The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1930-06-12
viii Congress Kill Business?

When the senate votes tomorrow the Grundy
billion-doar tariff BILL there will be simple issue
and only one. That issue is national prosperity.
A vote for the bill is vote for depression.
vote against the bill is vote for. reviving
prosperity.
All the other issues merge in this one. There is
an issue Of keeping faith with the Republican and
Democratic platform pledges against such general
tariff increase. But those platform pledges were
made in the interest of preserving prosperity.
Similarly there is the issue Of public representa-
ton, of senate vote in conformity with the over
whelming popular demand that the bill be defeated.
But that public demand springs directly from the
prosperity issue.
No senator can evade this prosperity issue. No
senator can say he did not understand the conse-
quences of his vote. The issue has been spelled out
in terms that even a child can understand
It has been stated by Hoover in his campaign
It has been stated by virtually unanimous press,
by protectionist Republican newspapers as well as
Democratic and independent papers.
It has been stated by the memorial of 1923 lead
ing economists of the country
It has been stated by representative farm organ
izations of all sections.
1t has been stated by outstanding manufacturers,
such as Ford General Motors and General Electric
It has been stated by representatives Of the mer-
chants, such as the Retail Dry Goods Association
of New York.
It has been stated by leading brokers and bankers.
such as President Lonsdae of the American Bankers
Association.
All these representatives Of American public
ouinion and of American business interests are far
removed from partisan politics. Their motives in OPP
posing this tariff can not be questioned
Nor can their Judgment be questioned SO many
experts so many industries, so many producers so
many business men, so many bankers, when they
agree on a matter within their own field are not
apt to be wrong At any rate, their Judgment on
such subjects is less partisan, more experienced ana
therefore more dependable than mere political
judgment.
And what is it these economists and business lead
ers say?
They saw that American prosperity is dependent
on mass production which in turn is dependent on
export trade They say that the suicidal Grumpy
tariff will kill prosperity by closing our foreign
markets and thus closing our factories Unless 1or-
egn nations can sell to us, they can not buy from US
They say that this bill would not only deprive
Americans of jobs as producers, but would increase
the cost Of living to Americans as consumers IhuS
the bill would ruin both our domestic and our foreign
market. And in that vicious circle we would SINK
lower in national depression.
These statements of fact by economists and bust
ness leaders have not been answered by the political
advocates of this disastrous bill. They can not be
answered.
Already these statements that the bill destroys
prosperity have been proved by events. Already un-
der the threat Of this thirty-three nations
have protested and Americas foreign trade has fallen
81 per cent. That has been the last blow II has
closed many factories and thrown tens Of thousands
of men on the streets to look for work which does
not exist.
If the Grundy bill becomes law, hundreds Of
more factories win close more banks will fail. and
more thousands will join the tragic and angry army
Of the unemployed.
vote for this bill Is a vote to rob manufacturers
and merchants Of business, vote to bankrupt the
farmers vote to destroy the jobs Of working men,
vote 70 take food away from our chldren,e