The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1916-10-08
PRESENT PROSPERITY
is DUE TO THE WAR,
DECLARES FAIRBANKS

circumstances OF foreign war.
To restore such a foundation for
enterprise and employment where we
learned, before the European war be-
gan, that 1t was missing, is the pledge
OF the Republican party in this cam
paign.
Under the normal operations OF the
existing tariff law, before the Euro-
pean war, we recruited an army OF the
unemployed equal in size to tho army
which the British empire has mob
iliSed for the war. The plight OF the
man dependent upon his labor for his
living, cut on from employment and
facing either hunger or dependence
upon charity for himself and family,
is surely not vastly more enviablo
than that Of the man In the trenches,
fighting for his country, conscious at
least that his loved ones are safe from
suffering.
Not Question OF Money.
This is vastly more than sordid
question Of dollars and cents. The
question is whether our civilization
can endure the strain Of rcadjust-
ment, under the unrestricted compe-
tition pledged by the traditions and
declaration and only Temporarily con-
cealed convictions OF the party in
power. to that basis of compensation
for employment in tho farm and fac
tory which prevailed in Europe, tho
orient and in South America before
the war. and which will prevail on a
more keenly competitive and therefore
lower level when the European war
is over.
1--WE appeal in this campaign to
the memory Of every American wage
Garner, business man and farmer, not
as to the disaster which followed the
ending of European war under the
Walker tariff, not as to the depression
which came uDon American industry
under the Wilson tariff OF twenty
years ago, but as to the conditions
which prevailed under the Underwood
tariff law throughout the length and
breadth of the land just two years
ago.
we ask them TO recall the failing
revenues which caused the United
States treasury to confront deilcien-
cy; the decreased exports; the large
and rapidly growing imports which
were fast dispossessing tho American
producer of the American market; the
slowing or silent factories; the null
tiplied thousands of empty box cars
and idle engines; tho vast and grow
ing army OF the unemployed and the
creation OF special governmental agen-
cies to meet the problem thus created
and We ask them to remember that
by all the signs of the time we were
in the first stages OF what inevitably
L.. ~.
tous period of Industrial depression
in American history.
And then we ask the voters OF this
country thoughtflllly to figure out for
| themselves what will with deadly cer-
| tainty recur when the armies now
| fighting in the trenches are mustered
into the factories of Europe beside
that new Industrial army OF women
children and hitherto unframed work.
ers now in the factories. They will
work under the necessity Of exchang-
ing their output for the gold which
has been wasted in this struggle
across tho seas.
we arc now enjoying a transient
| prosperity. based upon the temporary
necessities Of war. 1t began with tho
war; 1t Will as certainly end with the
war.
Imports to Increase.
THE significant feature Of our for
| eign trade is the vast, steady increase
in importations from every quarter,
which the wars end will not end, but
accelerate We must count not only
upon the released and increased pro-
ductiye energies Of Europe focused
upon this great neutral market, but
the release Of hundreds Of millions OF
stored products which will como down
upon our industries in the released
| shipping of the world. as the food
upon Johnstown when the leak in the
dam became a torrent.
We cannot whip back that tide with
phrases; we cannot repel It with Wis
ions; we cannot defeat 1t with pro-
fessions Of good intentions. AS q
practical people we must meet this
practical problem in practical way.
Let us, while we can, prevent ruin,
! rathpr than gapLs nFtnrVrnrd IN yanaIr