The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1916-12-21
High Prices And Congress
By FREDERIC ]. HASKlN

and preparing their reports. If the
second session of the sixty-fourth Con-
gress acts with the same dispatch as
the first session, we may yet be able to
buy eggs and milk and butter without
pawning our cuff buttons.
The truth of the matter is, as has
already been pointed out. the whole
world is fast approaching famine.
Starvation has already claimed the
lives Of thousands in Poland, Belgium,
Serva, Armenia Russia and Austro-
Hungary. Germany, we are told, is
nearing the end of its potatoes. Hence,
it is only natural that Europe should
turn to the United States for food.
where, unfortunately, food is also
scarce, owing to this years shortage in
wheat, corn and potato crops, And
this brings US to the remedy popular
with large section of the American
public-the questian of an embargo.
A review OF former embargoes in
American history is somewhat dis
couraging to this measure, although
conditions are not quite the same now
as they were at our embargo period of
1794-1S14. The first American embargo
was laid on March &c, 1874. as mea-
sure of retaliation against France and
England. which were then at war.
Napoleon started the trouble by his
Berlin decree, announcing that England
was in state of blockade and all ships
trading with her should be seized and
carried into French ports. This de-
cree was Immediately answered by the
British Orders in Council, dated June s,
1893. in which England declared that
she would stop any vessels attempting
to carry on a trade with France. or any
of Its possessions, which then included
the greater part of Europe.
The United States was thus put in
difficult position, in which transport
tation across the Atlantic under any
circumstances appeared dangerous.
MIR. Jefferson was then President. and
Mr.. Jefferson was not prepared Tor,
nor did he desire war. He therefore,
induced Congress to declare an embargo
on all American ships carrying com
merce to Europe, the idea being that
this would inhict hardship on Europe.
Unfortunately, it did not. Europe at
this time, was perfectly able to get
along without the assistance of the
United States, but the United States
was dependent to a certain extent upon
Europe Great commercial confusion
followed, and the merchants and manu-
facturers, especially in New England,
which was the great manufacturing
center. bitterly resented the restriction.
Various embargo measures followed
one another until 1903 when the com
merce had fallen from sos, 343, 156 in
1907 to 500, 430, $500 The passage of
the non-intercourse act, permitting
commerce to go forward to all coun-
tries but France and England did not
relieve the strain, and New England
openely Struggled her commerce out of
the country and talked in ringing tones
of secession. The war of 1912 fnaly
brought the end of the embargo,
as it Strengthened out our other inter-
national difficulties. This embargo
measure is generally conceded to have
been a great political and economic
mistake, injuring no one but the United
States, but Jefferson always maintain
ed it would have been efficacious if
New England had only played fair
An embargo on foodftuffs at the
present time would undoubtedly arouse
the wrath of Great Britain and result
in annoying retaliatory measures, if it
would not inJure irreparably our own
commerce. The administration. it is
believed, is not in favor of adopting
such course. But there are strong
indications that one of the principal
features of the present session will be
the fight to get an embargo through.
In the meantime. the states are ris-
ing to the situation and enacting more
or less legislation themselves. More
over, by the time Congress is ready to
debate the question of exorbitant
prices. there will be another indignant
army prepared to deal with each item
as it appears. That is the army of or
ganized householder, who have recently
had occasion to discover that the I'd
fashioned boycott has powers unex-
pected. By the use of the-boycott the
price Of turkeys was reduced to eighteen
cents pound the day before Thanks
giving in Pittsburgh. 1t is clear that
the matter of foreign expectation Is
only one side to a question that has
hundreds of different aspects.