The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1907-06-20
BIGGEST QUESTION |
IS THAT OF EMPLOYMENT AND
WAGE EARNING.
A Political Party Takes Upon Itself
Grave Responsibility When II
Encourages Foreign Com
petition.

The question of employment and
wages is the chief issue involved in
the new departure of the administra-
ton in the matter of granting special
tariff concessions to foreign countries
which raise their tariff rates against
American exports as a club wherewith
to compel a reduction of the American
tariff. II is the one big question. big
ger than all other questions combined.
IL is a question so big as to seriously
menace any political party that makes
a mistake in the treatment OF Il. That
party will go down to swift defeat
which perpetrates the colossal blunder
OF injurlng our domestic trade rela-
lions in attempting to enlarge our for
eign trade relations
Ninety-five per cent. OF our manu-.
featuring trade is in our own country
and between the people OF our own
country. EiShty-hve millions OF people
100000 voters among them-are
vitality concerned in this 95 per cent.
OF trade.
Taking liberties with the 90 per
cent OF domestic trade and trying ex-
perimeDts for the benefit OF the beg.
carly five per cent. OF foreign trade
have so often proved disastrous to the
political party concerned In them that
what not to do" would seem perfectly
obvious by this time
Long before election day In 1908
comes round the practical effects OF
the new policy of surrender 10 foreign
tariff threats will have become visible
Either the new policy will greatly In.
crease the inflow OF competitive com.
modities, or It will not II &c does not.
we shall have simply handed the for.
eigners some gold bricks. That. how.
ever, is not OF overwhelming conse.
quence. They hand us gold bricks
when they first mark up their tariffs
against us and then consent to mark
them down again TO where they were
before in return for net tariff reduc-
tons on our part
But, II the new policy OF tariff sur
render shall work out as the foreign
ers expect II TO work; II largely In.
creased importations Of competitive
goods come into our market and dis.
place equivalent quantities OF domestic
labor products. thereby diminishing
place equivalent quantities OF domestic
total Of employment and the domestic
wage. what then?
The answer TO this question Is sug-
gested In a letter addressed to the
president OF the United States by a
prominent American manufacturer and
a large employer Of American labor.
Under date OF May G. 1907. Mr.. Rich.
ard Campion. OF Philadelphia. wrote
President Roosevelt. urging that the
proposed commercial agreement be-
tween the United States and the Ger.
man empire be not consummated. In
this letter Mr.. Campion brings 70 view
that biggest OF all questions. Ameri-
can employment and wages. an fol-
lows:
With the present high cost Of produc-
ton In this country. caused chiefly by
the high rates OF wages now prevailing
which high wages 10 can be safely said
All manufacturers are glad 20 have pre-
vail-it In difficult for our manufacturers
10 compete with imported goods. even
With all the existing safeguards against
differentiation. but n these safeguards
be removed In accordance with the pro-
posed agreement our markets will be
Hooded with German goods at prices
which cur manufacturers cannot meet.
our markets taken from uH our factories
closed and our workmen thrown out OF
employment unless our rates OF wages
be reduced 10 cover the difference: and
surely Mr. President. Il n only fair 20
presume that you are no more willing 20
have reduced the wages OF American
workmen than are we manufacturers.
Herein Is the whole question, dis
tinctly and powerfully presented.
Will the new policy OF tariff surren-
der. when II shall have been extended
10 all the producing nations OF Europe.
as in time II must be II extended 70
any one Of those nations. close Ameri-
can mills and factories, throw Ameri-
can workmen out OF employment, and
reduce American wage rates?
II is serious question, much the
most serious question which the pres
ent administration has ever had to
deal with.