The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1921-01-06

a wonderful country. and yet all this
has gone for naught under Free
Trade policy, which exposes American
labor and industry to the destructive
competition of cheap foreign labor.
Our country offers unlimited
opportunity to those in seach of in
vestment, but in order that we may
develop our resources and reap the
full benefits of our labor and invest
ments, it is necessary that the Amer
lean government cooperate with its
citizens. This cooperation has been
lacking under the Democratic Free
Trade regime.
When man undertakes to invest
capital, the first thing he wants to be
sure of, is that he will get his capital
back. He wants to be assured before
he invests, that after he has put his
capital into the project, the govern
nent will at least protect that invest
ment against foreign aggression,
otherwise known as Free-Trade.
The policy of Free-Trade has al
ways brought about state of dis
trust and uncertainty, which para
lyzes business and curtails the ex-
pansion of industry. At present the
farmer is in a precarious position.
So acute has the situation become,
that the governors of the various
states undertook steps for the relief
of the farmer. Free Traders tell US
that theirs is the true policy of the
American farmer. The erroneous
ness of this assertion is we'll depicted
in the fact that under the Wilson
Free-Trade regime, the farmers of
America are compelled to allow their
crops to rot on the farms.
The wool and sheep market has col
lapsed, and the position of the wool
growers has become so desperate that
they were forced to send delegation
to Congress to urge the immediate
creation of an embargo to protect
them from the food of foreign goods,
until the revision of the tariff is made
possible
German imports in cutlery are
playing havoc with our domestic in
dustry. Knives manufactured here
by American workers who are receiv-
ing an average wage of five dollars a
day, cannot be sold in competition
with knives manufactured in Ger
many by laborers who are paid an
equivalent of about a dollar a day of
ten hours.
A country is just as big and pros
porous as its industries are. If it
lacks Industrial strength, it lacks the
most important requisite of a sue
cessful nation.
Before American industry can be
put back on a substantial footing, II
must be freed from the shackles of
unfair competition of cheap labor of
Oriental and other foreign countries
That is the initial step toward the re
steration of commercial and indus
trial greatness in America.
The one and only remedy is Pro
lection. No substitute will accomplish
the desired results. Nothing is more
ridiculous than a Free-Trade idealis
trying to advance a remedy for pres
ent conditions, and at the same time
to uphold the doctrine of Free-Trade
Might just as well try to square the
circle.
There is an urgent need for a Tariff
to prevent the dumping of cheapl!
produced foreign goods upon ou
domestic markets. Free-Traders in
sist that the Tariff should be such a
to allow European goods to come int
this country in quantities suficien
to enable Europe to pay off her deb
to America.
We must remember, Europe owe
the debt to America. Must Americi
provide her with the gold with whicl
to pay According to real bushes
principles, the creditor is not expect
ed to undergo sacrifice in order to in
sure the payment of his debt. Is no
the same rule applicable to nations
Rather that the debt of Europe t
America US CailSC4ACO OAAAAA Vic
American workmen should be force
into idleness in order to enable Eu
:. rope to pay that debt. For every do
lars worth of. foreign competitiv
goods brought into this country, Their
is a corresponding loss to the pro
Queer of that same commodity heI
in America.
Even the Free-Trade New Yor
World has editorially conceded tn
absolute necessity of a Protectiv
Tariff. In order that American IL
dustry may in the meantime be pr
tected from heavy dumping of foreig
goods on our markets, Congre:
should adopt, an emergency Tari
measure. That is the prime necessii
right now-American Economist.
Would any Kansas mother star
idly by and allow only the strong'
of her children to be fed?