The sun., 1916-09-18

From a speecA in the United States Senate
Hamp
There Is n fictitious prosperity at the
present time. due 70 the European war.
but when the war ends the deadly work
OF the Democratic tariff law will again
be In full operation.
! Mr.. President, free trade Ia but a relic
, Of the old Colonial days when u strug-
| Cling ancestors were powerless to assert
themselves, but 1t was expelled with tho
nrst breath drawn by the American Con-
gress on independence Day OF 11ss. That
was the new freedom and any retro
4 xression to free trade 10 but q resub-
mission to the yoke of foreign power.
! Nowhere among the nations liz free traoc
longer tolerated. England. with her vast
capital invested in tho producing coun-
tries. is finding II intolerable and IL get
ting ready for a protective tarih OF some
kind. But. with all our experience ana
, with all the ADVANTAGES to be gaired
from the experience OF others. We have
men, prominent In the councils OF the
nation, SO blind that they cannot. or 80
! obstinate that they will not. see the
folly OF our present course or adopting
the very policy WHICH became intoier-
able to our forcfathers and which never
will again be borne by a free and en-
iightened republic.
our imports of foreign goods for May
of this year, Notwithstanding the wal In
Europe. we're the largest OH record.
totailing s2?9.00o 900. an increase Of sl1.-
n.n ann a,.r &,.rl nnI mn Ayrc1S OF
$50, OO0. 900 over the May average from
1911 to 1914.
For the year ending with May our
imports totalled S2.ll0.000.OOO. an IN
crease OF s436. 900 900 over the preceding
year. OF the May imports. S5.7 per
cent. were entered free Of duty. il
anybody thinks that We have become
the dumping ground for Europe" just
let him wait until the war Is over. The
worst is yet to come. OF course this
added surplus Of foreign goods displaced
an equal amour. OF goods OF American
manufacture.
We are urged by our friends on the
other side Of the chamber to take the
tariff out of politics. What We are going
IN do If to take politics out Of the tariff
and treat II as a natural. matter OF fact
business affair. just as We treat any
other phase OF our governmental opera
,ions. II can be perfectly adjusted to
our conditions and requirements so that
II need not cause a fernent every time
IL IL mentioned. II should be a staple
article. like our currency or water sup
ply or transportation facilities. When
We realize the immense sums OF money
invested in this country that can be
swept away 10y a single n~uctuation of
tariff rates. II is readily understood why
the tariff should he permanent and
steady. II is possible for an American
manufacturer to estimate his cost OF
production by summing up the fixed
charges of operation and 20 add his
overhead. selling. advertisin-. interest
and depreciation accounts and then to
calculate a fair profit upon the whole
but whenever a copcatcnatior Of cir
cums:anccs like those Of 1912 shall
change the political complexion OF the
Administration and Of Congress the
manufacturers product may be rendered
unsuitable by the stroke OF a pen or by
the moving OF a decimal point In the
rate OF duty. So long az It Is possible for
an act OF Congress TO confscatc the prop
erty of "A citizen. II Is possible for ignor-
ant or unpc!ncipled politicians to COM
nit n wholesale crime against society.
Tie protective tariff Is not a friend
OF monopoly. On the contrary. II Is
and always has been. in principle and
in practice. the parent Of domestic com
petition. and has worked out for the
benefit Of Independent enterprise in the
manufactures and arts. On the Other
hand. free trade is fully capable OF and
certain 10 foster monopoly. For instance,
cake a highly capitalized industry like
the steel business. in which there are a
few tremendous concerns and hundreds OF
small, ones. each operating successfully
in It's oN.i sphere and in proportion "a
the capital invested under n protective
tariff. as heretofore. Now. then. tax.
away thc tariff and the two or three Sir
concerns would possibly he able. because
OF their organization. equipment and
holdings of Iron mines. TO compete with
foreign rivals. but the hundreds II in
dependents not similarly situated would
surely 60 TO the wall. In this way free
trade would he creating Il monopoly thai
protection has prevented.
AS 10 the Democratic charge that I,
is a breeder Of high prices. the proter.
tive tariff has been completely vindicatcd
The accusations so frequently made
have been so often exploded that the
subject is perhaps unworthy OF fur,he,
discussion but ! will venture to poin,
out a few facts which absolutely rcfute
this contention. The history Of the tir
| ttltn inIttGfFNs IN this nntRsrx to nrnt
known as having been created and fos.
tered by the tarIn until tin plato was
produced at a cost to the consumer
which Was a fraction Of the forme
prices paid TO foreigners. steel rails
furnish another most striking instance
A SEA FOOD SWINDLE.