The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1915-05-13
The Protective Tariff
&. in Its Relation to Business
[Hy Leslie NJ. Shawl

and factories turn out more finished
products than all the shops and fac
tories of Great Britain and Germany
and France combined, plus five thou
sand million every twelve months,
and we pay out as much in wages as
all the rest of the world. OF course,
we might have done better under a
policy of restriction and worldwide
competition. am not arguing the
question, am only stating the facts
of history. !.
But capital became arrogant, self
assertive. domineering and monopo-
listic. 1t became necessary to resort
to discipline and some OF the big boys
were punished in the presence of the
infant class. This caused all the little
fellows to clap their hands in glee
and gradually it has become a pas
time to get after "the fellow higher
up"
The people OF the United States
have shown wonderful aptitude and
attained great proficiency in two dis
tinct helds-base ball and business.
i During the prosperous periods of these
two great national games, the rules of
the games respectively were made by
experts in the games. Admittedly
business has suffered because Of mod
ern policies, and base ball Will suffer
equally should the same policy be
pursued and should the committee to
prescribe the rules Of base ball be Sc
lected under direct primary system
from among those who never play the
game and seldom have seen it played,
upon platform pledging that strenu-
Gus playing must cease and that the
score at the end of the game must be
equal regardless OF errors.
Today, and especially when the
European war shall cease-as it doubt
less will some time-the people of the
United States will again occupy a
unique position. It will be for them
to determine whether they shall adopt
policies and grant encouragement suf-
ficient to enable them to take and
maintain an internat1ona position as
far in advance of anything heretofore
enjoyed by any government or people
as our domestic growth, developments
and commerce transcends anything in
history The opportunity is ours; all
needed resources and all essential re-
sourcefulness are ours; money and
brains, the two essentials, are both
ours. If We continue the policy of
charging every man who proposes to
do something with being conspira-
tor and every man who has done
something with being a thief, we have
probably reached our maximum. IT.,
on the contrary, we assume that cap
ital has learned the needed lesson and
without apologizing for what has been
done, we lay the rod over the door, 1t
may be well to let the handle stick
out far enough SO that 1t can be seen,
and without making any future refer
ences to past unpleasantness, the
| future of this matchless people is be-
yond the dream of the most optimis-
! tic.
But we insult either quit making
treaties securing to our people the
right to enjoy pioneer privileges in
other countries, and guaranteeing to
/ them protection of life and property
or we must do more for those who
encouraged thereby enter new fields
and there plant the flag of American
commerce than to tell them to come
home the moment the provision on
which they relied when they went are
wantonly violated.