The Glasgow courier., 1922-04-07
PROTECTION BEGINS AT HOME

lt seems co nave become character
istic with Democrats to give their
first thought to the welfare of the
people of other countries. This has
been manifest from time immemorial
in the attitude of the Democratic
party on the subject of a protective
tariff. A protective tariff is in the
interests of American producers, while
free trade is in the interest of the
foreign producer.
To the disadvantage of the United
States and the advantage of other ma
tions, the Democratic party persist
emily opposed merchant marine
policy which would place the carrying
of American goods under the Ameri-
can flag.
Much in the same spirit, President
Wilson went to the Peace Conference
jim Paris and negotiated treaty
which would call upon the United
States to make the supreme sacrifice
in the interest of European and Asia
tic nations.
One Of the latest manifestations of
this neglect of the welfare of the
United States and concern for the well
fare Of other countries is found in the
report made by Congressman Kitchin
Of North Carolina, in opposition to
the Republican tariff bill. Speaking
for the Democratic minority on the
Ways and Means Committee he op-
posed particularly the American val
uation plan and said that this plan
would make it impossible for the i'm
porter to know what duty he will have
to pay unless he has actually imported
and passed the goods through the
Customs House."
1t will be noted from this that Mr..
Kitchin's chief concern is for the well
fare of the importer. The interests
of the importer are coincident with
those of the foreign producer. 1t is
true that under the Republican Ameri-
can valuation plan the importer will
not be able to determine as definite
ly as he could heretofore the amount
of duty he will be called upon to pay.
1t would be better, Of course, if every
importer and every American produc-
er could know in advance exactly wha.
his costs will be and the nature and
severity Of his competition, but in the
very nature of things this is impos-
sible. Our tariff makers must choose
therefore, between leaving the I'M
porter in doubt as to the amount Of
duty he will have to pay, and leaving
the American producer in doubt as to
the extent Of the competition he must
expect from abroad.
Under the present law the Ameri-
can manufacturer has no means of de-
terminating at how low price foreign
goods will be offered in American
markets in competition with him.
With deprecated currencies in all the
leading foreign nations and with la
Dor conditions such that in manv
countries the wage scale is only one
quarter or even one-tenth of the wage
scale in the United States, and with
almost every European nation striving
by every means to sell it's goods here,
no American producer, when he in
ours the expense of production, can
know whether it will be possible for
nm to sell his products in competi
ton with imported commodities. Mr.
kitchin and his Democratic associa-
tes would gladly leave the American
producer in this position of demoraliz-
ing uncertainty. All that seems to
concern them is that the importer
shall know in advance exactly what
his tariff tax will be so that he can
determine whether he can impor, A.
such a price as will put the Amari-
san producer ont of business.
1t is safe to assert that vast ma
Jority OF American voters will approve
the Republican policy of safeguard
ing the American and let the foreirn-
ser take his chances.