Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1916-10-18
EUROPE'S WARPROVES
PROTECTION IS RIGHT
EIihu 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 Peace Comes and Foreign Com
mercial Considerations Look Hun
eriIy 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 order to meet the revulsion in pro-
duction and trade which will accom-
pany the close of the great war. That |
is the Tariff. I 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 num-
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
to pay her debts by making and sell
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
will be far more attractive after the
war. 1t is highly probable that even
England will resort to a 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 will beg in the streets.
Even the Democrats have seen that
something must be done. for they have
provided a tariff board to ascertain and
report the true facts to which a tariff
law is to be applied. In Mr.. Taft's Ad-
ministration the Republicans provided
for tariff board to report to the Pres
tdent and it was appointed and doing
House elected In 1910 came in they
starved it 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 were some slight differences Of
detail in the two Houses, which were
IN t,,,A
Democrats filibustered against the final
conference report and so killed the bill.
So the tariff board was dead-slain by
the Democratic party. It 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 tariff for revenue only they
may put the making Of it in the hands
of the Democratic party. But. can any
sane man contemplate that party max
ing a protective tariff? In the first
place they can't do it 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 abomination
that they can't reconcile themselves to
protective tariff, and they regard the
Underwood tariff as a model That is
what we are to have If the Democrats
go back-the Underwood tariff still,
with perhaps here and there slight
modification regarding dye stuffs and
some other articles which can be
shown to gentlemen from Missouri and
elsewhere. Well. If there ever was a
clumsy, i'll conceived. misft law. it is
the tariff which bears Mr. Underworld
name. We had already discovered
what its effect was when the war in
Europe began.
Many mills and factories were closed
or running but a part of the time
Great numbers of laborers were thrown
out of employment, and the market fol-
American products was still further
reduced by the destruction Of their
purchasing power. Enterprise halted
discouraged and apprehensive Of the
future. New enterprises were no long
er attempted. Old plants were no long
er enlarged. The Underwood tariff
had already failed when the war in
Europe began. That war furnished
and continues to furnish to American
production the most absolute protec
ton because it has to SO great de
gree stopped production in Europe. 81
long as the war lasts our producers
have practically no competition in oul
home market. for Europe does no
make the goods to sell here. At tn,
same time, while the war lasts oul
producers have an enormous marke
in Europe for the things that Europe
can't produce in sufficient quantities
When the war is over that condition
will cease, and we shall deserve wha
happens to US If we do not provide
against that time by tariff quite diff
ferent from the Underwood tariff ani