The Cordova daily times., 1922-01-05
THURSDAY, JANUARY 5, 1922
PROTECTIVE TARIFF SHOULD BE
 PROMPTLY ENACTED

There has never been time in the history of the United States of America when thor on=hly protective tariff was more immediately vital essential than at present.
 There has never been time in the history o1 the nation when the people of the United States were more thoroughly united in their belief that sound protective tariff law should be enacted
 ;. No non believer in protective tariff can be a sound Republican, for protection is and has been from the days of Lincoln the corner stone of the Republican faith.
 The foes of protection have, in view of the fact that the party in power is in honor bound to enact protective legislation retreated from a position of direct opposition to such a meas ure. They are conterirg their efforts upon pleas for delay in such an enactment, and in opposition to the American valuation system, which in the present state of foreign exchange is absolutely essential to any tariff law intend ed to protect the American producer rather than to profit the importer
 The alien and domestic interests which are fattening at the expense of American produc- tlon, are carrying on a well organized and financed propaganda directed against early action the tariff and against effective action when it is taken. They are calling at tentlon to the fact that as trade conditions are changing so rapidly, no tariff law enacted now could be permanent That is like arguing that because the water in stream that is threaten ing to flood the countryside is fluctuating in its level. there is no trying to throw up dam of any height to save houses and lands from inundation The fact that it may be necessary to later revise the schedules of tariff bill en- acted to meet present conditions, is no good reason why needed protective tariff legisa tion should not be enacted at once.
 There is involved in this matter not only the prosperity of the producers of this country as against the prosperity of few importers and financiers, but the matter of keeping faith with the people who believe. that there already has been too much delay in tariff legislation Congress has been in session nine months, and it will take the most expeditions attention to bring about the passage of tariff law before the present Congress has rolled 'round
 Hundreds of thousands of wage eaners are idle in this country today because of the inn portation of articles of foreign production manufactured under labor costs that would be unthinkable in the United States. Failure to pass protective tariff law has had far more to do with the creation and continuance of the existing industrial depression than most men imagine, and unless such legislation is had before many more months have passed, not only may we not expect improvement, but Ia dark deepening of the existing "hard times.''
 No one expects that Congress is going to pass perfect tariff law. The perfect tariff law is like the perfect tax law, it is the one every man can frame in his own mind with out having to consult the interests of anyone but himself But it is easily possible to en- act a measure based upon, the protective prin- ciple, and later correct such defects as ex- perience may develop.
 The theory that the deliberations of tariff commission may be expected to solve the tariff problem is one that doctrinaires have been air ing for forty years without any more tangible