Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1902-11-13
in POLITICS TO STAY.
FuttIity of Placing Tariff Matters In
the Hands OF u Com mi sion.


the Hands of u Com mi ssfOn.
It is impossible by any human device
to take the tariff out of politics with
Sut changing our government from re-
public to absolute monarchy. The tar
iff and all other business matters with
which congress deals were put into
politics when the foundations of the
republic were laid, and they will stay
there. The fact that the tariff affects
all the people in their business and do
nestle affairs instead of being a rea-
son why it should be taken out of poll
ties is the very reason why it cannot
be taken out.
1t is as natural and inevitable that
there should be varying and conflict
ing views as to tariff taxation as that
different sects of Christians should dis
agree ON creeds, and it would be no
more impracticable to bring all the
churches. sects and denominations to-
gether OH common creed by appoint
ing commission for that purpose than
to get up tariff schedules. satisfactory
to all schools OF political economists by
lne cUliiltlSSIOll PROCESS.
In the first place, Il nonpartisan COM
mission that could agree upon a bill
is manifestly absurd. A commission
to amount to anything would have to
be bipartisan. A Democratic tariff
commission-one appointed by Dem
ocratic president-would have an anti
protection or tariff for revenue only
70
would see to it that protection ma
jority were appointed. But even If
that inpossibility We're noneXistent
and strictly nonpartisan commission
of tariff experts could agree upon q
scheme. that agreement would not
take it out of politics. "All bills for
raising revenue must originate in the
house of representatives" Both houses
of congress must pass upon every
item of revenue bill The report of
q commission could not be anything
more than suggestive to congress. The
power to levy taxes cannot be dele
gated by congress to any board, body
or commission which it could create.
Supposing the report of commits
sion TO be presented to congress in
the shape of tariff bill, it is at once
in politics, and in the most strenuous
kind of politics. Not only the radical
differences between parties have to be
fought to a finish, but conflicting in
terests of industries and localities in
tenslfy the struggle. There is no en-
couragement in the precedent of the
tariff commission that preceded the
enactment of the tariff of 1888 to re-
peat that experiment. The senate
framed that measure, cunningly dodg-
ing around a constitutional provis on.
and a marvellous ruling by Speaker
Keifer sent it to conference commit
tee without giving the house chance
to consider it. And that tariff did not
follow the lines laid down by the COM
mission.
The country has had too many com
missions of various kinds and too much
money has been wasted in that way.
1t were far better for both the legis-
lative and executive departments to
do the work assigned to them by the
constitution than to attempt to farm it
out. And as our government is, and
in its very nature must continue to be.
government by party, it must always
be impossible to get national taxation
out of politics. Washington Post.