The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1918-08-15
WICKED ABUSE OF POWER
When a Free-Trade Government Us
es the War to Promote Free
Trade

Trade
It is singular to note that while the
administration IN this country is US
ing the distractions of war to buttress
it's policy of Free-Trade, declaring for
a removal of economic barriers and
refusing to augment the revenues
by resort to more liberal taxation of
imports, Great Britain is taking ad-
vantage of war conditions to get back
to Protectionism, the experience of
the past sixty years having convinced
her of the necessity of the return to
her former policy. About the middle
of May last, the government, through
the Chancellor of the Exchequer, told
the House of Commons of its inten-
ton to initiate the recent action of
the French government and to de-
nounce all commercial conventions
containing a general clause regard
ing most favored nations. In Europe
the essence of this clause is that each
contracting party guarantees to the
other, the same treatment as that
granted any other NATION irrespec-
tive. of any particular concessions
with which this treatment may have
been purchased.
Commenting on the declaration of
the CHANCELLOR of the Exchequer, the
London Economist, which still harks
back to the sixties, says: Although
Free-Trade is not an essential fea
ture of the most favored nation pol
icy, the clause is of vital import to a
Free-Trade nation, as by TINS alone
can it be certain of securing equality
Of treatment with its Protectionist
rivals. If the government is allowed
to carry out it's intention, Protection
it's will have been enabled, Under COW
er of the country's distractions, to
secure an important tactical advan
tage" The Economist thinks it is a
wicked abuse of the powers given to
the government to enable it to carry
on the war, to make so great change
in the House and in the country"
In this country the change was in
augurated just as soon as the Demo
cratic party got into power, and we
remember the disastrous results to ir-
dustry which Free-Trade was achiev-
ing for US up to the time that protec-
ton was vouchsafed US by the sword
and war orders from Europe finally
speeded up our mills to maximum
operation But IN the course of the
war, and still fresh from that terrible
experience, and with the gertrude
that every competing nation will be
armed or intense competition TO fol-
low after the war, the Democratic
party is working under cover Of the
war to perpetuate Free-Trade policy
in the United States.
Hoping, in spite of the sedition
law, that we may be accorded the
same liberty of expression which they
appear to have in Great Britain, we
hazard the opinion that it is a
wicked abuse of the powers given
the government to enable it to carry
on the war" to endeavor to perpet-
uate so great a change in our fiscal
-.niicy, without full discussion in the
House and in the country Doyles-
town (Pa.) Intelligencer, 1918.
Loyalty and Politics
This is the ''offset" off year in the
history of American politics. Not
brass bands or flaming wall posters
or the smoothest-tongued "spell-
binders" can stir the average voter
man or woman this year-nO partisan
excitement or activity. That is well,
although it is by no means to be
wished that parties should die or
even maintain merely a sickly life;
this year, and as long as the war lasts
party politics should not take the first
but the second place in public affairs.
Both of the great parties are thor
oughly loyal. How it is with the
third, fourth and other parties we do
not stop to inquire. If they foster
disloyalty, there are now laws to deal
with them. But in each of the great
organizations that are supported by
an overwhelming majority of the vot-
ers there is a small but secretly ac-
tive minority of disloyal men, and of
pacifsts, who are quite as dangerous.
Against them only need voters of
either party beware.
Our modern election laws give
great advantages to minorities. a plu-
rality dominates; a plurality elects
If there are several loyal candidates
for single Office in primary, and g
pacifist succeeds in slipping through
among them all, what is a good Demo