Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-06-25
En- YICE-PRESIDFNT WHEELER AND
THE Tariff COMMISSION.

The Malone IN. " Palladium, the
home organ (all politicians nowadays
have home organs) of ex-Vice- President
Wheeler, gives the following explanation
of his having declined Craftsmanship Of
the tariff commission.
"Those friends who know his interest in
the public welfare and in the principle of pro-
lection cannot doubt that he would have
waived his objection if only there had been
reason to believe that the work of the commits
sion, however admirable, could bear fruit"
The avidity with which the tariff COM
mission project has been seized on by
the time servers and short-sighted repre-
sentatives of both parties, very thor
oughly illustrates the low standard Of
the craftsmanship now charged with the
direction and control of the energies and
varied interests of the country. The
great problem seems to be to ascertain
themost practicable and expeditions man
ner in which questions of state economy,
and the vital and living issues of the
day can be subordinated 10 the advance
ment of individual and partisan interests.
The joint effect of the domestic and tariff
revenue legislation on the industrial
and commercial interests of the country,
from the passage of the Morrill, Tariff
Act down to the present day, is subject
worthy OF the consideration of the best
experience and ripest craftsmanship of
the country. The relegation of ques-
tions, the determination of which,
under the constitution devolves
exclusively On the legislative
department of the government, is in the
case at bar-for the first time in the his
tory of the revenue legislation of the
country submitted to board of commits
sioners whose only recommendation for
the positions they hold, is their well
known servility to the power to which
they owe their appointment. The result
of their labors will at best be only reflex
of the views of the misrepresentation
of the people, whose lack of the courage
of their convictions on this issue made
their official existence possible. There
is not q member of either house of con-
gress who voted for the submission of the
question of the revision of the tariff to a
board of commissioners, who is worthy
of the confidence ofihis constituents. No
man who confesses to his
inability to determine whether
under the present financial condition of
the country, the ports of the country
should be thrown open to the commerce
of the world, or protection against
foreign competition be given the infant
industries of the country, should aspire
to seat in a legislative body charged
under the constitution with the deter
mination of these questions The question
of the revision of the tariff could, under
no circumstances, be handicapped at
the present time with the consideration
of the abstract issue of free trade. Both
political parties recognize the necessity
of tariff to meet the obligation of the
government, and the only question to be
determined is the measure of protection
necessary to accomplish this purpose.
As the revenues of the country are
regulated according to the necessities of
the treasury, MIR. Wheeler has very
naturally reached the conclusion that
Congress is the best judge of the meas
ure of protection essential to proper
administration of the government; and
that the report of the tariff commission,
however meritorious as an exposition of
the necessities of the foreign and domestic