©Z>e  RURAL.  NEW-YORKER 
1355 
About  the  Need  to  Protect  Ourselves  Against 
The  Competition  of  Europe  After  the  War 
“We  had,  as  you  know,  a  new  tariff  bill 
passed  under  this  administration. 
What  happened? 
Enterprise  halted,  plants  closed,  new  under¬ 
takings  were  abandoned.  Hundreds  of  thou¬ 
sands  of  men  lost  their  employment.  They 
were  able  to  work,  they  were  willing  to  work, 
and  they  walked  the  streets  of  our  cities  look¬ 
ing  for  work  in  vain. 
Why  was  it? 
We  were  subjected  to  a  competition  which 
we  could  not  stand,  and  there  were  opportune 
ties  given  to  others  which  hv  right  belonged  to 
our  own  people. 
Have  you  any  idea  that  when  this  war  ends 
that  discipline  will  lose  its  effect? 
When  the  war  ceases  then  you  will  have  a 
'There  will  be.  a  stimulus  to  production  and 
an  efficiency  in  production  and  application  of 
powrer  in  every  one  of  these  nations  the  like  of 
which  was  never  known  to  the  world. 
It  is  a  new  Europe  that  will  shortly  face  the 
United  States  in  a  severe  economic  struggle. 
It  is  a  new  United  States,  self-disciplined  in 
peace,  alert  and  equal  to  its  economic  tasks 
that  must  face  a  new  Europe. 
“We  have  now  a  temporary  prosperity  in 
many  parts  of  our  land,  growing  out  of  the 
European  War. 
On  the  other  side  of  the  Atlantic,  in  a  long 
line  of  trenches,  extending  across  the  contin¬ 
ent,  are  millions  of  men  engaged  in  fighting. 
They  are  not  engaged  in  producing  wealth. 
They  are  engaged  in  consuming  wealth.  Back 
of  them  in  every  one  of  the  belligerent  nations 
are  millions  engaged  in  preparing  the  muni¬ 
tions  of  w-ar. 
The  result  is  that  we  have  been  shipping 
abroad  vast  quantities  of  our  products,  bread 
stuffs,  woolen  stuffs,  all  sorts  of  manufactures, 
everything  for  the  purpose  of  filling  the  gap 
caused  by  the  withdrawal  of  so  many  from  the 
productive  pursuits  of  peace. 
“American  industry  demands  a  tariff  for  the 
purpose  of  an  honest  protection,  and,  for  that 
reason,  demands  the  restoration  of  the  Repub¬ 
lican  party  to  power  in  this  country. 
Tariff  for  revenue  only,  I  say  bluntly,  is  not 
an  American  doctrine;  it  does  not  fit  American 
industries. 
I  say  that  it  is  the  Republican  party  that 
knows  how  to  take  care  of  the  prosperity  of 
the  United  States.  It  always  has.  And  we 
propose  to  take  care  of  it  in  this  instance. 
I  propose  that  American  labor  shall  be  safe¬ 
guarded. 
IT  IS  FRANKLY  IDLE  TO  SUPPOSE 
THAT  YOU  CAN  SAFEGUARD  AMERI¬ 
CAN  LABOR  IF  YOU  WILL  ALLOW  THE 
INTRODUCTION  OF  GOODS  MADE  BY 
MEN  PAID  LESS  WAGES,  AND  WHOSE 
STANDARD  OF  LIVING  IS  LOWER. 
“If  you  look  behind  the  carnage  and  horror 
of  it  you  will  find  in  every  one  of  these  nations 
an  unparalleled  discipline.  You  will  find  in 
every  one  of  these  nations  extraordinary  or¬ 
ganization. 
'They  know  what  every  man  can  do  and  the 
place  for  every  man  and  every  woman. 
I  do  not  speak  of  any  particular  nation. 
'There  is  not  a  nation  there  which  does  not  pos¬ 
sess  these  qualities  to  a  degree  which  chal¬ 
lenges  our  admiration. 
“I  do  not  represent  a  sectional  party. 
The  Republican  party  proposes  policies 
which  are  important  alike  for  South,  North, 
East  and  West. 
It  is  not  sectional.  It  is  national.” 
( Extracts  from  speeches  by  Charles  E.  Hughes) 
Published  by 
Republican  National  Committee 
