The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1917-11-20
A LOOK AHEAD

We are resting in fancied security
these days in more ways than one. AS
1t is hard to arouse the people to the
real menace that confronts US in this
war, it is going to be harder to i'm
press them with the peril to our pros
perity ahead Of US, when the period
of war protection and war prosperity
shall cease. In this connection 1t Is
pertinent to recall the conditions
which prevailed in the year preceding
the outbreak Of the war, the year
following OLtcber, 1913, wheL the
Underwood free trade law became oy-
eratiye. A writer in the non-rartisaa
Review Of Re views in 1915. in intelll-
gent retrospect said:
I'm the history Of American business
no Chap.ec reads mnIr like fairy tale
than that dealing with the events OF the
past year. No more rapid or complete
transition from Il stat" Of dependence 10
one Of independence. or from the phupcr
10 prince condition has ever occurred IN
"A year ago the United States was
worried by its debts 10 Europe. and ap-
parently had no means of paying. The
amount was from S300.900.000 to $4OO.-
100000. England sent comm! ssicners
over here To tell US how il must DO paid.
The main argument was to pay N soIo
ut :, heavy discount. s. being required
at one time to offset an English pound.
against a normal S+.S6. Industries were
closing. The numbers Of unemployed
taxed the organized efforts OF all char
ity bodies. Savings banks were closing
deposits 1t An alarming rate. Mortgages
Wy" being forcc,uSed on a scale almost
unknown in the east. The stock eH-
changes were silent There were sew
.:al hundred thousand idle cars on the
Sid2-tracks of American railroads. and a
iruportionatc number OF loIe engines.
Money was tight and the hanks in New
York were much under their legal re.
serve requirements. Gold COIN anct Epld
certificates were being boarded Mines
were shut down. Building operations
were AT Il standstill. Even automobile
sales dropped abruptly"
That year is painful memory to
millions who suffered through the
operations Of the discredited eco
nomic policy OF free trade Democracy.
1t was then that the richest nation in
the world was on the road to general
bankruptcy. What halted that march
toward ruin? Anything the destroyers
Of prosperity did? Oh, no. 1t was the
! Intervention of the greatest war in
history. which acted as though Re
publican Congress were In the saddle
and had erected a legislative tarif
protection barrier. Through the de-
crease of competitive importations
and the enormous Increase OF the
foreign demand for American indus
trial products the situation was re.
yersed and prosperity returned, which
the Democratic party hailed in the
campaign Of 1916 as IAN une1ampled
era OF prosperity" OF their own max
ing.
These war conditions will not long
continue. When peace shall come we
shall have that same inimlc1 pros
perity-wrecking free trade tariff OF
Democratic connection 1t is high
time the country should be looking
ahead and getting ready for the cam
paign of 1920 with view Of electing
q protectiolist President and Con.
gress, which. Of course, means the
restoration Of the Republican party to
the control OF the nations affairs.