The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1902-12-05

There has recently been some APP
prevail in high quarters of a proposal
to appoint Bipartisan" tariff COM
mission to wrestle with the tarlif
problem for an indefinite period and
wind up with making recommends
tons" to Congress. The New YORK
Commercial, which has been a con-
sistent supporter of the protective
policy, has taken the matter up In
sensational way, sending out broad
sides and blank petitions all over the
country, with the evident intent, II a
commission should be appointed, or
claiming that the Commercial dld
| it," after the established custom OF
the sensational press.
A Bipartisan tariff commission"
would be an utter humbug, and us
performances would be roaring
farce. 1t would be absolutely known
| in advance that the three or five
members who would constitute the
protectionist majority would recon-
mend" the maintenance of the present
protective system, and that the two
or four free traders of the minority
would object to every recommends
ton made by the majority and rec
ommend" exactly the opposite. 1t
would also be known that the two
reports would be printed in many
thick volumes of Testimony" argyll
ment and speculation containing little
or nothing new and comprising an
enormous mass which nobody would
ever read or even look at except for
the purpose of digging out short ex-
tracts calculated to support a policy
which the scarcer was predetermined
to favor. Finally it would be known
in advance that Congress would pay
no more attention to the "recommen'
dations" of the commission than II
pays to the winds which whistle
about the dome of the capitol.
If the commission were only a
farce the nation could, perhaps, al
ford to pay the cost for the sake OF
quieting the yells of the disgruntled
and restless, just as nurse diverts
a squalling baby with rattle. But
it would not be merely farce; II
would be disastrous. From the mo
ment it was resolved to appoint such
a commission every business interest
in the country would take alarm, fol
it would be known that we had enter
ed upon a long period of tariff agita
| ton, whose outcome as to any par
ticular interest could not be ever
to learn in advance and modify the
recommendations" of the commits
sion, and when that was through the
whole fight would be transferred tt
| Congress. We had one such commits
sion a few years ago, and the coun
try never wants another. The place
to discuss matters is in the oper
| forum of the House of Representa-
tives and Senate, as contemplated by
| the constitution.
official information as to the working!
of the present tariff or the probable
workings of any proposed modifica
ton. On the contrary, it is highly
desirable. But the government i!
already provided with machinery nee
essary for that purpose in all respect!
better than any partisan, non-parti
san or bipartisan commission. 1t IL
only necessary for congress to direc
that the actuary of the treasury de
partment should report in words anC
figures precisely what would harper
in respect to revenue and to imports
and exports of commodities in cas'
certain named changes in the tariff
were made. These official estimates
could be made upon request of an.
organized party in Congress, an.
national political convention or an!
other influential body making definite
inquiries in good faith. That is al
we want to know. We need no "rec
concentrations" from anybody. A few
pages of figures would tell the who'll
story. 1t would be businesslike ant
sensible. A bipartisan commission
would be humbug and a menace Il
prosperity.-San Francisco Chronicle