Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1902-11-29
States, and Members OF the Fifty
Seventh Congress:

we, the unQeTS1Sn6Q, ClClZeuSs
taxpayers and business men Of the
United States, believe that any whole
sale revision of our tariff schedules
Is fnadvisable, as such action is sure
to seriously disturb business condi-
ions and cripple many business en-
terprises. But realizing, as we do,
that it is only question of time when
some changes must be made in these
schedules, to provide for such
changes we respectfully and most
earnestly petition you to enact, with
out unnecessary delay, such legfsla-
ton as may be necessary for q BIZ
partisan and permanent tarin COM
mission, whose duty 1t will be to in
diligently assist congress to make
such changes in our tariff and reci-
procity laws, from time to time, rs
may be found necessary"
Busy men are apt to sign and re-
turn this petition without stopping to
think that it contemplates the crea-
ton of something which we already
have and do not need. The country is
Low provided with tariff commission
that is both permanent and bi-parti-
san. AS a matter of fact, we have
two tariff commissions of this BIZ
partisan character. First, the House
the Senate Committee on Finance,
acting separately at first and after
ward concurrently, and having full
charge of all tariff matters. Second,
and auxiliary to this, we have the
Board of United States General APP
praisers, a permanent body of BIZ
partisan (supposed) tariff experts,
composed of five Republicans and
four Democrats-that is to say, five
protectionists and four free traders
holding Office for life, or during good
| behavior, and subject to removal only
for cause" and by death.
The two committees of Congress
| are made up for the most part Of men
who have made the tariff a special
| study and hence are familiar with its
relations to the industries and the
trade of the country taken as a whole
and also taken in all it's parts. They
are men who know, for example, that
! protective tariff must be uniform
and fair in its operations; that you
must not deprive one interest of pro
| lection for the benefit of another in
terest which retains it's protection.
Along these and parallel lines these
| men have framed all our tariff laws,
| and just as the committees have had
| protection or free trade majorities, so
| have they framed protective or free
| trade tariffs. In short, a permanent
bipartisan commission taking its
lowers and it's instructions direct
from the people, and from no other
| source.
Not bad sort of tariff commission,
one would think. One of its very best
| features is to be noted in the fact
that this permanent bipartisan tariff
commission lets the tariff alone for
years together and never touches ii
at all save when ordered so to do by
the votes of the people. In this way
business and industry and trade go
along with certainty and safety. They
| know where they are att all the time,
SO far as the tariff is concerned.
Should we improve on this if we had
an additional body of bipartisan ire
sponsibles who, as Andrew Carnegie
expresses it, would have to be doing
something with the tariff all the
time?
AS to the second bipartisan tariff
commission, which we already have.
the United States Board of General
Appraisers, these functionaries, some
CT them protectionists and some free
traders, afford a splendid example OF
the idea of bipartisan responsibility
as worked out in tariff matters. They
often reverse themselves, and are
still oftener reversed by the courts.
You never know where to find them.
Their rulings have been so varied, so
confusing, in many cases so ridicu-
lous, so essentially and SO character.
| istically Bipartisan" that Congress
| has for some time past had under
serious consideration the passage of
a bill 1egislating them out of Office.
| Originally constituted to serve as an
/ Intervening quasi-judicial body which
should tighten the labors of the regu-
lar courts, this bipartisan tariff com.
| mission has so muddled and messed
matters as to add materially to bust
ness uncertainties and the labors OF
the regular courts.
We would suggest that business
| men, before signing the New York
Commercials petition, should ask
| themselves:
What is to be gained by the crea-
ton of third bipartisan tariff com
mission that shall have no final juris-
diction or authority, and whose func.
tons shall consist in part in volun-
teering to Congress advice which
Congress does not need and will not
heed, together with the continual
stirring up of things which had bet.
ter be left alone until Congress gets