The Washington times., 1910-10-22
(COpyright, 1910, by Frank A. Munsey)

difference, IT should be raised
If this isn't going far enough in point of legis-
lating downward to suit the Democratic party then
l am opposed to its policy. If it isn't going far
enough to suit the Insurgent wing of the Republican
party, then am equally opposed to its policy. And
If it is going too far to suit the other wing of the
Republican party, then 1 am quite as strongly op-
posed to its policy
have no fear for our industries with a tariff
that will level up the wages of the world with
wages have every confidence in the ingenuity and
the energy and the intensity of people TO COM
pete with the world equal terms, and with equal
wages they will have equal terms.
To feed and house and cloths and finance and
transport railroads and our sea-going craft
over ninety millions of people is a big business in
Itself America, with it's enormous population
nation OF money-earners and money-spenders-is
the biggest and best market in the world. a big
enough II .rket to work for and to fight for on the
part Of our factories and our farms.
Our markets the envy of all the countries of
Europe, who view tariff with bitter hatred.
They greedy for money, but tariff stands
a mighty wall against them.
We are a waIled-in nation, and we might as we'll
recognize 1t at time at another. The markets
abroad not for US Our wages are on too high
a level 10 make competition practical or to any con
siderable extent possible. except on certain spe-
caltes and certain products that are favored by
our soil and our sunshine
We compete in these foreign markets if we
reduce our wages to the wages OF Europe. Without
this reduction, We cannot compete, and the sooner
we recognize it. the better Isn't it good deal more
worth while 10 command our own trade, TO protect
markets against foreign invasion, than to
make feeble attempt to secure foreign trade? The
consuming power Of America is beyond all eoncep-
ton. In aggregate it is welI-nigh as much as all
the markets of Europe, save in the matter Of food
stuffs
This is the greatest freerade nation in the world
free trade among ourselves, free trade among
people with a substantially uniform wage-allow-
ing, Of course. for differences between city and
country rates Right here at home We have the best
example in the world of what free trade means with
a uniform wage, and it is the uniform wage that
makes free trade among various States possible.
The protection Of our own markets against foreign
invasion gives a market that merits all the
thought and genius of our industries.
The non-producer and the theorist argue for free
trade on the theory that men quite well of
with low wages and low cost of living they are
with high wages and high cost of living. This
may be true, and it may not be true.
The fact is, however, that we are on the higher
scale and It is a practical certainty that no argu-
ment OF legislation ever reduce the wages of
this country to the wages of Europe. Such an at
tempt would mean a revolution and a revolution
a question Of this kind, in a democratic govern
ment, would have things pretty nearly its own way.
The only way to introduce the European wage
in this country substitute for our present high
wage would be through a process OF idleness and
starvation. Legislation cannot do It. Starvation
could and idleness and starvation would be pretty
likely to come in on the heels of free trade or
low tariff.
1t is fact that at no time in the history of this
county have we tried low tariff without running
into hard times. In view Of this and of the com
nonsense simplicity of the matter, it s amazing
to NE that the low-tarn people and the free-trade
people still continue their fight An ounce of ex-
perience is worth ton of theory, and all our ex-
perience points to the protection of tae American
wage and to the protection of our markets against
European encroachment as the only practical and
sensible course for US to follow.
Every man in this country except the non-pro-
Queer is helped by our protective tariff and in
many the non-producer is indirectly helped to
a much greater extent than he IS injured by it
The granger States are more or iasg skeptical and
always have been about their share of benefit in our
tariff laws, urging that the tariff Is ma lie for manu-
facturers not for farmers
On the surface this would seem to be true, but
matter of fact 1t is wholly untrue, and for the
reason that market for the products Of the farm
is Of much more Importance to the farmer than the
question of few dollars more or lefs on the sup
plies for his table and his home which he might
buy at lower price If we had no tariff The far
mers greatest asset is in the market for his prod
ucts and the market for his products depends upon
the buying capacity of the people in our towns
villages.
Close down our industries and the purchasing
power of our people vanishes The consuming pow
er and moneyspending habits of our people are in
creased according industries flourish and
our wages range high.