The Twin City star. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1910-19??, 1916-11-04
OPE'SWARPROVtS
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 rsaes Comes and Foreign Com.
nsreial Considerations Look Hun.
grily Toward America. We Shall De.
serve What Happens to Us IT, Pro-
vision 10 Not Made Against Disaster
BY . Tariff Quite Different From the
Underwood Folly.
There ID 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
10 the Tariff. think there Is very
general agreement upon that. When
the demand for supplies to the armies
In the Geld has ended great numbers
Of men will return to productive em
ployment In Europe and great num-
bers Of operatives will be thrown out
Of employment here and will have to
lind 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 q basis Of
strict economy and high organization
and she can make and sell cheapiy-
The United States will have an abnn-
dance OF money and vast purchasing
power. Our market has always been
attractive TO, European produrers. 1t
wil bs far more attractive after the
war. II b highly probable that even
England will resort to q protective
tariff. 20 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-
tsct 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 q tariff board to ascertain and
report the true facts to which tariff
law IL to be applied. In Mr.. Taft's Ad-
ministration the Republicans provided
for tariff board to report to the Pres
dent and 1t was appointed and doing
excellent work. When the Democratic
House elected In 1910 came In they
starved It out Of existence by refusing
appropriations. In the last session of
the 81st Congress the Republicans pass
Cd through both Houses new bill for
Q tariff board to report to Congress,
There were some slight. differences Of
detail In the two Houses. which were
agreed upon In conference. but the
Democrats f1libustered against the final
conference report and so killed the bill.
80 the tariff board was dead-slain by
the Democratic. party. 1t has now been
resurrected by that party because they
zee that something must be done about
the tariff when the war closes. Now.
We can all understand that II 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 q protective tariff? In the FIRST
place they can't do It honestly. They
don't believe In It They were born and
bred In different faith. They have
been crying 80 long that protection Is
IN abuse Of power and an abomination
that they can't reconcile themselves to
q protective tariff. and they regard the
Underwood tariff az a model. That is
what we are to have II the Democrats
60 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. II there ever was a
clumsy. III conceived. misft law. It is
the tariff which bears Mr.. UnderwoOd's 8
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 for
American products was still further
reduced by the destruction Of their
purchasing power Enterprise halted.
discouraged and apprebensiye 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-
taon because II has to no great de-
grss stopped production In Europe. 80