Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-05-22
THE TARIFF IS THE ISSUE

Economic preparedness Is as vital
TO the nation military preparedness.
During the next four years a protec-
tive tariff win be essential 60 the pros
perity and weli-beinE of the country.
TT WILL not be sufficient for the con-
i vention at Chicago to name candidate
who can be elected President. 1t must
write platform also that will carry a
Republican majority into Congress.
we can imagine nothing more awkward
than hybrid Government for the next
two years. unless it were a hybrid Govern
ment for a longer period. We stand on
the threshold of a new era in human
affairs and particularly in international
relations The adoption of definite and
absolute policies, which will give bust.
ness men a solid basis on which to work
and plan, is essential. A President of one
party and either House or Senate of an
| other party would mean no legislation
except compromise legislation and com
promise legislation at its best is about
the worst kind of legislation 1t is pos
sible to get.
What the convention must aim at, there
FORE is not simply the nomination of
man who can win the Presidency, but
also the formulation of policies which will
sweep into office the whole Republican
ticket This offers no particularly diff
fcult problem so far as the House alone
is concerned, for the Democratic majority
is already only a Tammany majority, but
very different condition exists in the
Senate. There a Democratic majority of
16 is to be overcome. Astute observers
believe that a gain of six can be made by
the Republicans in Maine, New Jersey,
New York, West Virginia, Ohio, Nevada
and Maryland, but this would still leave
the Democrats with a majority of four.
Indiana is being looked to for relief, since
two Senators are to be elected there, and
that this will have some influence on the
convention in selecting it's nominees is
certain.
It would be fatal, in these circum-
stances, for the party to make prepared
ness, as the term is popularity understood,
the paramount issue. We have empha-
sized repeatedly, and we shall continue
to do so, the utter folly of defenselessness
and the criminality, not to say waste, in
volved in the sham defense measures
adopted by the present Congress. But
there is another kind of preparedness
just as important, and even Of more inn
portance politically. 1t is industrial and
commercial preparedness.
To the American people there is always
one issue that overtops all others, and
that issue is prosperity. The Republican
party is the party of prosperity It's his
tory is a series of calls to save the Union
from hard times and soup houses. This
year. through the alchemy of circum-
stance. the natural effects of Democratic
policies have been neutralized. Instead
Of commercial disqualification, money and
times are easy. To rout starvation"
Administration is one thing; to overthrow
a dominant party when the flood Of pros
perity flows high is another.
1t is this very situation which makes |
it more than ever imperative that the
Republicans concentrate their artillery on |
an exposure of Democratic economic |
fallacies. Far-visoned men dread re-
turn to normal conditions under Demo-
cratic tariff. There is certain, in any case
to be a rebound from the excessive war
prosperity now existing. 1t is a pros
perity belonging not to the United States
alone, but to Norway and Sweden and
all the great neutral nations in common,
an international rather than national |
prosperity. For us it is a prosperity |
which exists in spite of, not because of. |
present economic legislation. To permit |
the country to face during the next four
years the renewed and virie competition |
of the great commercial Powers under |
the handicap of the Underwood tariff |
would be a disastrous blunder. Never, we |
suspect, has a protective tariff been so |
needed as it will be needed during the |
next four years.
The tariff remains, therefore, as it has |
been for half a century or more, the para
mount issue. 1t must not be relegated |
to the rear; it must, on the contrary, be |
brought to the front. No man ought TO |
be nominated at Chicago who is not as
sound as a dollar on protection, not only |
in his belief in it but also in his convic.
ton that it is the issue of issues in this
period of the nations progress.
Protection and prosperity!
A victory for that slogan this year will, !
we are convinced. settle the tariff issue
for generation TO come, if, indeed, it will |
not lift it out of politics forever A |
Democratic triumph on the other hand, |
would merely postpone the inevitable re-
turn Of the Republican party to power |
though not until the Industries of the |
nation had paid dearly for the blunder of |
the people in assuming that present pros
perity had some other basis than the |
abnormal conditions arising from the |
great war.