Evening journal., 1922-01-23

Butter scotch candy and the kitchen
looked as IL a Democratic caucus had
been held In it. The plates filled with
the. mixture had been placed outside
to cool in the crisp, cracking, colo
night, and in the course OF the TASK
Ruth's frock had become unouteon-
ed in the back. With her hahus
smeared with sweets she approaSh-
ed Uncle Ted with the request tna'
he button her up the back, ana whiie
he employed his thumb-like myers
Abe children asked him for story
~ ~need the time during which the
candy cooled.
.sWell. thought candy-making
would keep YOU kids busy this eve
Ming" said Uncle Ted, anu
haven't any story to tell Hang. those
n,ttons, WHY do they make EN- so
small? Oh. hol How woulu 800
about pearl buttons ana tneir ieia
lion to the tariff gog
why. what on earth can pearl
hnttons have TO do with the tarln
questioned Jack. And in a Jifty pouh
children we're seated in front OF
,heir political mentor and he began
II shall begin by saying that the
noarl button industry In TINS couh-
frv furnishes a typical Illustration
n how the protective tariff law al
vocated by the Republican parry
works to establish and keep up IN
austry in this country. Prior to lSso
there was no pearl button Industry
In the United States. The rates OF
duty. that is, the tax which import
ers OF pearl buttons had 10 pay 20
sell in this country pearl buttons
made abroad, was so small that II
Ala little TO restrict imports, conse-
onentlv no home industry could ger
a foothold. In that year our Consul
General at Vienna. Austria wrote a
renort stating his belief that the
making Of pearl buttons would never
he undertaken in the United STATES
"But william Mckinley, VINO was
,hen chairman OF the Ways ana /
Means committee Of the House OF
1s,nrrsentatives which has charge OF
tarin legislation. thought otherwise,
and his tariff bill placed duty on
nearl buttons which gave birth TO
The American industry. Before the
democrats came into power in 1919
our nearl button industry employed |
% 600 people and there we're plants
in Alabama. Illinois, indiana, Iowa |
ohio. Michigan, New York. New
Jersey. Kentucky. Tennessee, ana
Missouri. From the time of the gain
cred shell to the finished product
- 400 men and 5000 women were
e,nnloved while 5000 men worked
nve months in the year digging over
SO 900 tons OF fresh water Shells
nroduct which. before the Industry
was set going. had no commercial
value. but which soon became worth
$40 a ton. The capital at that uime
Invested in the industry aggregated
over 100000.
.sWhen the Democrats secured
control OF the government In 1919
they set about putting into practice
a theory which they had long ad-
vocated. but which has never yet
worked out, namely that II a very
low rate Of duty is placed on an I'M
ported article this will increase us
lmport to such a degree that more
revenue will be secured for the gov
eminent. II. for example, an article
under a rate Of duty OF 80 per cent
was imported al the rate Of $1,000
600 annually. thus yielding 100000
in revenue the same article with a
duty Of is per cent would probably
he imported at the rate OF, say S4,-
000. 600 annually, thus yielding a
duty OF $500 900 And they applied
thde scheme to the entire tariff law,
without the slightest regard TO its el-
feet on our domestic factories or
farms. Moreover they declared that
our own people would profit by this
lower duty by purchasing articles
cheaper.
You we're too young before the
Great War % be conscious OF the ef-
feet Of this idea on the industries
and agriculture of this country. but
you win probably recall that your
fathers health was so seriously un-
dermdncd by the hard times Of 1914
that he became an easy victim OF the
nu' and your Uncle Ted wore his
serge suit so long that fly would
have broken his neck trying to crawl
on II. l was mainly concerned with
Keeping enough oatmeal ani smoked
meat 10 the house to beat OFT the
wolf. but often heard him bowling
al the next block.
'"Then the war orders from Europe
began to pour into this country and
the mills started up again 70 feed
the war-god. Mars and the farmers
set their plowshares to the task OF
preparing the fields to feed the
wielders Of the sword. All industry
was greatly relieved and stimulated.
not only because a vast market was
opened up. but also because our
great trade competitors were en-
gagged in war. OF our i've COM
petitors in the pearl button industry
England. Italy. Germany, and Aus.
tria switched from button to bullet.
making. and Japan alone was left e
compete with us for our own market
The war ended as quickly as 4
began. In the meantime. wages had
climbed an this country In all Indus
tries. and Frank NJ. Swalxer, testify.
ing before the Ways and Means
Committee with regard to the pear
button industry, just before tn,
tarin bill which is now being con