The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1912-11-01
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 Is Satisfied
With Genuine Tariff Reform.

Edward a. Filene is president OF Ed
ward A Filene & Son, Boston. Mass. one
OF the largest retail dry goods stores of
the country. He is a former president OF
the Boston chamber of commerce, mem
ber of the National Council of Commerce,
National Civic federation, National News
paper league. Cleveland chamber of com
merce and a member of a score of clubs
and other organizations; is the author of
many articles on business, civic, labor and
industrial relationsl
To the Merchants and Business Men
of the United Stares:
John Wanamaker's appeal to you in
the New York Herald of Oct. 4, calling
for a continent wide rally to the sup
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 Is
mistaken should make known our po-
StionS and the reasons for our firm
belief that the business of the country
will be best served by the election of
Governor Wilson to the presidency.
There is every reason to believe that
we are on the eve of abundant pros
perity, and in my opinioH one thing
likely to prevent the setting in of such
a 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 as stability.
Stability is impossible with Mr.. Taft
as president; there has been no feeling
of stability during his administration.
1t is not that the president is 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
ly lessen until these reforms are ac-
complished.
President Taft's reelection would
not create any feeling of assurance
that there would be a satisfactory so
luton of the tariff question, BY sat
isfactory solution mean a removal of
unjust and unnecessary taxation.
Entirely apart from his veto of tar
iff legislation the mere fact that the
president signed the Payne Aldrich tar
iff bill and later declared that it was
the best tariff bill ever written. has
made it 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 is 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 Ne
Kinley was still in office and had then
reached such proportions that the coun
try in general approved of the ad-
vanced position which Mckinley took
in his Buffalo speech. 1t increased
steadily during the seven and half
years in which Roosevelt was presl
dent. but he made no attempt to give
the people any relief from tariff eXac
tions. 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 satisfactory solution OF
the tariff question His expressions
on this matter show n full conception
of the country wide demand for tar
iff reform. thorough knowledge OF
the ways in which tariff laws are made
and a determination TO secure as
promptly rs possible the much needed
legislation At the same time GoVef'
nor Wilson has shown that he re'o"
nizes as Il fact the infinite relation
which tariff has been made to baVe To
the structure of business in this coun
try and that ne would keep this fart
in mind in handling tariff legislation
Governor Wilson'S election would
mean and would be taken by the coun
try at large 10 mean that we would
have very early in his administration
a revision of the tariff which would
give the country the relief it is de
handing and which at the same time
would be made carefully and with a
flew to preventing business disturb
anC9
Until this is done, or at least untii
the country feels sure that it is to Toe
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.. Wanamakers conclusion that u
Republican administration insures pros
perity and that the periods of trade de
preston which the country has seen
from time to time have been due +"
Democratic tariff revision Mr.. Waha
makers appeal is based largely on I'M
theory that Democratic tariff revision
was responsible for the hard times OF
1893. In the face of the facts no au