The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1912-10-31
TIN WITHOUT A TARIFF

llE VVllIlUUl H Ihlllff
In his speech in Brooke and Ohio counties Congress
man Davis has gotten in bad
He there placed himself squarely on record as favor
ing free trade 1t has been charged by those opposing his
election that he free trader and they
now point to his speeches delivered the counties above
named as lndlsputable evidence of that fact.
discussing the great tin plate industry in his district
Mr. Davis said that it needed protection whatsoever
(see Friday Telegram quoting his Warwood speech)
If MIR Davis that the tin plate industry can be
conducted without any tariff protection he spoke the
truth.
But he that it can be conducted on the same
wage scale prevails in tin plate mills he uttered
statement that is not true and about everybody else who
has thought nteligenty the tariff especially as ap
Piled to the tin plate business, knows that it is untrue
Now Mr. Davis, we do not think for a moment in
tended to deliberately state something he knew to be false
Not a bit of it.
He stated something that every body else knows to be
false which he beievesto be true.
That is the trouble with your average tariff for reve
nue. only champion or in the final analysis your ouand
out free trader
They npracticabe theorists who are blind to the
history of actual experience because they opened their
eyes to see their theories would longer enlist their own
advocacy
Mr. Davis is quite right Our tin mills could be oper
ated without the protection of Republican tariff.
The protection principle advocated by the Repubi
can party and practically applied in this country for
century, not applied to protect the product but to pro
ect the labor that enters into the development Of that
product for the market.
1t the protection Of people and not property that
the foundation of the Protective principle.
Tin mills are operated in Wales without protection
and MIR Davis is entirely correct in saying that they could
be operated here withoutit But would they?
They might if the employed in these mills were
to accept the wages that paid their fellows for the
same work in the mills in Wales.
They might be, if American labor in these mills would
agree to lower the standard of living that they enjoy
"It is strictly up to the work1nen" to say.
They have the biggest interest in every ton manufac
INcy toft
part in the finished and marketable product
Had the reduction made by the Underwood bill on tin
plate prevailed by the vote of Mr. Davis it would have
been entirely feasible and practicable for the tin mills to
have been kept going, IF
The men employed therein agreed to sluffng off Of
their wages Then the increased foreign competition on
the coast could have been met with some reasonable
pectation of getting at least part of the business
But nobody would expect that the men would agree
TO this and what would have happened would have been
just exactly and precisely what Mr. Follansbee has told
the people of this district would have happened to wit
the certain closing down of the Carksbug plant for It's
entire market is on the Pacific coast and reduction of
wages in all other plants.
There would not and could not be the prosperity and
high wages that paid in that business There
would be voluntary increases in wages amounting to
$780, 0O which has been the with the Phillips Tin
Plate Company within this year. OF that may feel
Mr. Davis is wrong on this matter His tariff theories
have been given trial by this government and found to
be wrong. Not only wrong but calamitous and disas-
trous He is opposed to the views of his constituency
in this matter He is in the position Of fighting his own
city's prosperity and industrial growth:
Instead OF Prosperity he would give us Paralysis
He is a kNOCKER on manufacturing develop
ment and his tariff votes offered as conclusive evi
dence Of that fact
Further proof is that he KNOCKS on our nanufac.
tu1ers. He calls them Putocrats and he charges them
with the henous oense of Giving in ease and luxury
from which infer that he, himself, has enjoyed
the fine comforts but has dripped the sweat from
his face upon the red-hot anvil
Let MIR Davis take this Plain Truth and think it over
carefully:
EVERY TINE YOU KNOCK A MAN WHO OWNS