant pros
perity, and In my opinion one thing
likely to prevent the setting In of such
period would be the reelection Of
President Taft and the one thing that
would make prosperity most certain
would be the election Of Governor Will
son. This opinion is based upon my
belief that for the business world moth
ing else is so important rs stability.
Stability is impossible with Mr.. Taft
as president; there has been no feeling
of stability during his administration
II Ia not that the president Is a dis
turber Of conditions or that he Is not
sufficiently careful OF the business In
terests OF the country. The absence
OF any feeling Of stability during the
Taft administration has been and Is
due to widespread belief that there
are certain reforms which the great
body of people want and that the gen.
eral feeling of unrest will not material.
" lessen until these reforms are ac-
complished.
President Taft's reelection would
not create any feeling of assurance
that there would be n satisfactory 30
luton OF the tariff question. BY sat
isfactory solution mean a removal OF
unjust and unnecessary taxation.
Entirely apart from his veto OF tar
IN legislation the mere fact that the
president signed the Payne-Aldrich tar
IN bill and later declared that It was
the best tariff bill ever written. has
made 1t impossible for the public to
have any considerable confidence that
they may expect real relief from him.
RooseveIt's Record.
Upon this matter Mr. Roosevelt's rec
ord IL not much better than that OF
Mr.. Taft. nor is his present position on
the tariff much more promising than
that OF the president The agitation
for reform began while President Nc.
Kinley was still In Office and had then
reached such proportions that the conn.
try In general approved Of the ad.
vanced position which Mckinley took
Ia his Buffalo speech. Il increased
steadily during the seven and hnlf
years In which Roosevelt was presi.
dent. but he made no attempt to give
the people any relief from tariff exac.
tons He does not now offer any def.
Mite tariff program. These things lead
me 10 believe that his election now.
like the reelection of Taft. would mean
four years more Of tariff agitation.
With Wilson elected one may reason
ably expect n satisfactory solution OF
the tariff question His expressions
on this matter show a full conception
Of the country wide demand for tar
IN reform. thorough knowledge OF
the ways I'm which tariff laws are made
and a determination TO secure as
promptly as possible the much needed
legislation. At the same time Cover
nor Wilson has shown That he rccog
nizes rs n fact the intimate relation
which tariff has been made to have 30
Me structure OF business In this coun.
try and that he would keep this fact
In mind in handling tariff legislation.
Governor Wilson's election would
mean and would be taken by the couns
try at large to mean that we would
have very early In his administration
revision OF the tnriff which would
give the country the relief It Is de
mnnding and which at the same time
would be made carefully and with a
view to preventing business disturb
ance.
Until this Is done. or at least until
the country feels sure that II is to be
done. there cannot be that stability
which Is so necessary TO the fullest
development OF an era OF prosperity.
Truth About Prosperity.
Certainly the facts do not warrant
Mr.. Wanamaker's conclusion that n
Republican administration insures pros
perity and that the periods OF trade de
preston which the country has seen
from time 10 time have been due Ia
Democratic tnrIff revision. Mr.. wnna
T..