The Devils Lake world and inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, N.D.) 1915-1920, 1917-04-19

WAITING FOR 81 '''''#'', / ,.''''
AN AWAKENING
Washington, April 1s.-The Repub-
|licans Publicity Association, through
its President, Hon. Jonathan Bourne,
Jr., today gave out the following
statement at its Washington head
quarters:
Appeals to the American people
for the speedy restoration Of the pro-
tective tariff, in order that we may be
commercially prepared after the war,
are condemned by the New York
Times (Dem.) as suntimely and abb
surd.' Congress will have something
else to do declares the Times. After
the close Of the war our tariff will be
revised, owing to new foreign tariffs
and new conditions abroad and at
home. New commercial treaties will
be negotiated. But no revision is now
needed,
"Can it be that the Times receives
condolences from the White House ac-
corded no other publication in the
land? Is the prospective tariff revis-
ion in the nature of a threat or a
promise? It can not be made much
lower, the average duty rate on all i'm
ports now submerging to, 8 per cent.
What new commercial treaties would
the United States be in a position to
negotiate with such a low duty rate?
What would be the consideration in
exchange for an absolutely froe Amer
lean market? And what industries
are to be selected with which to bar
gain against others, assuming that the
Times stands for a bargaining tariff?
And why should the adoption Of new
tariffs by European countries disturb
the hide-bound ariff-for-revenue-only
Democrats? Are they and the Times
getting a glimmer of Republican light,
Is the President on the eve Of chang
ing his mind on this subject? Are the
people willing to entrust the industrial
welfare Of America to Democratic tar
if incompetents when the war has
ceased? The assertions and argumnets
of the Republican party in regard to
the tariff were discredited in the last
campaign, the Times declares. Moth
ing of the kind. The Times knows as
well as anyone else that the he kept
us out of war slogan won the day, and
that has been discredited.
GLOW about the untimeliness and
a~bsurdity of sending the new free
trade tariff commission to Europe to
investigate tariff relations between the
United States and foreign countries,
commercial treaties, preferential pro
visions, economic alliances, the effect
of export bounties and preferential
transportation rates-and conditions,
causes and effects relating to compe-
tition of foreign industries with those
of the United States, including dump
ing and cost Of production?' With the
abnormal conditions existing in Eur
ope today, what possible basis can this
commission establish on which to
make reports? The commission will
be lucky if it is not ipterned for med.
ding.
ut would require no s%uperhumar
effort on the part Of Congress to en-.
act a protective tariff law during this
session. With a few changes It coule
be modelled after the last Republican
law. It would provide some means Of
defense against postwar conditions
and give Congress at that time an op.
portunity calmly to consider the Who'll,
subject from every angle. It woult
also add probably $%2O0,000,00o annu
ally to the Federal revenues, relieving
to some extent the damnably unjus
taxation now laid upon northern an.
western industries, which, in spite o
it, are rallying so splendidly to tn
Nations support.
But perhaps the Times would dea
with commercial nronorodnose 90 II.