Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-08-14
THIS IS THE WAY-WALK YE
IN 1T

MIR. HUGHES was right when he said
A'A that It is as difficult to get the
Democrats to consider a protective tariff
in good faith as to drive a sl<ittish horse
up to a brass band. The men who write
the Democratic platforms have insisted
for years that protective tariff is un-
constitutional. They refrained from
making their habtual declaration this
year because they were afraid to chal-
lenge the rebulSe which was inevitable.
The war has changed many things, but,
as Mr.. Hughes remarked, 1t has not
changed the American fundamental law.
II a tariff for protection were uncon-
stltutional In 1912 It is unconstitutional
today. The Democracy has refrained
from saying so simply because It did not
regard It as expedient at a time when
every thinking citizen knows that some
thing must be done to protect American
trade when the war ends. Instead of
frankly admitting their error the Demo-
to prevent the flooding of American
markets with Europes surplus without
recourse to the tried and effective method
of protective duty.
We called attention the other day to
the enormous foreign trade of Germany
which has been virtually ruined by the
siege operations of the Allies, and re-
minded our readers of the obvious fact
that German production has not stopped.
Goods are plling up behind the dam that
has been erected around the Central
Empires, and they will flood our markets
as soon as the way is opened.
If Congress does not know what kind
Of protection our markets need 1t has
its own incapacity to blame for its ig-
norance. 1t can get the information
from the Monthly Summary of Foreign
Commerce of the United States pub
llshed by the Department of Commerce.
That valuable periodical, full of figures
from beginning to end is a satisfactory
and complete guide.
The party in power has already ad-
mitted that something should be done TO
make US independent of the rest of the
world in the matter of dyestuffs The
last issue OF the Monthly Summary
shows what the dyestuff situation is.
In the first eleven months of the fiscal
year ending June 80 we imported from
Germany, where we get virtually all of
our chemical dyes, exactly SS49 worth of
the coloring stuffs. In the same period
OF 1913-14 we imported s5,445,OOO worth.
If this means that we should do some |
thing to develop our dye works, then the |
slump in importations from Germany of |
laces and earthenware, manufactures of |
furs and toys, woolen clothes and dress |
goods means that in a lesser degree our
markets should be protected so that our
manufacturers can supply the home de,
mand and give employment to Ameri-
can workmen.
Take the case of wooden clothes and |
woolen dress goods which Germany sent |
here to the value OF s3.7S3OOO in eleven
months of 1894. Less than $1,000
worth came here In the first eleven
months OF the last fiscal year, and we
managed TO get along pretty we'll with
out them. Our own producers have had
the market. The reduction in imports
of German toys from s6.997, 900 to ST.
$4,000 has encouraged American toy
makers to expand theiI plants and In
crease the number OF their employees and
to make American toys for American
children. We can manufacture fur gar
ments here as we'll as they can be made
anywhere else, and we do not need TO
buy German-made garments. It is better
that Americans should get the money
paid to the workers than that 1t should
be paid TO Germans living In Germany
American earthenware is as good as Ger
man and about as cheap. We have the
clay and we have the capital to finance
the potteries. and we have the men who
can be trained to do the work. It is not
necessary to cite any more instances.
The way which Congress should go is
marked out clearly in the statistical re-
ports OF the Department of Commerce.
But this Congress Is apparently too
blind to see II.