Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-07-21
Holds Free Trade Success
Only When Universal
Iy Adopted.
CAPITAL DISCOURAGED
Claims Democrats Are Seeking
to Tear to Pieces Fiscal
Policy of Nation.

Washington, July 21.-Denunciation
of free trade as timely policy for
the United States, a prediction of fail
ure in its purposes for the Underwood
Simmons tariff bill and an attack on
an ad valorem tariff system, were
voiced by Senator Burton of Ohio to-
day when tariff discussion was re-
sumed in the senate.
Senator Burton declared he was no
worshipper of protection as fetish"
but that he approached the subject of
the tariff rather with the conviction
that whenever there shall be an era
of comfy and mutual concession in
trade among nations and our country
shall have reached a point when its
productive capacity h=s been fully de-
veloped, free trade might be a nation
al policy.
Such" he said, "was not the case,
the disposition TO restrict trade among
nations and to grant access to mar
kets only on rendering concessions in
return" being on the increase. Aver
ring that a free trade policy only is
applicable on the theory that it uni
versally can be applied, the Ohio sena-
tor declared:
SEES ADVANTAGE no OTHERS.
THE attempt on the part of free
trade nation to apply the theory in
practice without the concert of other
nations reveals the serious disadvan-
tage OF such a position. Even If theO.
retically in the most correct situation,
she is in far worse position to en-
force her point of view She can
have recourse to no other means of
protecting her interests except to per-
suade the statesmen of other coun-
tries that they, together with herself,
would be better off under regime of
freedom in commerce; while they, on
the other hand, can bargain between
themselves to her disadvantage and
at the same time profit by access to
her open markets"
Senator Burton further declared
that the democrats had framed a bill
which literally tears to pieces the fis-
cal policy OF the nation. in order TO
FdllSig tue tldNlIk lbi luNtl -hb tie
cost of living and TO justify the declar-
alton OF their party platform that the
chief cause Of the high cost of living
was the existing protective tariff en-
acted by the republican party"
This" said Senator Burton, was
your campaign argument; this was
the promise on which you regard your.
selves as delegated TO tear to pieces
the fiscal policy which has been the
sheet anchor of nearly two decades OF
unprecedented prosperity, and which
is the only guaranty of its contih
uance. You have created tariff pol
icy blind to every consideration ex
cept the consumer.
CAPITAL NOT ENCOURAGED.
"The bill was frankly not framed to
encourage capital to enter new fields
of industry or extend those already es
tablished; il was not devised for the
purpose of inviting our farI.ers b
reclaim new acres for cultivation; II
is certainly not calculated to enlarge
the opportunities for labor TO find
profitable employment Its only justi
fication is a reduced cost of living. Il
IL fails in this. it fails utterly"
The belief of many persons is a de
lusion. the senator said. that protec
tive tariff is responsible for the higl
cost OF living.
Denouncing the ad yalorem system
adopted in the bill as a substitute fol
specific duties, Senator Burton de
clared that it was Objectionable be
cause it means q heavier burden upoI
the consumer during periods wheI
prices are highest and smaller bur
den when prices are low; that it af
fords temptation for undervaluatiol
and fraud. and that it works TO thu
disadvantage of the American manu-
facturer who must buy -aw materia
abroad.
SMoOT MAKES ATTACK.
Asserting that foreign lobby" hat
influenced democrats in framing tn
Cnderwood-Simmons tariff bill, Sena
tor Smoot, republican member of tn
finance committee, today delivered
vigorous attack on the measure. II
pictured mills shut down. workmel
unemployed. investors ruined and a.
era Of general financial and industfia
depression as a result OF the tssTelin
Of the tariff walls. Europex/ nations
he declared, we're not sosfauch TO b
feared as competitors as were III
nations Of the ORIENT,
There has been IoOby here in b'