Democratic Sentinel, Volume 14, Number 49, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 December 1890 — TO WORK FOR REFORM. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

TO WORK FOR REFORM.

THE REFORM CLUB OF NEW AND ITS GREAT FIGHT. I A Great Power In the Recent ElectionHow the Tariff Fight Wag Carried On— Victories Gained on the Stump and Through the Press—Already Opening the Great Battle of ’92. One of the most important agencies >Jn securing the great tariff reform victory of November 4 was the Reform Club of New York City. This club was •organized in January, 1888, for the purpose of furthering several important reforms, such as the Australian ballot Jaw and the reduction or abolition of tariff taxation, especially the latter. It at once attracted to itself a strong membership of enthusiastic men in business >or professional life, who were earnestly impressed with the idea that our present •protective system is a gross injustice, and that all patriotic citizens ought to •onlist themselves in the war against it, and continue that war till just relations are established between producer and -consumer. In the Presidential election two years ago, the club took an active part in the fight for tariff reform. Undaunted by the defeat of that year, the club determined to begin at once the fight for the •Congressional elections of 1890. The rpublication of tariff-reform literature went on without interrupt'on, and already in the fall of 1889 the club was maturing its plans for work during the winter and spring of this year. A meeting of the club has recently ;been held, at which reports of its work were read. Some of the points in these .are of interest to the friends of tariff reform everywhere, as showing the vigor .and effectiveness with which the fight was carried on. At the meeting referred to, Hon... John IDe Witt Warner, Congressman-elect from the Eleventh New York District, read the ireport from the General Committee on ‘Tariff Reform, of which he is Chairman., From this report, which includes reports -of the various subordinates, a most interesting view of the scope and thor--oughness of the club’s work is obtained. One of the most important pieces of work done by the club was a complete poll canvass of the voters of New York State outside the larger cities. In this way the names and addresses of •659,100 voters were obtained. The lists •conveyed also some general information .about each voter, such as his politics, his'tariff views, his occupation, whether Grand Army man, etc. This last was •used with excellent effect in distributing the tariff reform documents which the -club publishes and circulates. Tariff matter was sent to each man which would be best suited to his case. When, for example, it was desired to inform the farmer of the State of the humbug nature of the McKinley tax on barloy, the mailing clerks of the club had but to "turn to the poll-lists and select the farm--ers in the barley-growing counties of the State. But this subcommittee, of which Mr. Jason Hinman is chairman, did not content itself with the mere distribution of documents. It organized speaking tonrs in many of the counties and sent out speakers in this way to talk tariff to the farmers and people of the smaller country villages. An extensive series of such .•meetings was held in the winter and spring, and these tours were resumed in the fall. More important still were the joint tariff discussions at county fairs in .August and September. On July 22 Mr. Hinman challenged the American Protective League to debate with Reform Club speakers the tariff question before ■ithe farmers at sixteen annual fairs. A month passed without an answer; then, in the middle of August, the Protective League replied that they had the matter •under consideration. Two county fair meeting? had been addressed by tariff reform speakers before the protectionists -awakened to the real situation. On Aug. 29 they sent in a notice of acceptance of Mr. Hinman's challenge. In accordance with this plan debates were arranged at forty-one fairs. The Reform Club was in these debates by tariff reformers of national reputation, like Hon. Wm. M. Springer of Illinois, Hon. W. D. Bynum of Indiana, Hon. Wm. L. Wilson of West Virginia, and lion. John E. Russell of Massacusetts. , The effects of this work were seen. at the election on Nov. 4. In the twenty '‘Congressional districts north of New York City, in which this work was done, the Democrats made a gain of seven •Congressmen. Simultaneously with this activity in New York tho committee was carrying •on operations in every other State in tho Union, but, of course, giving its attention chiefly to those States which most needed evangelistic assistance. Literature was sent into those States, agents •of the committee were dispatched to some of them to aid local reformers in -organizing tariff reform movements upon the lines adopted by the commit-, tee, and during the campaign speakers were sent to points where help was most meeded in the fight for Congressmen. Under the auspices of the club poll -canvasses were made in the whole of lowa and Connecticut, and in parts of Washington, Maryland, South Dakota, Michigan and Wisconsin, while in a number of other States one or more Congressional districts were canvassed, rin the same way. The lists thus col-' lected were used by the club in the distribution of literature. Many of tho club’s documents were also supplied to . the campaign committees of the various States, tho State Central Committee • -of Wisconsin alone circulating 250,000/ -of them. One district in the West was selected; in which to make special efforts. This was the district in Illinois now represented by Mr. Powell. Here a special’ -canvass was made at the expense of the Reform Club. The district was sup-i posed to be hopelessly against tariff, reform. It was covered, however,) -and a few weeks before the elec-: tion a complete canvass was handed to Mr. Scott, the tariff reform candidate, with data showing him that ho would be: elected —as he was by a good majority—though neither he nor his opponent •could believe it until some days after the -election Tho good results of the club’s work in the West may be seen from the following extracts from letters: ■Wesloy W. Hyde; Grand Rapids, Mich.: I cannot refrain from writing you In relation to your Influence and effectiveness in the campaign In Michigan and the West. I believe that to your literature, more than -any other one tiling, the Democrats owo their victory. Nothing could bo more admirable and timely than the literature oh tariff questions. It formed the text 1 -book of speakers and writers alike, and enabled ■us to present our side of the question Intelligently, exhaustively and forcibly. I

want to thank yon in the name of all tariff reformers here for your good work. Hon. Neal Brown, Warsaw, Wls.: Tan have helped us very greatly in Wisconsin during the present campaign, and person-, ally I owe a great deal to the Information' obtained from your briefs on the tariff question. I hope that you will not cease your work, but that you will at once commence the campaign of 1892. In Wisconsin we shall do our utmost to hold the electoral vote for President, and from present Indications we shall succeed. From what I know of your work in other States I have no doubt but what you have made tens of thousands of votes for tariff reform. The greatest good you have done has been In educating our own leaders upon the tariff question. ’ A most Important part of the club’s

work during the campaign was the furnishing of tariff-reform matter through newspaper syndicates and press associations to more than 1,000 country papers, having, as is estimated, a reading circulation of at least 2,000,000 readers. This work was begun a year ago and has grown up gradually to its present proportions. It goes on since the election just as during tho campaign, and there is scarcely any less demand for the matter than during tho campaign. This part of tho work will be carried right on through the great tariff reform battle of 1892. The Reform Club has recently moved into its now house on Fifth avenue, in New York, bought and fitted up at an expense of about 8325,000. Its membership, both local and non-resident, is growing rapidly, and the club is fast becoming recognized as the leading organized force in this country at work against tho iniquitous high tariff. It work will go forward with energy and courage until justice is done in tho matter of taxation.

lie turer decides to go to the greet expense of moving a mil! to America, paying high duties on his machinery. it is the most convincing proof possible of the assertion that manufacturing is in many lines assured of undut profits. When, therefore, these mani> facturers are frightened out of movinj their machinery over here by a Democratic victory, they simply recognize th« fact that the Democrats are not going to allow undue tariff spoils to be collected from the people by the protected interests. But McKinley did not originate the notion of transferring industries to America; the old tariff had al-

The Farmer—They thought I wasn’t loaded before, but if they come monkeying around again I’ll let ’em have the other barrel. —Chicago Herald.