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Show THE CITIZEN 4 spirit and practice of our state, department in dealing with other in- ternational problems. existing conditions and the unequal fight against foreign tions, are now bent upon establishing factories in Europe to take advantage of cheap labor and the sure thing guarani under our foreign valuation tariff system. They fail to re fact that once they close down their American plants and American labor from a gainful living, that the great Ame ket will dwindle to a mere skeleton of what it now is, or become under a sane American valuation tariff system. for undr If you are in favor of America first tional sovereignty, write and demand that your senators vote? American valuation plan. They are your servants not yourm ct ie cf As a direct result of the great war this' question of American n valuation has forced itself to the front as never before. The 'House cl of Representatives adopted it as the nucleus of its tariff measure. The Senate Finance Committee has reported out an amended bill h; scrapping American valuation and providing, in lieu thereof, what is termed a flexible and elastic measure giving to the president plenary-powerto enforce its mandates against any foreign power. Contrary to general belief American valuation does not apply to all our importations. Under a protective tariff, nonrcpmpeting., articles things that cannot be produced economically in this country-- are admitted free, unless they are luxuries wanted by'pbple who MEDDLING FOREIGN ENVOYS SCORED. prefer imported goods at any price to the home products even at lower prices. Such goods constitute almost half of our normal impoir-tation- s. Stalwart Americans arid, thanks be to the Almighty, tin Naturally they are not included in this question. several millions still left in the land were thrilled and pleas ilk Again the matter of valuation has nothing to do with the imports gratified with the manner in which Senator Watson of India the duties on which are specific, and such imports make up more than administration man, took into camp the Italian Riccis, the :se half of our duitable importations. So the problem of American valuGeddes clasmen and other foreign satraps and potentates, wi m total half of our ation has to do with less than half of imports. long have been howling like mad over our proposed protect ide The amount of ad valorem duty to be paid at our custom houses measure and by innuendo and direct threats, attempting to 4 is determined two ways : the assessed valuation of the goods and the and shape our domestic and international legislation. ' This Watson catechisation was most rate of duty on such goods. This rate of duty has always been fixed refreshing and by Uncle Sam, but under the prevailing system of foreign valuation, It was as necessary as it was timely. For too long a period the foreign importer fixes the assessed valuation. (Under a trading envoys and foreign statesmen of all ranks have been meekly or bargaining system of tariff euphemized by its supporters as to, whenever they choose to berate and belittle our senators reciprocity we would even let the foreigner have a say in fixing resentatives for carrying out legislative policies backed by a the rate, evidently a most unwise thing to do.) of sane and sensible voters. So patient and long sufferh jority So this whole question of American valuations narrows down to the administration and our legislative bodies proven themsd a single element in our. tariff system, affecting less than onequarter be, that these foreign exponents of favors for forei ranting of our total annual importations. Essentially the question of valuahad almost come to believe that they could say or do any rhi ad valorem tion is simply this : shall Uncle Sam fix both factors of the get away with it. duty or shall we submit to the dictation of foreign manufacturers and Then came Senator Watson and at last our season of sil vo importers of foreign goods, and let them fix one of the two factors missiveness seems to have gone glimmering. The fact that ch and the most vital one at that? While it is not a major question in Watson is a strict administration man may be looked upon tariff legislation, when exchange rates are normal, yet involved is a tentious ; and when he spoke straight from the heart last Mi principle of paramount importance. Again it is pertinent to ask: open senatorial session, it is permissible to believe that he did with foreign nashall this nation divide its sovereignty fifty-fift- y the full knowledge and sanction of administration leaders. tions, or remain wholly independent? Every patriot from WashingThe Citizen in mild and perhaps feeble manner has fr ton and Jefferson down to the present, will cry out, Let us preserve called attention to the vicious foreign propaganda being vagi what we fought for and won ; let us achieve our future greatness at home and abroad, with the all too evident view of influend along lines which gained us our nationality and our place in the econ- dictating our internal policies as well as our foreign relatoins omic world. Citizen is glad to welcome Senator Watson to the ranks This is in no sense a party question. Whether one favors a pro- who stand for America first, last and all the time. Now thatS tariff, Uncle Sam, to maintain his Watson has twanged the chord of Americanism in open sessioo tective tariff or a enviable status in the world, must fix both factors of our import senate, it is to be hoped that other senators will give vent to tin duties. up American feelings arid thus help to urge foreign envoys And who. are they who incessantly clamor for a assume the strict duties of minding their own and their mothfl chalk tariff, or at least a measure so framed that Uncle Sam must, per- trys business. If carried to its logical conclusion, this force, divide his sovereignty with foreign nations? Naturally the foreign potentates by a leading senator, if backed by RePu man who imports foreign goods is one who is vitally interested. It the chamber, will likely call for either a reprimand or recalU is the rule rather than the exception, that under foreign valuation) respective governments. No matter how the home govern0 , two invoices are given the buyer, one showing the real value of the view the meddling activities of its representatives, it is makes goods and the other for use at the custom house, the latter usually principle of international relations that no envoy v.ho much lower than the former. Under foreign valuation fraud on Uncle obnoxious to the nation to which he is accredited, shall long Sam has always been rampant. And right here it is perhaps wise to quote fron: Senator Ge The big merchants and the mail order houses also favor the forspeech, so that loyal Americans may judge whethi v the themselves eign valuation system. The former because they cater to that class and the Riccis et al., have succeded in making and which or otherwise: of citizenry demanding goods bearing a foreign trade-marthen We have no objection to these people expressing class they can soak to the limit. They can buy their foreign made Amerviews, Senator Watson said, but we. have objec. n to re goods at foreign valuation and sell them to the apish sr icans at double, tripple" and even four-fol- d profits. Its a great game to dictate the policies of the United States so long; as they a,nl day if you don't weaken.. The mail order house imports cheap foreign ited here as representatives of their nations. T made goods with which to drive the home town merchant out of government and it is to be dictated to only by the .overeig11 qj ha business. Under the present system of levying tariff rates on foreign the American people. an Suppose Colonel Harvey should get up in Lotion valuation, mail order houses can place articles on the market at far do less than half the cost of similar American made articles and 'still they had to pass a tariff bill, or tell them they ha' to w0 thing or we would not do business with them. Th reap immense profits. And this is not all. American manufacturers, discouraged with home, and they ought to do it. It is not his busing. 1 8 . s d and-stan- i in of non-protecti- ve to non-protecti- ve a k, so-call- ed ts v- - |