The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1912-09-22

aohSSu Ut a Attie 70 Utpenu on our
selves, and as a result our infant In
austries had been stimulated. We had
been forced to care for ourselves,
the best thing that could happen us.
We began at once to be self-support-
Ing and independent. We were then
being started on the career of a strong
and self-reliant nation The war had
shut the country off from European
goods When peace came and foreign
goods began to come in with a rush,
congress took the hint and increased
the duties on these goods. Hamilton
had urged this at the beginning OF
the government and had the "Hamil-
ton theory of government been fol-
lowed, rather than the "Jeffersonian
theory" all trouble might have been
avoided. Protection was the method
used by all governments for the pro-
lection of their Industries.
The tariff wall of 1916 checked the
food of imported goods. It came at
time when it had market effect on
the history of the people OF the Unit
ed States. 1t established the fact
that II we manufacture our own goods
from our own products and sell them
to our own citizens, then one part OF
the country helps the other and the
whole union prospers together. Thus
1t was that the tariff fell into It's place
as one Of the plans adopted by the
country when it settled down to pos
sessing the land and improving it.
All this was learned by bitter exper-
fence.
The treaty of peace was announced,
and the sleepy, half dead foreign COM
merce was at once aroused into vigor-
GUS action. Every merchant and trader
of Europe hadSeyes on our markets
and ships of all kinds and sizes began
transport foreign goods. An avalanche
OF wares plunged down among us.
Soon our purchasing capacity was ex-
hausted and credit shattered. There
was no demand for the home goods,
and the infant factories were closed.
The subsequent four years were
known as the dull times and the
"sheriffs' years The people had
bought foreign goods extravagantly
and the pay day was at hand.
A Judgment day always comes, and
its demands are imperious. Soon
everything was for sale to meet press
Ing liabilities. Sheriffs and auction
GERS were the busiest men of the |
times and the most hated. The people |
we're not sagacious enough to see that I
free trade was the real cause of all |
their troubles. People seldom trace
evils to their real causes. For rent"
To let and For SALE could be seen /
Or half the houses. Our business was
being done in Europe instead of our /
own land, where it ought to be done (
The homes of Europe were being
benefited and not our own homes.
The farmers, merchants and trades
men of France. England and Holland
we're growing rich while we were
growing poor. Paris, London, Liver
pool and other foreign cities were be-
coming busy marts of trade, while |
Boston, New York and Philadelphia
we're being Frustrated and grass was
growing in their streets. It took more I
han ten years to recover from the |
rec trade debauch following the war
If 1872. Our factories were choked to
Heath. Business was sorely wounded
History repeated herself in 1887 and I
1893. We are foolishly playing with
ire at this time, and President Taft,
oy his vetoes of such measures, stands
is wall of fire" against another de-
uge Of foreign products Mckinley in
1896 was the advance agent of pros
,eritys and his noble successor w. H.
Taft, stands now as the guardian Of
Shall the SOW that was washed by
he Mckinley and Dingley bills return
o her wallowing in the mire Of free
rade? Things are what they are;
heir consequences will be what they
vii be; why then should we deceive
Have we not present
Is not it's continuance de-
tired? A vote for President Taft is a
-ote for continued prosperity.
J. H. TEDFoRD.