Gloucester County Democrat., 1901-12-05


Both the educational and economic tests
in a wise immigration law should be de-
signed to protect and elevate the general
body, polite and social A very close su
pervision should be exercised over the
steamship companies which mainly bring
over the immigrants, and they should be
held to strict accountability for any in
fraction of the law.
The Tariff.
There is general acquiescence in our
present tariff system as national policy.
The first requisite to our prosperity is the
continuity and stability of this economic
policy. Nothing could be more unwise
than to disturb the business interests of
the country by any general tariff change
at this time. Doubt, apprehension, un-
certainty, are exactly what we most wish
to avoid in the interest of our commercial
and material well being. Our experience
in the past has shown that sweeping revi-
sons of the tariff are apt to produce con-
ditions closely approac ching panic in the
business world. Yet it is not only possi-
BILE. but eminently desirable. to combine
with the stability of our economic sys-
tenn supplementary system of reciprocal
benefit and obligation with other nations.
Such reciprocity is an incident and result
of our present economic policy. 1t was
specially provided for in the present tariff
law.
Reciprocity must be treated as the hand
maiden of protection Our first duty is to
see that the protection granted by the tar
iff in every case where 1t is needed Is
maintained and that reciprocity be sought
for so far as it can safely be done without
injury to our home industries. Just how
far this is must be determined according
to the individual case, remembering al
ways that every application of our tariff
policy to meet our shifting national needs
must be conditioned upon the cardinal
fact that the duties must never be re-
duced below the point that will cover the
difference between the labor cost here and
abroad. The well being of the wagework-
er is a prime consideration Of our entire
policy of economic legislation.
Subject to this proviso of the proper
protection necessary to our Industrial
well being at home the principle of reci-
procity must command our hearty sup
port The phenomenal growth of our
export trade emphasizes the urgency of
the need for wider markets and for lib
eral policy in dealing with foreign ma
tions Whatever is merely petty and vex-
atious in the way of trade restrictions
should be avoided The customers to
whom we dispose of our surplus products
in the long run directly or Indirectly pur-
chase those surplus products by giving US
something in return. Their ability to pur-
chase our products should as far as pos
sible be secured by so arranging our tar.
1H as to enable us to take from them
those products which we can use without
harm to our own industries and labor or
the use of which will be of marked bene-
fit to US.
1t is most important that we should
maintain the high level of our present
prosperity. We have now reached the
point in the development of our interests
where we are not only able to supply our
own markets, but to produce constantly
growing surplus for which we must find
markets abroad. To secure these markets
we can utilize existing duties in any case
where they are no longer needed for the
purpose of protection, or in any case
where the article is not produced here
and the duty is no longer necessary fer
revenue, as giving us something to offer
in exchange for what we ask. The cor
dial relations with other nations which
are SO desirable will naturally be pro-
NOTED by the course thus required by our
own interests.
The natural line of deveiopmenr ror a
policy of reciprocity will be in connection
with those of our productions which no
longer require all of the support once
needed to establish them upon a sound
basis and with those others where either
because of natural or of economic causes
we are beyond the reach of successful
competition.
ask the attention of the senate to the
reciprocity treaties laid before 1t by my
predecessor.
Merchant Marine.
The condition of the American merchant
marine is such as to call for immediate
remedial action by the congress 1t is dis
creditable to us as nation that our
merchant marine should be utterly insig-
nificant in comparison with that of other
nations which we oyertop in other forms
of business We should not longer submit
to conditions under which only trifiing
portion of great commerce Is carried
in our own ships To remedy this state of
things would not merely serve to build
up our shipping interests, but 1t would
also result in benefit to all who are inter-
ested in the permanent establishment of a
wider market for American products and
would provide an auxiliary force for the
navy. Ships work for their own countries
just as railroads work for their terminal
points. Shipping lines, If established to
the principal countries with which we
have dealings would be of political as
well as commercial benefit. From every
standpoint it is unwise for the United
States to continue to rely upon the ships
of competing nations for the distribution
of our goods. 1t should be made advan-
tageous to carry American goods in
American built ships.
At present American shipping is under
certain great disadvantages when put In
competition with the shipping of foreign
countries Many of the fast foreign
steamships. at speed of fourteen knots
or above. are subsidized. and all our
ships, sailing vessels and steamers alike,
cargo carriers of slow speed and mail
carriers of high speed, have to meet the
fact that the original cost of building
American ships Is greater than is the
case abroad. that the wages paid Ameri-
can officers and seamen are very much
higher than those paid the officers and
seamen of foreign competing countries
and that the standard of living on our
ships is far superior to the standard of
living on the ships Of our commercial RI
walls.
Our government should take such action
as will remedy these inequalities The
American merchant marine should be re-
stored to the ocean,
Financial.
The act of March IA. 1900, intended un-
equivocaIly to establish gold as the stand
ard money and to maintain at a parity
Herewith all forms of money medium in
use with US, has been shown to be timely
and judicious The price Of our govern
ment bonds in the worlds market when
compared with the price of similar obli-
cations issued by other nations is a fiat
tering tribute to our public credit. This
condition 1t Is evidently desirable to main
tain.
In many respects the national banking
law furnishes sufficient liberty for the
proper exercise of the banking function.
but there seems to be need Of better safe
guards against the deranging influence of
commercial crises and financial panics.
Moreover. the currency Of the country