Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-09-27

ucuSN that the tlnle Is ripe 1OE
! rebirth of the Jefferson ideas and
1882 will decide whether hereafter we
shall have stable government by ma
donal political parties, or chaotic gov
by blocs. The Republican
party is moribund, faction-ridden and
without any policy that has not been
The Democratic party Is
dehilitated and lacking IN
unity in support Of suitable national
but 1t has never yet failed
to function sounday and effectively
when put TO the test and 1t VIII not
fail now. There is, furthermore, far
more reason, need and opportunity for
the masses to be led back into power
at Washington today than in the days
Of jefferson and Jackson. If the doc
trines of the latter were sound, then
they are Sounder now Such action
would offer a wise alternative to gov
of the past 10 years by small.
selfish and privileged minorities. To
this end Democrats should assemble
for get-together purposes in every
State capital during the present Fall
and should, early in 1882. meet in
every ward, township, precinct and
county in the Nation for a general
forward movement. II the Democratic
party should falter now a new group
would promptly rise up TO battle for
its historic doctrines of rule by the
people and OF equal rights and special
privileges to no class under the Con-
stitution, both Of which are even more
pertinent today than 100 years ago.
Must Arouse People.
1t would be confusing. rather than
clarifying, for me to set out q long
IF In
with mere palliatives, instead of at
tempting to describe the disease and
suggest fundamental treatment. For
example, from q Democratic stand
point, the two first prerequisite steps,
both imperative and paramount, are
for the people to be aroused and in
duced to come back and take real
charge of their Government, and, sec
ondly. a general revival in the minds
and hearts of Democrats of the tradi-
tons, principles and ideals in their
every one would virtually know In adj
vance how the Democratic party would
deal with the problems, rights and
needs of labor, agriculture, business,
fiscal affairs, world trade and peace.
international trade from 1918 10
1927 was 5000 000, 000, 900 less than 1t
would have been had the normal 81.
per cent pre-war rate Of increase been
maintained. Such loss to the United
States alone for the year 1880 was
81 ,760, 100000. Here Is revealed the
origin Of our chief economic woes. The
tariff and commercial policy written
in the Fordney act of 1922 and car
ried into the Hawley act, which most
other nations, either IN retaliation or
under our leadership, proceeded to
adopt and even enlarge upon, operated
as a great artificial stimulant to pro-
duction in every country. This and
other trade barriers since 1922 seriously
handicapped the exchange Of SURPRISES
between countries.
Collapse Inevitable.
It was inevitable, therefore, that with
in few years the processes Of exchange
and distribution would collapse, that
immense SURPRISES would pile up every
where, that prices, especially of raw
materials and food stuffs, would decline,
and that the principal gold supplies Of
the world would be drawn TO countries
like the United States, In payment Of
trade balances which could not be met
with goods or services or loans. Had
this and other countries under our
leadership pursued the opposite course
Of moderate or competitive tariffs and
liberal commercial policy since 1922, our
exports today would be several billion
dollars In excess of what they are and
have been during recent years, and mil
lions Of American wage earners, long
idle, would now be employed in the
automobile and most other surplus-pro-
ducing industries at high wages, turning
out their maximum production for ex-
port. Most of the 1000 American plants
set up abroad would be at home.
The American spokesman for high
tariff benefciaries brand as free
trader any person suggesting the slight
est reduction OF our prohibitive tariffs.
This reminds me Of the trick Of the
burglar who sets fire to an old building
in the suburbs~to divert attention while
he plumbers and robs bank in the heart
of the town. One act Is as fraudulent
and dishonest as the other. One other
device to confuse the public and to In
crease campaign contributions Is to ask
Democrats in advance to specify each
particular tariff rate they would reduce.
This would dodge any consideration of
the fundamental tariff differences be-
tween most Democrats and reactionary
as 1t would dodge the para
mount question of whether the Repub-
ican policy of wild tariff increases dur
ing recent years, followed by retaliation,
bitter economic wars, and the drying up
of the exports of our SURPRISES, with
vast unemployment resulting, shall be
checked, the Republican party divorced
from the chief tariff beneficiaries, and
the Nation faced in the opposite direc-
ton. 1t would eyade the question OF
whether this country with immense
overproduction, with the worlds chief
supply of gold and credit, shall stand for
a policy of low tariffs and fair and
friendly trade relations with other ma
tons, or shall arbitrarily restrict pro-
duction to domestic consumption and re-
sort in vain to artificial fixing of prices,
pools, valorization, pegging, and other
similar practices.
Seek Panic Causes.
The American people are not In
humor to tolerate trick questions and
trick questioners. They viii Indignantly
brush them aside and seek serious dis
cussion Of the present panic causes and
effects, including the wreck Of agricul-
ture, the strangling of foreign trade, the
vast unemployment problem, the mill
lions Of bankruptcies, the many suicides,
and other tragic phases that have fol-
lowed in the wake of the panic.
Many of us since 1920 repeatedly en-
deavored to warn the country against
the very policies that have now culmi-
mated so disastrously. High tariff walls
should come down alike everywhere to q
common level This Nation having
measurably led others into the present
economic catastrophe, cannot proceed
too soon to lead them out. There should
be careful and gradual tariff reduction
downward by Congress, with the aid of
a fact-flnding commission, a fair and
friendly commercial policy based upon
the unconditional favored Nation doc
trine. Existing tariff and trade con.
ditions are the result OF several years
operation Of these mad policies Of ex-
tremism, and some time viii be required
to retrace and restore stable business
conditions.
There can be no satisfactory progress