Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1907-09-18
HOW TO REVISE

IH NDER the stress of great publ,
| demand, the congress I'm Deem
Der next will doubtless take som,
action looking to a revision of the
present tariff schedules some time aftel
the nextvbresidential election, and Sc
involve the plain purpose Of the public
demand as to leave the matter In q
worse state than they found It.
1t will be all talk without action
however, and in the event of Republi.
can success at the coming election may
| result in the very order OF revision the
people fear. On this head the public
cation American Industries, Republi-
can in politics, says:
with such an issue in the campaign
as the result of continuance of our
stand pat policy the industries of
this country win be between the devil
and the deep, deep sea. There will be
months Of agitation and uncertainty,
with the Democrats. on the one hand,
assailing the protective policy, for
which we all stand; the Republicans,
on the other, forced to a pledge for
tariff revision on the ground let the
tariff be reformed by it's friends This
is no idle dream, nor imaginative look
into the future, but the logical result OF
the present shaping of events, the
Democrats attacking, the Republicans
defending. Out of this, one party will
win-the Democrats, with a revolutions
airy revision, or the Republicans,
pledged to a tinkering process that will
be sop to public opinion, unscientific,
unintelligent and merely disturbing
the very thing that 80 per cent of
our correspondents ardently desire to
avoid"
In proof of this fear of tinkering, the
same paper cites the case of Standard
Oil, which never asked for protection
in the original Dingley schedule and
yet enjoys a protection of approx
mately $50 per cent, and the case of the
potteries industries, which, under the
lack of protection, can barely live. The
needs of the case from the same source
are:
What we want is an able commits
sion that will proceed with caution
adjust only when the demand for an
adjustment is wise and right, increas-
ing or decreasing as the case may be
to the end that a sane and permanent
| solution may be reached, wholly di-
vorced from politics. To this we are
committed, not to be done after the
| disturbance of a presidential campaign
political one and when the country is
enjoying widespread prosperity"
When the electoral college shall have
cast its vote for president next year
and whether the successful man is Re
publican or Democrat, this method Of
procedure must commend itself to all.
If a Republican president and con.
gress shall tinker with the tariff from g
purely partisan standpoint under the
false plea that the tariff should BIZ
revised by it's friends the outcome can,
not but be disastrous, for so many par,
tisan interests will be conserved ant
so many deserving interests be passed
by that the wrong will be increased
and the tariff be more burdensome thai
ever. There is possibility, too, tina
If Democratic congress and presiden
should come into power there woult
be general scaling down or horizon
tai reduction which would defeat tn,
real purpose of revision and result II
doing more harm than good. In view
of these things a commission of tn
undertaking and it's work would b
of a conciliatory nature rather thai
disruptive and have the sanction of al
business interests.
The following opinion from the sam
source is worthy of attention.; 9TH
idea Of a non-partisan, semi-Judicial
expert commission, so constituted a
to take the tariff out of politics. make
an appeal that cannot be gainsaid. /
tariff commission is appointed con
sisting of the right kind of men, no
political hacks or incapables, but me
of high standing in the business worl6
together with some scientific men VIII
! have made tariff questions a life study
and their recommendations were give
to the public through proper channel.
congress, even if 1t retained it's author
J ity in detail, would scarcely dare t
legislate other than right. as the mem
bers who put themselves on record a
Z voting for the wrong schedules woul
: not find it an easy matter to explai