Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1918-10-27
ECONOMIC HNRRIERS,

ECONOMIC BNRRIERS.
/ The democratic Idea of tarifi
solely for revenue purposes Cor less
has u new champion In the person
! ~ tho recent Chancellor HcrtiinE oi
the German empire, In speaking OF
his approval Of Wilson's peace
points, he puts special emphasis on
! the ono which rnvOra "the removal
10 Far ns possible Of all economic
barriers and the establishment Of
trade conditions among tho natOnE 4"
lIertlInE was not making this note
for the sake Of any political party In
America, nor from any desire TO
prOmulgate doctrine which would
benefit humanity hut solely from
the German viewpoInt--the view
point ofra nation which had lost all
claims upon the economic considera-
tlon of the rest OF the world and
which had good cause TO fear reprIs-
ala in a commercial way for the
many sins II had committed. II was
"A word In edgewise In behalf OF Ger
man interests and u chance to re-
cover tho world trade which It had
foOllshly thrown away.
II Is not flatterIng to American
statesmen that one OF their pet thco-
rlss should thus be seized upon by
he enemy as dainty morsel We are
not supposed to ask the officials at
Berlin what our policy shall be. nor
can we feel entirely easy at the pros
pect OF German approval OF policy
We have learned to feel that what
ever Germans liked was not good for
US. and that our best plan lay In
clinging to those things that Ger
mans opposed. And there can be no
Disgusting the fact that Germany
now hopes that at the close OF the
war free trade will be an establlshe = d
principle OF the nations opposed TO
her now. In II lies their chief hope
OF rehabilItatIng themselves In the
world.
"Our workmen," says Congress-
man Mottof New York. now receiv-
ing the highest wages ever paid la
bor in the history OF tho world, do
not like the Wilson Hertling idea OF
free trade. They know that with It.
after the war, this country would be
flooded with German cheap goods
which would try to drive the Amer
lean product out OF the market But
the president and tho democratic
party are committed to free trade.
and the only hope OF the working
man Is in the~elcction OF a repub-
lican congress, II, as seems very
likely, tho war Is to end within the
life of the next congress Some
workingmen say there is no need OF
protection now. knowing that the
war Is acting az a protective tariff
to protect our Industries which in
times OF peace, with the Underwood
tariff In effect. would have to meet
the competition OF the cheap labor
OF Ania and Europe.
"A republican congress can save
us from free trade. 1t might not
be able to pass tariff act which
would not he vetoed by the presi-
dent hut republican senate and
congress could keep the president
from enacting any treaties which
embodied this free trade principle,
as all treaties must be ratified by the
senate, The danger is real. The
war may come to an end at any
time from an unexpected collapse OF
the German forces, and then we
shall have to look out or free trade
will be forced upon us. As nation
facing tho world It Ia well that poll
tics should be adjourned that we
may present a united front alike to
friend and enemies, but that is no
reason why we should go to sleep
and suffer domestic injury We
must have enough politics left to
look out for our own future.