Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-11-02

street is nearing completion, and
employers are hoping that it's finish
will not be delayed, because that will
release several hundred workmen who
are badly needed in other enterprises.
But, Mr.. wage-earner and Mr..
Businessman, do YOU remember that
when the Cumberland Valley Rail
road Company announced it's inten-
tion to build that bridge men said:
Thank God, it will give work to
some of our thousands of idle work.
men,"
Times have changed. Let us go
back for moment, lest we forget
that sorrowful winter of 1884 and
to what we owe the good times of
to-day.
The Underwood tariff law went into
effect October 4, 1918, ten months be-
fore the European war began.
What happened?
Business bankrupt, enterprise para
lyzed, capital hiding. labor seeking
employment, soup houses and bread
lines established, charity rooms in
North Front street where women of
husbands out of work labored for
their daily bread. Four million work.
ers were out of employment or on
short time. Imports from Europe in
creased enormously and our exports
decreased. Gold left the country to
settle our debts to Europe. A Demo-
cratic stamp tax had to be levied to
meet ordinary expenses of the Gov
ernment Gross earnings of railroads
decreased forty-four million dollars,
and scores OF railroad men working
less than half-time. Nearly two hun
dred and fifty thousand men were
laid off by the railroads up to July,
nine months after the Underwood bill
became law. The Clafin failure for
$34, 900, 900 occurred. Bankruptcies
were frequent.
On May 20, 1914, a deputation of
businessmen representing nearly a
billion dollars of manufacturing in
terests, employing hundreds of thou
sands of workmen, told the President
at the White House that the country
must speedily have relief.
Mr.. Wilson replied that the
situation was merely psychological"
The European war began. Eu-
ropean exporters ceased to send their
products to the United States and be-
came our greatest customers, prin-
cipally in munitions and war sup
plies A period of ephemeral pros
perity ensued. Democratic leaders
seized on this temporary prosperity
as an explanation of the disasters
brought on by the Underwood low
tariff law and have ever since been
shouting Prosperity"
What will happen after the Eu-
ropean war ends? .'
Unless there is a protective tar,
European producers will again dump
their surplus goods into the United
States and exactly the same conditions
will prevail as under the first ten
months of the Underwood low tariff
law. Labor will be out of employ
ment. Business will surfer.
Unless Republican President and a
Republican House and Senate are
elected next Tuesday, pledged to a
tariff system for protection of Amer
lean labor and industries, a financial
castrophe will occur. Unless the men
who passed the Underwood law are
put out of office Harrisburg, with the
nation at large, will return at the close
of the war to the dark days when men
rendered up thanks for the chance OF
a big railroad contract that gave work
to a few of the idle thousands. Unless
a Republican president and a Re.
publican Congress are elected next
Tuesday we shall see again the mills
closed, the railroads laying off mer