The New York herald., 1922-11-24

1t Provided Home Market and
Work for Immigrants.

To THE NEW YORK HERALD Your re-
cent editorial articles on the subject of
our immigration laws bring TO mind
the fact that the Republican party has
entirely drifted away from tho great
fundamental postulate of the American
system. as Henry Clay defined the tariff
policy OF the United States.
That system recognized the United
States as the haven of the downtrodden
and oppressed OF earth; as the natural
outlet for the ovcrcrowded populations
of Europe. 1t rested upon the PROPOSE
tion that the American manufactures
was entitled to a home market based
upon American wages under American
conditions. and to this end It erected a
tariff barrier against the importations
OF cheaply fabricated products. but lef.
the door open to such OF the European
labor as desired to come in and, while
receiving American wages. afforded a
market for American made goods not
in the remote parts OF the world. with
all the risks incident to the exploitations
and competitions OF artihcialy devel-
oped trade. but within the territories
OF the United States
It was the theory. justified by facts
that with labor freely flowing In through
Castle Garden. accepting American con-
ditions, the manufacturer was enabled
TO produce and to sell to these new
comers upon a basis mutually helpful
and such was the competition for this
inflowing population that many Of the
States, among them Minnesota, extended
the privileges Of the elective franchise
upon the basis OF one years residence
within the United States, upon a decIar.
alton OF intention OF becoming a citizen.
In other words the American system
undertook to level up the Industrial
energies OF the world by creating a con.
ditlon wnere men could labor under the
best conditions. rather than the worst
and it insured this by guaranteeing to
the American manufacturer the benefits
OF the homo market which this liberal
and enlightened policy naturally and
inevitably produced.
1t did not undertake to help the Euro
pean 1aborer by shiploads of charity
but by opening TO him the door of op-
portunity, " he was willing TO help IN
tho development of our home markets
through honest effort. This policy, by
relieving the congestion Of labor in Eu.
rope, had decided tendency TO pro
mote thc peace OF the world and the
welfare OF mankind, and II was only
when Il was intorfercd with by tho Bis.
marckIan policy of old age pensions
and other socialistlc expedients for keep
ing tho people OF Germany and other
central European states at home, sup
plomentcd by the American demagogue
clamoring in tho name of labor. that
the American system lost its idcalisn
and became mere scramble for favors
with this decline in the American sys-
tenn and the consequent loss of German
immigration tho foundations OF the
world war were laid In the massing OF
an industrial nation II 70,000.000 OF
people in territory no larger than that
of the state of Texas. and surrounded
on every side by barriers erected by
rival nations. with the United States
forced into the position OF n competitor
in the markets OF the world and a po-
tential enemy OF Germany.
Time only was necessary to produce
tho world war Germany was bound By
the law OF necessity to reduce her pop
ulation or 10 enlarge her boundaries
or markets. ana millions Of lives havs