The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1921-02-17
CHARITY Begins at Home"

ferings of those of other countries,
even of those of Germany with whom,
thanks to President Wilson, we are
still nominally at war, without feel
ing of sympathy and desire TO help,
is unworthy of the name American.
The people of the United States do
not war upon non-combatants Wo-
men and children of every race have
always received the utmost consider
alton and assistance in time of need.
Nor do we, as a nation, desire to in
dict unnecessary suffering even upon
those who are themselves at fault. As
a people we are actuated by philan-
thropic motives.
Such being the case, we have been
quick to respond to calls for assist
ance made on behalf of the suffering
of other countries. But there is an
unwise as well as wise charity. We
are not called upon to beggar our
selves in order to aid others.
-philanthropists, of the Gin
ternational" variety, have been loudly
demanding that we forgive the debts
owed TO US by different European ma
tions, and also that we open wide our
markets in order to enable them to
recover their former prosperity. That
would be all right, if thereby we did
not rob our own people whose needs
demand our first consideration We
shall, if we continue our present
Free-Trade policy, greatly increase
unemployment in this country. There
are at the present time, it is es-
timated, two and a quarter millions
of our workers out of employment.
Americans get no less hungry than
foreigners and charity begins at
home" Many of those now unem-
p1oyed, probably the greater proper
ton of them, would be now employed
and able TO feed and clothe them
selves and families, were it not for
the remarkable flood of imports which
has drowned out our own industries.
We can use only a certain quantity
of any commodity, and If we hire
foreigners to produce it for US we
must condemn our own workmen who
prduce such commodity to idleness
and want. That is the whole case IN
a nutshell. We must either hire our
own workmen to produce the goods
we need, or else we must hire foreign
workmen. If we hire the foreigners
our own workmen will be unemploy
ed
If our present Tariff rates remain
unchanged, as is advocated by certain
people who set themselves up as
guides and instructors in matters,
financial and economic, we shall have
not two and a quarter million idle
workmen, but the number will be
quadrupIed. In that event we shall
cut a sorry figure in the business and
financial world. Having lost the home
market we shall be still unable to
capture the foreign market, for If we
cannot compete with foreign pro-
ducers in our own market, we shall
certainly be unable to do so in the
foreign markets.
With our domestic markets given
over to foreign producers we would
hardly be able to do much in the way
of extending assistance to the needy
of other countries. On the contrary,
charity would both begin and end at
home, if, indeed, we sohuld not be-
come the objects of charity ourselves.
We would be a sorry spectacle if we
should, through our Free-Trade pol
icy, build up the productive industries
of other countries and thereby pau
perize ourselves to the extent of be-
ing obliged to ask charity of those
same countries which are now the OBJ
jects of tender solicitude on the part
of our -philanthropists mad
imitation economists.
The government of every country
owes Protection to its citizens. The
Protection required may vary accord
ing to the needs of the country, but
economic Protection is nc less the
prerogative and duty of the govern
ment, than is Protection against IN
vading armies. There is only one
thing for us as a people to do, and
that is to build up our own industries
by means of an adequate Protective
Tariff, and then give of the abund-
ance, thus made possible, to the needy
of other nations. We should disre-
gard the biased advice of those who
are more interested in realizing par
value on the foreign stocks and bonds
which they purchased Of other nations
during the war, at which time they
showed their philanthropy by buying
them at a few cents on the dollar.
There is more than one kind of char
ity and we must be on our guard
against tht bogus NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
Economist.
STATE FARM BUREAU NOTES
Kansas State Farm Bureau Takes up