The Owosso times., 1916-10-20

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was sooner or later added to the grow.
ing list. Industry, long ago begun on
o small scale, took heart to grow, and
those which Americans had hitherto
not dreamed of attempting were heart
lily embarked upon. 1t was manifest
ly injurious to every young industry
that flood of imports could continue
to pour into the country at the open
ports. The remedy was protective
tariff"
AS historian, Woodrow Wilson is
a protectionist, but in politics, he is a
free trader. In speaking of the period
to follow the presnt war he says,
there must be no barriers to trade. He
would invite competition of the cheap
labor of Europe. IfWilson is retain
ed in Office and is permitted to con-
tinue his experiments with free trade,
at the end of the present war in
Europe, and every man with a heart
in him hopes for early peace, history
will repeat itself. Conditions will pre-
vail in this country similar to condi-
tions following the ending of the war
in 1915. Of that period one hundred
years ago, Horace Greeley said:
"Great Britain poured her fabrics
upon our markets in a perfect deluge.
Our manufacturers went down like
grass before the mower; agriculture
and wages for labor speedily follow
ed. Financial prostration was general
and the presence of debt universal. I"
In 1860, the United States turned
to the policy Of protection and with
the exception of less than five years
since that time, Republican tariff laws
have been in force. During that half
century the wealth of this country has
increased from $16,000,000,000 Tin
1861 to $1SS,OOO,OOO,OOO Tin 1922.
There is nothing in the history of the
world to compare with this record of
progress. We have surpassed all 9TH
er nations. Our wealth is double that
of England, who had centuries the
start of us. Who will contend the
policy Of protection in America has
not been vindicated? 1t is the duty
of every voter to qualify himself to
vote intelligently. At present foreign
competition in American markets is
cut off and it is rejecting prosperity
upon us. In addition many of our in
stitutions are engaged in making mu-
nitions of war. My plea to the voter
is to get the facts; to study condi-
tions. Don It let the smoke Of ammu-
milton factories obscure your vision.
: What has happened in England
since her abandonment of the policy
of protection? Is there anything
which recommends her present reve-
nue. policy to us? Has her experiment
in free trade proved success or fail
ure? First, England, under free trade
has not held her place with the pro-
tected nations in the accumulation Of
wealth. In 1912 her wealth was $685.
600, 100000, which is less than one
half the wealth of the United States.
Second, England has ceased to be
commercially independent. Many
things which she formerly produced
at home she now must import. The
of England are not diversi-
fed and the opportunities of the la
boring man are limited. Free trade
in England has degraded her labor
and in the great textile centers of
the man has little choice as
to what his occupation will be. The
child is compelled to follow in the
footsteps of his parent. He goes into
the mills. The wages are low and he
has no opportunity to lay aside money
to care for himself whcr old In an
astonishingly large proportion of |
cases, when laboring man in Eng
land becomes incapacitated from
labor, he becomes an object of char
ity. According to the best informa-
ton | can gather, Of every 10000 |
people in England, 1874 are in aims
houses, while in this country of every
10000 people, there are but 9 in poor
houses. In the alms-houses of the |
County of Yorkshire alone, there are
$4,000 paupers, which is more than
the entire number in the United |
States. We, in the United States, do |
not want free trade conditions.
The Underwood Tariff is an aban-
donment of the policy of protection
For policy of tariff for revenue only, |
similar to that Of England. Mr. In
1erwood claims the Underwood law is
tariff for revenue only, with empha-
sis on the word "only," and Con-
gresham Kitchin, chairman OF the
Committee on Ways and Means says
hat not a line nor sentence nor para
graph was conceived for the purpose
)f protection. Democratic leaders
boast that their law was written to in
vite foreign competition in American
markets. The Democratic party is
'quarely on record as opposed TO pro-
,ection while the Republican party is
'quarely on record in favor of prJrec-
ion. Whether the policy of protec-
l. a