The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-05-20

former can sell cheaper. This is en- tirely inconsistent with our we'll es- tablished policy, which has always been governmental encouragement to the home market.
 Tt is doubtless true that cheap for- eign labor is able to produce many things at less cost than they can be produced by labor at an American wage, but that is no reason why an administration which came Into power upon a protection platform should ad- vocate the free trade doctrine of buy ing where you can buy cheapest or to encourage cheap foreign labor as against our own high jriced labor. We boast of the Panama Canal as a great American enterprise. Let us build 1t in accordance with American policies.
 Tt by no means follows that cheap, foreign prices mean ultimate economy. While we may buy at nome. we supply the goods and the money remains among our own people. It de- velops our own industries and benefits our own citizens many times over.
 There Is no rule applicable to the construction of the Panama Canal that is not entirely applicable to the con- struction of governmental enterprises Why not have our battle ships built abroad? Why not have our guns man. ufactured abroad? Yes. why not have our armor plate made abroad, our army equipment and our blankets purchased in foreign markets, If they are cheap CT than our own? These questions an- swer themselves.
 Congress Nexer Expected 1t.
 Tt will not do to say that the at- tention of Congress was called to this matter and 1t took no action with respect to 1t. It did not intend to take any action. I venture to say that 1t never entered the mind of any member of Congress, in either House or of either party, that the ne- cessary outlay for the construction of the Panama Canal should not be made in American markets. Congress did not think for a moment that the taxes paid by Americans were to be expend- ed to the enhancement of foreigners. That body believed that whatever money was to be spent on the canal was to be spent with the end in view of encouraging our own industries.
 The policy announced gives encour- agement to the Democratic ana mug wump press that is agitating a re- vision of the best tariff law known in our entire history, under which policy we are enjoying the highest degree of prosperity ever known either by our own people or any other people. I feel assured that sober second thought will result in the adoption by the commission of such a policy as will protect the American people and insure the building of the canal from our own resources"
 Speaker Cannon Angry.
 'Uncle Joe" Cannon, the stand pat" Speaker of the House of Representa- tives, is just as angry as other high protectionists Ie arrived here to- night and added this to the party flame:
 q do not know the necessity for the purchase of ships or supplies made or produced abroad. I am un- der the impression that the labor in the construction of the canal will probably come from the tropics-the West Indies. Central and South Amer ica-on account of the climate of the Isthmus.
 So far as the purchase of materials for the construction is concerned, we have here in the United States the greatest market in the world, making one third of the whole manufactured product of the civilized world. I take it for granted that all the supplies needed should be, and will be, the pro- duct of our own labor wherever prac- ticable."
 Having put strong emphasis on this last sentence, the Speaker went on his way. His opposition to tarin revision has been one of the greatest barriers to such action by Congress and will probably continue so.