The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1911-01-18

ton | presume to be even the begin
ming of an authority, for realize
very keenly that this topic could east.
ly lead green speaker to disaster,
and ] shall not attempt to discuss the
science of the tariff.
l think can. however, without crit
icism, make one statement. and this
statement is that the time now seems
to be rapidly approaching, and If
am not mistaken, has been fastened
in this approach most wonderfully by
the attitude of the men of the mid
dle west in congress, when the prep
aration of the tariff will be accom-
plished in new manner, and iii
manner dictated by common sense.
The horse trading days regarding the
tariff are probably now rather limit
ed, and do you not think that when
We have our tariff commission dis
cussing and analyzing scientifically
the various schedules separately, that
We will have result that will enable
the democratic party or the republi-
can party, as the case may be, to
point to specific things absolutely ac-
complished, and in this way we will
see, believe. remarkable changes in
the geographical location Of factories.
II We have tariff some day that is
built along scientific lines, and be-
lieye both parties are striving for this
result, the tariff will then represent
the difference between the cost of
production in the United States and
the cost of production In the foreign
markets, with a reasonable profit to
the manufacturer, and when this time
comes the question of maintaining
artificial profits will be thing of the
past, in my judgment. where the ag-
gregate of the conditions show up the
best for economical production. With
the tariff protecting abnormally this
is not so important, but with this alb
normal protection taken away it be-
comes important.
1t will then be found that the labor
question and the cost of power,
which is another form of labor, will
come into prominence, and greater
prominence than can possibly obtain
when factories are protected to the
present abnormal degree, and guess
there are not many OF us, whether we
are republicans Or democrats but what
are thoroughly convinced that Dame
Special Protection" has held the CEN
ter of our American stage quite long
enough.
Another very strong reason why
the middle west, in this particular
territory, is a better place for fac
tories to thrive in, should be the re-
duced cost of living.
The laboring man in the east has
to pay more than twice as much to
heat his home as he will have to pay
in the city of Quincy. The cost of
food which the laboring man there
must eat is much more and this food
question is just as important to the
laboring man, both as to quality and
ter of fact, than it is to any other
division of the human family. The
cost of land for homes should like
wise be far less in the west than in
the east The building of the Pana-
ma canal, which is now assured. opens
up also other vast possibilities for
manufacturing in the middle west.
cannot for the life of me see when
this canal is built, why it would not
be very profitable and practical for
factories, for instance 10 buy their
raw cotton on the Mississippi river
below us, manufacture it along the
banks of the river, and as a manu-
featured product ship it to New Or
leans and through the canal for con-
sumption In Asia. When we realize
that the present consumption of for
eign manufactured goods. most of
which is cotton, in the Orient, is
over s400,000,00O year, it seems to
me that the time must speedily come
when American energy and ingenui.
ty will secure a portion of this bust
ness for America. and why, lei me
ask, should We not wake up and get
after some Of this business for the
Mississippi valley
Over and above all of the fore
going suggestions there is further
reason why the middle west should
have large factories, and | refer to
the fact thai the west has the brains
and hustle to support and even own
and maintain her own factories. and
does not longer need the assistance
of the east in anything like the de-
gree tina has obtained in the past
In other words, the middle west is
big enough, wealthy enough and
brainy enough to take on this new
End important work and enjoy the
fruits of this labor at home. and for
the territory for considerable lati-
tude and longitude about you
In aid of this program. if the Pow
err company finds that serious. strong
and thoughtful plans are working for
this upbuilding. the company will be
found doing its full share in proving
to factories that their power supply
will be cheaper than from coal and
that the dealings with the Power
company will be upon broad mind