Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-06-14

| threatened with betrayal by the DEM
| ocratic ariG-for-revenue-only advo-
cntes Hughes stands for sound
| American policy.
| TNHE Democracy is preparing TO tie
i itself up to losing issue this year, as
it did in 1895 and the succeeding cam
paigns The free silver issue, with its
deprecated dollar. was fundamentally
dishonest. The people of the United
States are fundamentally honest. They
rejected free silver so emphatically and
so many times that no politician today Is
so foolish as to suggest free coinage of
silver.
The issue this year, which is forcing
itself into prominence by the events in
both hemispheres and by the pronounce.
ments of both parties, is that of pro-
lection for our industries. The Dem
ocrats are committed to a tariff for rev.
enue only. They said in their platform of
1919:
We declare It to be q fundamental
principle OF the Democratic party that
the Federal Government, under the
Constitution, has no right or power to
impose or collect tariff duties except
for purposes of revenue
They will again insist this year that a
protective tariff is unconstitutional and
that the only excuse for a tariff is
revenue.
A protective tariff is fundamentally
American. A revenue tariff is un-Ameri-
can. Its purpose Is to open the home
markets to the competition of every
nation in the world, regardless of the in.
terests of American workers.
There was no justification for the as
sumption of the Democracy that in the
election of 1912 it received mandate to
revise protection out of the tariff law. The
party came into power because of a split
in the ranks of the protectionists. The
popular majority against Wilson was
more than a million. Yet, in spite of the
fact that it was dominant through an
accident, the Administration began the
work OF destroying the protective sys-
tenn. 1t succeeded in producing stagnation
In industry. 1t succeeded also in produc-
ing deficit in American revenues. Its
tariff was neither revenue-producing nor
protective.
AS the party is in control through an
accident, the country has been prevented
by the accident of the European war from
reaping the harvest of disaster that the
Democracy sowed.
But the destructive work of the
Democracy is not yet completed A party
committed to tariff for revenue only
cannot stop with such changes as it has
already made in the protective system.
Every vestige of protection must be re-
moved from the tariff rates. The party Is
committed to this destructive policy. The
announcement is made that experts are
to study conditions in Europe for the pur-
pose OF discovering what changes must
be made in the tariff to meet the changed
conditions. AS those changes are to be
made solely for the purpose of raising
revenue and not for what the Democrats
call the unconstitutional purpose of pro-
tecting American industry, the new duties
will be fixed without regard to their
effect on American industry. Unless the
party in power plans to stultify itself and
TO disregard its platform promises 1t can
follow no other course.
With theorist in the White House
and bungling amateurs in the Capitol.
American industry would receive a stag
gering blow If the Democrats should be
continued in power.
The sound Americanism of the Chicago
platform and the clarion call in Mr..
Hughes telegram OF acceptance are more
in keeping with the spirit of this country
than the plans of the Democracy to
destroy American enterprise for the sake
of tariff fad.
Mr.. Hughes declares that I'VE must
make n fair and wise readjustment OF
the tariff, in accordance with sound pro-
teetive principle, to insure our economic
independence and to maintain American
standards OF living" He insists that in
dustrial and economic preparedness are
as important as military and naval
preparation, and in doing It expresses the
| opinion of a large majority OF Americans.
American Industrial supremacy is not
threatened abroad so much as at home.
Our enemies are those Of our own house
hold. Well-meaning but ignorant and in
competent, who would break down the
fortlhcatlons which have protected us
while we have built up great enterprises,
and would spike the guns which have
kept off the ships loaded with merchan-
disc intended 10 take the place of that
produced by our workers. They are talk.
ing glibly about the wall OF sea which
separates us from Europe and Asia. while
they are planning to build ships at Gov
ernment expense to destroy the sea and
bring the goods of the Old World to US
as cheaply as though they had TO cross
an invisible geographical boundary.
They are assuming that Europe win be
exhausted at the close OF the war and
that We need fear nothing, when. as a
matter OF fact, history proves that every
| great war has been followed by a period
OF commercial activity forced upon the
nations IN order 70 reeoup their losses.
There viii be a period Of feverish indus
trial activity in France, Germany and
| England as soon as peace is declared.
Plans are already making IN those eoun.
l tries FOR getting back All the trade they
/ have lost and for flooding the markets
Of the world with their products.
Under the lead Of Mr. Hughes and a
Republican Congress our markets can be
protected from this aood Mr. Wilson
/ "a f4a aas,4.1atea ara daIfbaratefv Iau.