Milford chronicle. [volume] (Milford, Del.) 1878-1974, 1928-07-13
HERBERT HOOVER AND TARIFF
PROTECTION
Editorial Public Ledger


! week that the main issue of the
presidential campaign woul1 be the
f protective tariff was made with full
! realization of the Democratic Party's
= attempt to backtrack on this cues
ton in its platform. But it's grudg-
: ing Endorsement of the protective
principle and vague talk about an
} equitable adjustment of schedules
are not nearly so convincing as the
tariff plank of the Kansas City plat
form, which constitutes one of the
clearest expositions and most vigor-
GUS declarations of this cardinal Re-
publican principle that have been
recorded in many years.
There's a reason. 1t has long been
evident that the Democratic Party is
preparing to make a determined as
sault this year on the protective tar
iff system, in the belief that such
discomfort as exists among the far
mers can be capitalized for this pur-
pose. 1t is planning to revive it's
ancient argument that the protective
tariff operates to the advantage
only of certain classes of industry,
ignoring the fact that the generally
high level of wages promoted by this
system makes possible the broad diff
fusion of prosperity and enables the
farmer to find purchasers for his
products at good prices.
The Republican Party is fully pre-
pared to meet this issue, which
promises to be one of the foremost
in the campaign. For there is no
stronger advocate of the protective
tariff than its candidate for Presi-
dent. And no one has more clearly
exposed the fallacy in the argument
that, while manufactures and COM
merce prosper exceedingly under
protection, it does nothing for the
farmer.
In his message to the chairman of |
the Republican convention, Mr.. Hoo
yer spoke Of the need for protecting
"workmen, farmers and business
men alike from competition arising
out of lower standards of living
abroad" and promised to discuss Ia
ter in more detail this and other pro-
of the party platform.
But in his speeches and writings he
has already made his position on the
tariff perfectly plain.
In 1924 and again in 1926 Mr.. Hoo
yer made numerous political address
SEES. These were not ordinary stump
oratorical dealings in per-
sonalities and generalities. They
we're earnest, plain talks. He went
INTO Minnesota, Kansas, Colorado,
Oklahoma and California, where the
Democrats were trying to fool the
farmers, and showed just what the !
tariff was doing for agri- !
culture. Here is a sample from his
address at Topeka supporting the !
of Senator Curtis, who is {
low his running mate on the Repub- t
lean ticket: :
No one can say that the farm
er has not enjoyed higher prices
for many of his products as the t
result of the duties collected
upon $74O,000,00O worth of i'm a
ported agricultural products. v
And when our opponents discuss n
reducing the tariff, they mean
not alone reducing the tariff on b
cotton goods, steel or typewrit- C
ers. They mean also to reduce Il
the tariff on wheat, on wool, on g
meat, butter and flaxseed. I do @
not for one moment believe that p
the farmer wishes to abandon e.
this great measure of protection. "
Moreover, our farmers are vital I
ly interested in maintaining high N
standards of living among our d.
workers in other industries than nj
agriculture. The sole market of
the full stomach at home is bet sc
ter than the chance to compete W
for the stomach of the underfed
worker abroad, whose buying m
power is limited. hf
Speaking at Denver, Mr.. Hoover I'll
us paid his respects to Democratic m
ators who were trying to stir up ha
among the Colorado far m
ers: po
It is claimed that the protec- he
tive tariff is an endowment Of tn
the great manufacturers of the
East. 1t is to be noted, how o.
ever, that there is no tariff on &C
he lumber or cement that the lit
Colorado farmer uses. There is
10 tariff on his agricultural ma e. e.
his fertilizers, his gaso- yo
inc, his harness or many other sol
If the important things he uses. th'
The tariff is a protection to la
,or; it is a protection to the TIL
armer. If there is a ''citadel Of the
gaining vast benefits ma
tut of the tariff, the Colorado for
armer sits in this citadel And 9