The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-10-30
IRVING FISHER
 FOR WILSON.
Noted Yale Economist Appeals to Fellow PrOgressives
 With Clear Logic.
SAYS TARIFF IS THE ISSUE.
Contrasts Three Party Programs and Declares Democratic Attitude the Only Progressive One.
By PROFESSOR IRVING FISHER

Only Progressive One,
 LNote.-Dr. Fisher is the noted author 1ty on economics of Yale university. He 1 was a member of President ROOEevelts s national conservation commission--Ed.1 write not as a Democrat but as an Independent Progressive and in the i hope that my letter may help other Progressives who are wavering to make up their minds to vote for Will son. So far as can see the only hope of progressive legislation lies in the election of Wilson My reasons. in ! brief, follow:
 l. DEADLOCK IN CONGRESS- If it were possible to elect MT. Taft there would merely be repeated the same deadlock with congress and fail- ure to secure progressive legislation which has been experienced in his first term.
 If it were possible to elect MT. Roose- welt even less could be accomplished. for the reason that he would not have a sympathetic congress.
 2. DEADLQCKED ELECTION.-To be still respracticaI, we should con- sider that the result of us independ- ents voting for Taft or Roosevelt tn- stead of for Wilson may be to prevent any one of the three from being elected.
 8. THE TARIFF.-If, on the other hand. we independent Progressives unite for the most part in voting for Wilson he can be elected, and, if elect ed, can accomplish substantial ieg1sla- ton. because with him will be elected a sufficient number of Democrats to give a majority in both houses To this my bull moose friends reply that not all Democrats are progressives and will not carry out . progressive plat form.
 This argument overlookS the fact that the paramount issue of this cam paign is the tariff and that progressive tarif reform means progressive tariff reduction. It is just because the Dem ocrats have been a party of negatiOn, so far as the tariff Is concerned, that they. if anybody. can be trusted to re- , form 1t downward.
 MT. Roosevelt would be equally un- able and far more unwilling than MT. Taft to reduce the tarid- In his seven years in office he left the tariff un- touched. and now he speaks primarily as a protectionist and not as a tariff reformer. He yields grudgingly to the demand for tariff reduction. but gives no clear argument for it Instead, he repeats the old fallacious arguments to make our poor workmen believe that a high tariff raises wages.
 Governor Wilson and his party, on the other hand, are ardent tariff re- formers. In this respect the Demo- cratic platform is the only progressive platform of the three.
 Why should we blind ourselves by the introduction of numerous other is- sues which could not be settled in the present campaign when we have be- fore us the greatest issue of all, the tariff, which GAN be settled?
 4. ISSUES ECONOMIC. = Wilson's grasp of the problems of the hour far surpasses that of Roosevelt or Taft. MT. Roosevelt has frequently admitted that economic problems such as the tariff. the cost of living. the currency and the economic problems connected with trusts not only have no attrac- ton for him, but have never been un- derstood by him.
 5. THE PEOPLES INTERESTS.- Wilson Is more truly democratic than Roosevelt and more untrammeled in his devotion to the interests of the peo- pie as a whole. Those who accuse Wilson of recently adopting new democratic doctrines because their popularity would help him personally should learn that, on the contrary, he adopted them Tin his fight to democra: dze Princeton universityl when their unpopularity in the circles in which his activities then lay nearly threat ened to destroy his influence and ca- reer.
 6. PURE FOODS.-Governor Wilson and the Democratic party have shown a greater interest than either Taft or Roosevelt in the protection of the con- sumer against food adulteration and other injuries to the public health. Dr. Wiley, although previously a Republic an. now has decided not only to vote for Wilson, but to help him actively in the campaign.
 T. THIRD TERM.-To elect MT. Roosevelt would deal a fatal blow to the useful tradition against third term. Nor do think it altogeth- CT improbab ble that if MT. Roosevelt were again elected president he would. whatever his present intentions. grad ually assume the role of benevolent despot- His natural temperament is that of dictator.
 l write as one who still holds person al respect both for Colonel Roosevelt and President Taft and in no spirit of personal hostility to either. believe that all three candidates intend to do right 'as God gives them to see the fSght,' but I think neither Taft nor Roosevelt sees the right as clearly as Woodrow Wilson.