The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1914-08-18
FOWLER SAYS G. 0. P.
VICTORY IS CERTAIN
Points Out Defects in Demo-
cratic Administration.

that is wise and we'll; but there Will
be no absolute guaranty of perpetual
peace so long as the surface of this
earth is the battle-ground of trade and
commerce.
This very afternoon the United
States may be looking out upon
clear and peaceful sky. Even so
early as tomorrow morning war
clouds may curtain the rising sun,
and before nightfall blacken the zen
ith of the heavens and hang low and
lowering the whole horizon around,
presaging the most titanic and wicked
struggle in blood that has ever STAIN
ed the history of the human race.
''Under these circumstances, let the
United States put its financial house
in ORDER
These prophetic words, uttered by
Charles N. Fowler on March 29, 1910,
in his last speech in the house OF
representatives, were recalled to him
i'm a letter received from a Morris
county man. The writer asserted
that recent events have proved the
soundness of the Elizabeth man S
banking and currency views.
War indeed has risen in its fiend-
ish form over night, he declared. and
has found the United States financlal
house in disorder just as Mr. Fowler
had feared
Asked if the new banking and cur
rency law would not eliminate the de-
fects and menaoes he had pointed
out in the old system, Mr.. Fowler
denied. with all his lold-time ylgor'
that such would be the result. the
law recently passed." he said, us
the offspring of prejudice, partisan
ship. sectionalism and utter ignorance
of economic law as applied to Amer
ican conditions will prove, If allowed
to stand, the most iniquitous piece OF
financial and banking legislation that
ever cursed any civilized country II
should be wiped off the statute BOOKS
at the earliest possible moment.
The country S financial system would
be in no better condition to Withstand
the shock, of "a great war when the
new law is in operation, he said, tnan
it is now with the old system and lne
war emergency amendments added to
the Jaws as they existed before this
foreign law was passed.
eft is German in origin" Mr.. Fow-
Ter continued, "alien to our lnstltu-
tions and utterably unadapted to our
conditions. To demonstrate that tne
Wilson -Glass-Owen bill will cost the
country $100,000,000 more every year
than the right system would, is only
a matter of addition and supslrac-
tion."
Besides the immediate and unquan-
fled repeal of the owen
financial legislation, and the adoption
of a scientific, appropriated, non-par,
tisan, non-sectional, sound finahciai
system, such as Mr.. Fowler mas ao-
vocated during his long service as
one of the country's f1nanclal aulloi-
tiles, the former congressman peheses
there are two big issues before the
country. 80.
the tariff for the purpose OF protecelns
American labor and American agrF
culture, and the preservation OF Ani-
er;can markets for American produc-
ers.', and the other is the estapllsn-
ment of a merchant marine There
are three ways the latler can pe ie
habiliated, he believes.
.sFirst. by mail subsidies; second
by a differential in the duty on goods
imported in American bottoms, ana
third. by the government itself own
ing the boats" The government
ownership remedy he does not indorse'
except as dernier resort. A mer-
chant marine to-day, Mr.. Fowler SAID,
would repay the country more than
a hundred fold for all necessary mall
susidies it would have cost the coun-
try to have built up during the last
seventy-five years.
Why should not the country favor
its own shipping by giving mall SUB
sidies as England, France, Germany
and Japan are doing, he asked, ana
he asserted that arguments to the
contrary were economically stupid
and, commercially disasterous to Am
eriean interests.
The wilson Underwood-Simmon tar
iff law called for differential OF
five per cent. in the duty on goods
sbipped in American bottoms, Mr.
Fowler recalled, but democratic at
torney-general had declared the pro-
vision null and void because OF a con-
flict with certain commercial treaties
or conventions, If the administration
had desired to aid American shipping.
Mr. Fowler said, these treaties or
conventions could have been suspend
ed upon six months notice.
at was a sham battle, cowardly,
tricky. false pretense, that's ALL MT.
Fowler charged. Mere ownership OF
vessels built in foreign shipyards,' he
added, referring to the measure now
before congress, twill not secure US
a merchant marine because it Will
cost twice as much for the help TO
man and operate ships under the
Stars and Stripes, as under the Eng
lish. German, French or Japanese
flags. Let us not deceive ourselves
If we are to have an American
merchant marine, it must be main
tanned on the level of American
wages and should be built in Amerl-
can shipyards at American wages. or
course. under our present exigencies
it may be wise to buy some foreign
ships. but only on the theory that
thew are to be manned and operated
upon American conditions; otherwise,
every such purchase must prove a
dismal failure and result In great
loss to those who make the venture.
what do you think about business
conditions?'' Mr.. Fowler was next
asked. "What l say" he answered
ssmust apply to conditions as they
were before the extraordinary situa-
ton which has developed as Result
of the European war"
From the very day of the election
of Woodrow Wilson," he went on,
'and a democratic senate and a demo-
cratic house of representatives, be-