The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1918-03-29
Washington Letter.


ALBANIA, the word protection" is usual
ly signal for an outburst of protest
and indignation. But there are some
kinds of protection in which even
Hefiin believes, though he and his
party associates are irrevocably op-
posed to a protective tariff. Recently
in the course of an address to the
House, Hefin said:
at is the duty of a member of
Congress to be fair and just to both
employer and employee in matters
that touch the rights and interests
of both. The employer is entitled
to all the protection that the law
can give for the proper conduct o
his business, and the employee is en-
to all the protection that the law
can give for the proper protection of
his rights as laboring man."
Of course Hefin wasn't discussing
the tariff just then. He was talking
of a bill which proposed to punish men
who delay the work of munition plants
He gave expression to great many
generalities that mean nothing in par
ticular-intended to please both the
employer and employee-and make
votes for Heflin. In the course of his
remarks he said:
"The President does not want to
injure any legitimate business in the
country. He wants every one of
them ito have a fair profit, and the
President wants the great and loyal
army of wage earners in the United
States to receive living wage, one
that will enable them to live comfort
ably"
Now all of that has very pleasing
sound, but how does it all compare
with the record? In 1913 the Presi-
dent declared that he did not intend
to injure any legitimate business.
He posed as the friend Of the wage
Garner. Undoubtedly his intentions
in accordance with his promises, but
events demonstrated that his judg-
ment was exceedingly bad. In fact,
results could have been no worse if
his intentions had to injure industry.
AS soon as the tariff act of 1913 was
enacted, our markets were open to
foreign products, American factories
reduced their output or closed down
entirely, wage earners received less
than living wage or no wage at all,
soup houses and bread lines were COM
mon, and sleeping in the open air was
made choice through necessity.
Such was the fulfillment of the
IN ~
In very recent weeks the President
has announced as one feature of our
peace policy the removal of all &C.
onomic barriers" to trade, so that pro-
ducts of foreign lands shall have free
access to our markets. Undoubtedly
his intentions are still good, though
it seems incredible that he cannot re-
member the disastrous consequences
of his past experiments with low tar
ifs or free trade.
But what do the American en-
ployer and employee think about it :?
In this matter of protection, the in
terests of employer and employee are
the same. The factory cannot run
without wage earners, and there can
be no wage earners without factories.
If we follow the Democratic policy of
buying where we can buy the cheap
est, we shall buy in Europe and Asia.
What then becomes of the boasted in
tentiop to give the American workman
wage that "will enable him to live
comfortably" Can the workman
accept good intentions in the place of
pay envelopes, and live on the recol-
lection of promises?
If Mr.. Hefin were both sincere and
wise, he would actively advocate and
support protective tariff law-one
that would protect the American wage
Garner from his greatest enemy, the
cheap producer of other lands. He
won't do that. Because Of prejudice
in the South, he is secure in his own
seat, and he is confident that voters
in the North can be fooled by pro-
testations of intention not to injure
any legitimate industry. He may have
the voters sized up correctly, but we
won't believe it until the votes are
counted.
lie SO-CHlleu CuTCiS rule Ill Tile
Senate was adopted just in the nick
of time to work great benefit to the
taxpayers in many states. Under
this rule, which was propoed by the
Senator from Kansas, conference COM
mittees may not legislate new matter
into bills which they are considering
nor may they delete matter which
both Houses have previously passed
upon favorably. The railroad bilL
as reported from the conference COM
mittee, contained provision that no
State, during the period of govern
ment control Of the railroads, should
be permitted to increase the valuation
of its railroads for the purpose of tax
atioin. Yet it is well known that,
among other plans involved in Mr..
McAdoo's director generalship, is the
expenditure Of large sums of money
for railroad betterments, which, in the
very nature of things, should increase
railroad valuations materially. Had
the conference committees recommen-
dation been permitted to stand, no