The daily morning journal and courier., 1902-10-23
THAT TARIFF COMMISSION

Nearly every one of the repubIicant papers which have approved the idea of a revision of the tariff by commission
 has emphasized the fact that it enter
 tains peculiar ideas about our foreign trade. This was to be expected, since
 such ideas are inseparabe from the
 principle of high-tariff protection for
 American industry. The portion of the
 press referred to has insisted that the
 members orf the commission must be
 protectionists. They are still hammer
 ing at that conception of the dutiesssof the party which they represent, endeav-
 bring, it would seem, to have the peo-
 pie or their party so generally accept
 the plan that the president shall act
 upon it, at least to the extent of reeor1- mending a protectionist commission and
 probably to the elimination of tariff re-
 formers from any possible list of com-
 missioners which he may consider. Of
 course such republican papers raise an
 important question when they make
 this demand, and their action cannot be
 overlooked.
 What is a protectionist? Possibly 8
 set of commissioners entitled to be
 called, each one, by that name. might
 be appointed, two-thirds of whom, if
 the body could be fractionally divided,
 would be in favor of reducing the tariff on trust-made articles. Presumably
 that is not the kind of persons wanted
 by the republican organs. Do those
 who pose as the best advocates Of the
 principle of 8 tariff to aidindustry in-
 clude the men who have steadily objec-
 ted to the reciprocity treaties? Protec-
 tionists put the present duty on hides,
 coal. oil and meats. Are they to be known as protectionists who are ready to take them off such merchandise?
 Some protectionists have assisted in
 bringing about this present demand for
 tariff revision, and those who revise the tariff must repudiate protective sched- ules. Will the latter be free traders or protectionists? It is to be presumed that nobody is acutually in doubt as to what the republican papers mean. They may not want a commission com posed of such men as composed the commission of 1882, the president of which was the president of the Wool Manufacturers association; but they do call for appointments which shall give aid to industry up to the limit of the nations needs and toleration.
 Such a commission would not be the
 best one possible, however, and it is doubtful if the president can be induced to name one of that character. Men who are for as high tariff as possible cannot be trusted to report a bill for the interests of the whole country. Signs multiply that neither a workingman's nor a manufacturers tariff is to be ap- proved by the people hereafter. It must be a consumers tariff, and a pro- tectionist works for only those who SUD- ply his demands. Even the working man cannot rely on the protectionist for the utmost benefit in the shape of du ties, On the meat and the fuel question hte finds himself in the grasp of combi- nations or of harsh circumstances caused by the duty on meat and coal
 which protection does not relax for him. All good republicans should recognize this and should try to see how different the condit ions which callAfor tariff re- vision now are from those which stirred their party to it in 1882 Men who wanted protection for their own and their friends industrial interests served on that earlier commission. To-day