Jasper County Democrat, Volume 18, Number 71, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 December 1915 — HOW WILL THEY RECONCILE THEIR ARGUMENTS? [ARTICLE]

HOW WILL THEY RECONCILE THEIR ARGUMENTS?

More than a year ago that branch of American business which depends for its fabulous profits on special privilege of one sort or another, began a campaign aimed to discredit tin* tariff policy of the present Democratic adininistration. The same interests had just been routed in confusion in its attack on the federal reserve hanks, and the determination of despair was everywhere evident in its attempt to villify the tariff policy. Notwithstanding the fact that the present tariff had not been operating long enough ,to demonstrate either its niems or its faults, tiris campaign of opposition endeavored to convince the public that the tariff as lowered by the ad-

ministration would presently bring oii an industrial panic unequaled in American history. The panic did not materialize. On the contrary, business began to be accelerated, factories which had been idle in the closing days of the Taft administration began to kindle the fires in their furnaces, the wheels of business began to turn faster and faster, until today the United States is enjoying the greatest era of prosperity in its history.

Having had to back away from the issue of ”hadr times,” the big business. which still smarts under the humiliation of having its fabulous profits out down by a reduction of the tariff, endeavors to spread the heresy that the tariff has been a monumental failure in that it has failed to provide the required revenues for maintaining the government,, and that the era of prosperity is clue entirely to the war in Europe. Ignoring the fact that business had begun to pick up prior to the outbreak of the war, let us admit that the war lias made such demands upon America as has brought about this season of overtime and double shifts in all ourjmanufacturing establishments, and let Us see where this admission brings us regarding the efficiency of the tariff.

Taking tlie figures, which have been thoroughly canvassed so that they may not be disputed, we find that Austria-Hungary exported, in IPI2 merchandise to the value of $554,973,000, Belgium exported $702,635,000 worth of goods, France $1,295,528,000, Germany $2,131,718,000, the United Kingdom $2,371,073,000, and Russia $782,181,000. These figures look formidable, and they will serve to illustrate the present issue without adding the statistics for the other countries in-:-r'* v 7 1 ? ’ ’ - nV-b- -v, v »v. a 14 UiQ Viu.l.

It is a known fact that Belgium, industrially, has been ’friped off the map. Her exports for this year will be so nominal that they will be unworthy of mention; it is a known fact that northern France, the great industrial district of that war-ridden country, has been devastated until her production has been reduced to less than 25 per cent of normal. It is estimated—by German authorities —that Germany, through the necessity of using many" of her great factories for the manufacture of war supplies and her inability to get transportation on the high seas, will show less than 40 per cent of her normal exports. England’s exports have been cut down less than any of those of the warring countries, but even there the necessity of turning her factories into the service of the army and navy has made a marked diminution in her products for foreign markets.

Now, Republican friends say that the tariff is a failure and that the war has nothing to do with it, they say that we have a measure of prosperity on account of the war, but that Democratic policies have nothing to do with it.

In other words, they attribute the prosperity to the war and the lack or revenues through the tariff to the Democratic party. It is so simple a proposition as to make argument silly that if the war has created a demand for Americanfaade goods the world over, the war must at the same time be responsible for the inability of these countries to supply their own and each other’s needs in the same measure as they did prior to August, 1911.

For the year endirig .hi no 0, 1914; we received into the United States, subject to tariff, from the principal, war countries goods in the valuation as indicated below:

From Austria-Ilungary, $20,110,82 4; .from Delgium, $41,035,532; from France, $1 4 1,44 0,2 52; from Germany, $189,91 9,1 36; front Italy, $5 6,4 07,671 ; front Russia, $20,831,lkl; front the United Kingdom, $293,661,304. This Vast volume of imports, which passed under our tariff laws, has been reduced-—these countries not only are •unable to produce enough goods to have a surplus for exportation, but they are unable to supply their own needs and are therefore crying out to America for aid. Not only have their imports to America been cut down more than .'0 per cent, but their imports to other countries lias been cut down in the same measure, and those countries which get their raw materials from England, Germany, France arid Russia, being unable to get the material, are unable to produce on the same scale as they did before the war, and as a result the exports from South American countries and others have been cut down. The same logic which’ concludes that American prosperity is due entirely to the war must admit, unless i: reverses itself in the same breath, that the war is responsible for the failure of the tariff to provide adequate revenues for the government, and, having concluded that an abnormal situation has decreased the revenues, there is no longer a sane argument against the innate merit or demerit of the tariff policy. it is a difficult matter to indicate the cleaVage between the natural acceleration of business and that which results front the abnormal situation in Europe, but it certainly is so plain that every man, except the one who shuts his eyes and turns away his head, can see that when there are no imports coming into" a country, a tariff is impotent to raise revenue, though it might be the highest tariff in history. It is very apparent that the Republican politicians will attempt to make an issue, of the tariff, and yet the tariff is deader than an Egyptian mummy.’’-

Industry can well afford to make up the deficit in governmental revenues, caused by the war, by taking a little money from the enormous increase in earnings, caused by the war, and paying it into the government in taxes of one sort and another.

'But the special privilege business man—and he is the fellow who is making an issue -' foi~ the Republican politician—doesn’t want to give up anything. He wants to play both ends against the middle; he wants a high tariff to protect him on one end and war prosperity to protect him on the other. lie wants to play the public—the consumer—going and coming. He doesn't give a Tinker’s d about consistency—what he is after is the dividend.-—The Indiana Forum.