A Guide to the Papers of David Ames Wells, 1887 Wells, David Ames, Papers of 7318-a

A Guide to the Papers of David Ames Wells, 1887

A Collection in the
Clifton Waller Barrett Library
The Special Collections Department
Accession Number 7318-a

Special Collections Department, University of Virginia Library

Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library
University of Virginia
Charlottesville, Virginia 22904-4110
USA
Phone: (434) 243-1776
Fax: (434) 924-4968
Reference Request Form: https://small.lib.virginia.edu/reference-request/
URL: http://small.library.virginia.edu/

Funding: Web version of the finding aid funded in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Processed by: Special Collections Department

Repository

Special Collections, University of Virginia Library

Accession number

7318-a

Title

Papers of David Ames Wells, 1887

Physical Characteristics

This collection contains one item, ALS, 10p.

Language

English

Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Use Restrictions

See the University of Virginia Library’s use policy.

Preferred Citation

Papers of David Ames Wells, Accession # 7318-a, Special Collections Dept., University of Virginia Library, Charlottesville, Va.

Acquisition Information

This was purchased and deposited on December 17, 1963 and September 10, 1969.

Scope and Content Information

This collection contains one letter, ALS, 1887 Feb 18, David Ames Wells to Charles W. Gardner and S. O'Donnell. Wells adresses the February 22 meeting of the Walden Tariff Reform Club concerning tariff reform and the previous presidential election; believes future of tariff policy connected to enlarging human liberty; states that each citizen has right to exchange property and work how and where he wants to, free from taxes and constrictions imposed for benefit of others; claims the defeat of industrial and commercial freedom for America is temporary; says the greatest obstacle to tariff reform was lack of popular interest and that the rush to use natural resources left no time for anything but business; gives example of an Ohio pig iron manufacturer; asserts people now recognize they have interest in theory and practice of national system taxation under tariff; claims now there is a great party behind tariff reform which is looking to what Garfield called ultimate free trade; believes Cleveland's message has made it an abiding political issue, accepted by Democratic party who will fight for it; mentions Chauncey Depew's description of the new supporting plea for commercial and industrial freedom; states that industry made large subscriptions to Republican Party in last election to defeat tariff reform believing it would guarantee protective system but tariff reform not defeated in popular vote, but 100,000 majority; believes agitation should continue and that without reform taxes are a form of robbery; says any man protesting is entitled to redress and if it is not received then the Preamble to the Federal Constitution designed to establish justice, is a figment of words; convinced agitation for tariff reform will increase; thinks manufacturers will need great sums of money to win another presidential election; says advocates of more liberal commercial policy are disappointed that people were influenced by appeals to prejudice and sectionalism based on forged quotations allegedly from foreign journals; says party advocating taxes and restrictions had no case to argue before people; convinced political devices cannot delay the coming of a tariff reform; agrees with Henry Watterson who states that forces of modern life are working to overthrow a system handed down from middle ages to nineteenth century in which the few benefit from work of many.