Don't let Trump become another Hoover

The last time our country elected an anti-trade Republican was when Herbert Hoover was elected in 1928.

Hoover walked into one of the strongest economies we've ever seen -- the roaring '20s. Drafted in 1929 and passed in 1930, the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act did the same thing that Trump wants to do now, which is to put a tax on many goods that we import from other countries. A week before its signing, 1,028 economists signed a petition begging Hoover not to sign the bill. He did not listen, and the Great Depression was the result.

At the time, our banks were the creditor to the world. International companies and export-dependent farmers couldn't pay their loans, and many farms were foreclosed on by the banks. As a result, many banks failed, especially in agricultural regions.

The stock market's value fell 90 percent from 1929 to 1932, and unemployment rates rose from 3 to 25 percent.

In particular, South Mississippi's Port of Gulfport directly benefits from free trade. Additionally, two major rail lines -- CSX Transportation and Kansas City Southern Railway Co. -- travel through our area. Some of the largest employers in Mississippi benefit from free trade, including Northrop Grumman, Nissan and Toyota.

The end result of Hoover's experiment was that voters blamed Republicans, which allowed Democrats and their big government policies to hold the office for the next 20 years.

Think about this before you check the box next to Trump.

JASON LINDHOLM

Long Beach

This story was originally published March 12, 2016 at 6:37 PM with the headline "Don't let Trump become another Hoover ."