The star-progress. (Opelousas, La.) 1917-1921, 1920-12-29
STANDS
FOR PROTECTION
REPRESENTATIVE TELLS OF BEN
EFT TO ARISE FROM
ECONOMIC TARIFF

DR. II, LaZarO, m6uDeF VI SoA5 80
from this district, recently delivered
a notable address on the tariff as al
economic rather than partisan meas
ure. while the emergency tariff bill
was up before the house OF represen
tatives for discussion. His speech
quoted from the Congressional Record
follows in full:
Mr.. Lazaro. Mr.. Chairman, / shall
vote for this farmers emergency tar
if bill on the ground that it is better
to get half loaf than none at all.
would like to see the bill contain more
duty on certain articles, say, rice, FOL
instance. l would also like to see the
bill include some other articles, for
instance sugar, and others. But the
committee on ways and means tell us
| that this is the only farmers emer-
gency tariff bill they can submit and
pass at this time However, they
promise US that they will begin hear
ings soon, with the view Of bringing
in a permanent and scientific tariff
bill for consideration in the near fu-
ture.
have always considered tariff an
economic and not partisan question,
and | have always voted accordingly.
For this reason l have always advo-
Gated a nonpartisan, nonsectional
scientific tariff commission, on the
ground that information and facts
must be gathered and conditions OF
commerce and industry analysed by
such commission before policy can
be determined upon or tariff rates fix
ed by the congress.
The last war has demonstrated to
all the necessity of our country hay
ing it's own vital industries at home
and of not depending on foreign coun'
tries in time of emergency. The only
way to have our industries going at
home in time Of emergency is to pro.
tect and develop them in time OF
peace / am sure the southern mem
bers will remember the enormous loss
| to the cotton farmers of the south
when the war broke out, because the
| United States had no merchant mar
inc to carry our cotton to the mark
cts of the world. Also, our difficulty
in obtaining dyes and many other
| things we needed at home. l have al
ways contended that protection should
be given our agricultural products IL
proportion to the protection given the
manufactured products. The produc
ers Of the agricultural sections car
no longer survive under a policy that
compels them to buy in a protected
market and sell in a free market. II
other words, this nation can not pros
| per as a whole and permanently hall
protected and half free. There is Z
| Annara1 ,e-s-a-p-saas.ss ssaasaosHsIfotst Cnt
grieulutraI sections of the United
I States on the importance of revising
our tariff laws, and keen interest /;
being taken in our treaty relation;
with foreign countries affecting com
merce and trade. Our farmers car
no longer compete with those of for
eign countries, for instance in Asia
where they wear very little clothing
and live on practically nothing, with
out sinking to their level or go broke
For years everything in the shape o
manufactured goods has been pettet
and coddled and protected, and tn,
real source of production and the rea
life blood of America has received
\ very little attention of any kind. This
of course, is due to the fact that Ia
Dor is organized, capital is organized
industry is organized, and the farmer
are unorganized. Farmers are leaI
ing the farm to migrate to the cite
because they can no longer afford I
pay for the present high cost of Ia
Dor, implements and fertilizers t
raise corn, cotton, rice, cane, peanut
and other commodities at the price
they are selling for We must equaliz
the cost Of production in this countr
with that Of foreign countries, so ia
as may be considered with the puI
lie welfare, such schedules to be s
placed as to fairly distribute the bu
dens and benefits among all industrie
: without discriminating against an
section, class or product to the en-
that there may be maintained Anne
lean standards of living in every lin
! of effort.
1t should be plain to any thinkin
man that free trade can never b
: successfully approached until all tn
: people Of the world shall have deye
oped to an equal degree. Not unt
their education, methods of Twin,
morals land ideals become the sam
could we begin to think Of free trad
ana when that is reached there wi
1 always remain the, great natural difte
ence of soil and climate, and the nea
ness to the great markets of II
world ,nt mo coll tbo n34..