Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1916-10-26
EUROPE'S WAR PROVES
PROTECTION IS RIGHT.
Elihu Root Shows That the Re-
publican Party'S Cardinal
Principle Has Won the
Only Decisive Battle
OF the Contest.
WE PROSPER BECAUSE THE
HOME MARKET IS OUR OWN

When I'eace comes ana Forei9n JON"
mercal Considerations Look Hun
griy Toward America, We Shall De-
serve What Happens to Us If Pro-
vision Is Not Made Against Disaster
by a Tariff Quite Different From the
Underwood Folly.
There is one particular subject with
which the United States must deal
In orde. to meet the revulsiop In pro
duction and trade which W. accom-
pany the close of the great war. That
is the Tariff. think there Is very
general agreement upon that. When
the demand for supplies to the armies
In the field has ended great numbers
of men will return to productive EN-
ployment In Europe and great mum
bers Of operatives will be thrown out
Of employment here and will have to
find other work Europe will have
little money and be heavily in debt
She will be under strong compulsion
ing goods. She will be on a basis Of
strict economy and high organization
and she can make and sell cheaply.
The United States will have an abun-
dance of money and vast purchasing
power. Our market has always been
attractive to European producers. 1t
xx,tII - 20 mona oftro nfivo after fhn
war. 1t is highly probable that even
England will resort to protective
tariff, so that our production will meet
protective barriers In all foreign mar
kets. What are we going to do then?
We must do something. We must pro-
tect ourselves or we shall become the
dumping ground OF the world and our
workmen willsbeg In the streets.
Even the Democrats have seen that
something must be done. for they have
provided tariff board to ascertain and
report the true facts to which tariff
law Is to be applied. In Mr.. Taft's Ad
ministration the Republicans provided
ident and 1t was appointed and doing
excellent work. When the Democratic
House elected in 1910 came In they
starved 1t out of existence by refusing
appropriations. In the last session of
the 61st Congress the Republicans pass
ed through both Houses a new bill for
a tariff board to report to Congress
There we're some slight differences of
detail In the two Houses, which were
agreed upon In conference. but the
Democrats fiibustered against the final
conference report and so killed the bill.
So the tariff board was dead-slain by
the Democratic party. 1t has now been
resurrected by that party because they
see that something must be done about
the tariff when the war closes. Now,
we can all understand that If the coun
try wants a tariff for revenue only they
may put the making of 1t In the hands
of the Democratic party. But, can any
sane man contemplate that party max
ing protective tariff? In the first
place they can't do ii honestly They
don't believe IN It They were born and
bred In a different faith. They have
been crying so long that protection Is
an abuse of power. and an abominatlon
that they can't reconcile themselves to
a protective tariff, and they regard the
Underwood tariff as a model That is
what we are TO have II the Democrats |
60 back-the Underwood tariff still. |
with perhaps here and there a slight /
modification regarding dye stuffs and
some other articles which can be
shown TO gentlemen from Missouri and |
elsewhere Well. If there ever was |
clumsy III conceived misfit law. II is
the tariff which bears Mr. Underwoods |
name. We had already discovered |
what its effect was when the war IN
Europe began
Many mills and factories we're closed
or running but a part OF the time
Great numbers Of laborers were thrown
out OF employment. and the market for
American products was still further
reduced BY the destruction Of their
purchasing power Enterprise halted.
discouraged and apprebensive OF the
future. New enterprises we're no long
er attempted Old plants were no long
er enlarged The Underwood tariff
had alread, failed when the war In
Europe beian That war furnished
and continues to furnish to American
production the most absolute protec-
ton because 1t has to, so great de
gree stopped production in Europe. So
long as the war lasts our producers
have practically no competition in our
home market. for Europe does not
make the goods TO sell here. At the
same time. while the war lasts our
producers have an enormous market
in Europe fsr the things that Europe