Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1902-10-16
YOUNG Planters DRUNK.
A PERMANENT TARIFF COMMISSION

(lrom the New York Commercially
The time is ripe for taking the tariff
out OF politics. Not that the two princi
piles Of protection and free trade and
the notifications of both, can ever be
wholly eliminated as policies in our gov
ornamental affairs here IN the United
States. As such, discussion Of them is
never likely to disappear. But it is pos
Sible to put tho making and the 1inmakinC
Of tariff schedules on a plane somewhere
above the level Of campaign politics-to
elevate il to a science, and thus to dis
courage stump orators from making
mere foot ball Of something that only
few Of them understand. The time has
arrived for the creation of a permanent
tariff commission that shall handle the
subject along scientific lines and point out
to Congress from time to time how 1t may
properly revise this or that schedule to
meet changing industrial. commercial and
revenue conditions The New York Com
mercal is firmly of the belief that no moro
important question confronts the FIFTY
seventh Congress as the time approaches
for its closing session.
Why a permanent tariff commission
Pr imaTilY. because frequent general re-
visions Of the tariff unsettle the business
If the country from ore end to the other.
There is no greater foe to commercial
prosperity than uncertainty Nothing 50
paralvzes trade as the menace of legisla
ion mat m ~ CndlEc Nalu"S. NptHlnE 50
disturbS industry and keeps capital back
from investment as constant agitation of
the tariff question. The people" said
Senator Spooner five years ago, ARE tired
and, l think nave rlght to be tired
Of frequent general revisions OF the tar
H. That was when the Dlngiey Dill was
under debate, and the era of prosperity
mat has followed the temporary settle
ncot Of the question that year is the
greatest and Grandest in the nations his
trrN. Inc people are tlfed OF general re-
vision. what they want is gradual, IN
tclllgent revision without agitation, so
That tho business of the whole country
may be saved from uncertainty.
This is an age OF specialization. Never
(eiore In the world s history was the ten
dency so strong toward concentration OF
effort alon6 single line. That makes it
more and more an age OF experts. Here
tofore we have had Few tariH experts
only here and there Mckinney Ran
dali, or Dingley' Most OF our iaw-mak-
crs frankly confess that they do not un-
'lerstand the subject, or at best only in
spots so let Congress place II once and
Tor All on plane where II VIII receive
rain, deliberate, dtspassionate and intelh-
gent treatment at the hands of men #
educated fitness, instead of permitting its
continued utilization as convenient Ne-
hicle by partisans Create permanent
national non-partisan commission to be
composed Of men OF such talent and high
integrity as this country can command,
and in whom the people will repose con-
fdenCo. Let us create a permanent body
Of tariff experts as a helpmeet for Con-
press.
Thus Congress would not be hurdened
with consideration of all the intrcaces
Of the tariff which a layman should not
he expected to fathom. The commission
would simply lay before the lawmakers
its propositions from time to time-the re-
suit of its best efforts. Think of the vast
mount of valuable time that would thus
lo saved in Congress! Contemplate for a
moment the weary weeks and months of
tarin debate in the past with all other
legislation held up by it, And estimate
tie gain from the lawmakers thus hav-
lre opportunity to take up other and
equally important questions
This is not new proposition. For
nearly 40 years the BRIGHTEST minds in
Congress have advocated the scientific
treatment and expert consideration OF
the tariff Tho Commercial prints in its
news columns this morning a condensed
history Of efforts at this sort of leeisla-
ton. 1t began with Senator Harris OF