The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1914-12-18
Democratic Protectionism

There Is much significance in the
recent declaration of Norman z.
Mack. one Of the most prominent
and potential among the leaders Of
the Democratic party, to the effect
that a revision of the Tariff upward
is imperatively required as means
OF encouraging new industrial enter
prises that shall hereafter not only
supply the shortage of certain ma
serials for which we have heretofore
been dependent upon foreign coun-
tries but shall. moreover. so support
existing industries so as to make
sure of the unemployment OF our
great army of unemployed labor, rem
dered jobless by the Underwood Free
Trade Tariff. This wakeDing TO the
needs of the situation reflects much
credit upon the sanity of Mr.. Mack.
II shows him to be "A ran who
studies and thinks, who takes note
of economic conditions, and VINO
traces the relation of effect and
cause. In short. it shows him far su-
perior in brains and in power of OBJ
se~vation and analysis TO the aver
age of Democratic chieftans. Four
teen years of continuous service as
the New York member OF the Nation
al Democratic Committee, including
five years as chairman Of that COM
mittee. have not so planted his men
tai powers as to prevent his learning
things from experience, besides for
getting some of the Bonrbonism OF
his party, notably the unreasoning
and Numbering attitude of that party
on the question of the Tariff. Evil
IDENTIFY Mr.. Mack is not one of those
Democrats who get all of their econ
onaic training and knowledge out of
Free-Trade text books. He appears
to have learned something out of
the text books of business and OF
human experience. Wherefore he
serves notice upon the Democratic
party that the time has arrived when
IL must about face on the Tariff.
abandon the Free-Trade dogma,
drop the Tariff for revenue-only fool
tshness squarely on its feet as pro-
noter and encourager of domestic
Industry. That is to say, the Demo-
cratic party must revise the Tariff
upward to a protection basis.
In order to have reached this con-
clusion Mr.. Mack must have taken
some pains to inform himself regard
ing the conditions and needs of Amer
lean labor and industry. In this re-
poets he differs radically from the
general average of Democrats. 1t is
the habit of FreeTraders to COM
pletely ignore and disregard the facts
IA the case. They do not seek infor-
nation along industrial lines. Appar-
emily would rather not have any such
Information. The Underwood Tariff
IL clear proof of that
Occasionally, however, we hear of
Democrat who really would like to
know something about the vital ques-
zion whether or not American indus
trial producers and wage payers re-
guire a Protective Tariff in order to
hold the American market against
foreign competition. a case of this
kind occurred about ten years ago,
soon after the election of 1910 had
given the Free-Traders the control of
the House of Representatives of the
Sixty-second Congress. One of the
leading industrialists of the United
States, chief owner of several mills
and factories and hiving several
thousand workmen on his payroll,
was invited to attend conference
OF prominent Democrats whereat the
question of Tariff reduction was to be
considered. The invitation was ac-
cepted Three Democrats and the one
Republican industrialist made up the
party.
What we want" said the spokes-
man. II lHt dtludl 81 hAl dppuN lHN
Tariff. How much reduction below
the present Tariff rates can you
stand"
THAT question is easily answered"
said the man with the big payroll.
81 have brought with me the balance
sheets OF all OF my properties for
a term of years. From them you
will discover that my profits have
averaged from Al to ~ per cent
on the capital invested. You would
not. presume, consider>that an eX-
erbitant profit?"
by no means" was the reply.
but you sometimes make more than
that?"
"Oh. yes" said the mill owner
when we are so lucky as to turn out
a fabric pattern that has big run