The Washington herald., 1908-04-18
oligarehieaI control of the Tariff.


Ida N. Tarbell, who has been making a
study of the tarif question. has ceme TO
the conclusion that the chief benefcisries
OF the high protective tariff are the iron
and steel, the wooden, the tinplate and
the sugar trusts. There are. she saws
fewer than dozen men responsible for
the system that now burdens us and
creates false and chaotic commercial and
social conditions" If there are fewer
than dozen men outside of Congress
responsible for the worst features of the
tariff system, there are fewer than half
a dozen men in Congress responsible for
The perpetuation of those features in our
tariff legislation. and that the half-dozen
men are subservient to the wishes of the
dozen is pretty generally known and adj
mltted. Representative Lowering. of Mas
sachusetts. made a statement some time
ago respecting the manner in which the
steel schedule is made up. We quote this
summary from American Industries:
The Dingley bin specifically granted free raw
materials to American shipbulders for the M
building Of our merchant marine Contrary 10 The
clear intent however. these materials mrst he
imported in such form as makes them useless Mr.
Dalzeh is the entire American Congress whom If
comes to the steel schedule. Congressman Lowering
ugsd upon Mr.. DaIzen that the law Be amended
simply 10 make effective its clear intent. Where.
upon M. Dalzell said, in substance: Go and see
Mr ---, of the - Steel Company. II he is
willing I am, II not, there is no use IN your
bothering me-
The steel man said no. and so the law stands
'siand-pat friend Mr.. Payne, fought Mr. DaIzen
on this schedule for two weeks"
Another instance Of dietatlon Of
tariff schedule by the interest immedi-
ately affected is given in the American
Industries article;
People asking a government REPRESENTATIVE for
relief on another schedule we're bv that rsr-s
sentative TefeITed to a New England rnaurfsq-
furer. the Official agreelng 70 act in Accordance
With the protected manufacturers wishes. said The
manufacturer: 1 wrote that scheSIBlA r,yss}f
did not intend that Il should he iDtsrnrs+e5 ss
severely as it has been. bat having been 81 inter
preted, 1 viii not consent TO a modification Of it,
And this mans viii remains the law.
To this control of the main features of
the protective tariff by comparatively few
men the present oligarchical discfpline ~
the House contributes nightly. Signif-
cant of the connection between the nro-
tected interests and the House oligarchv
is the fact that all the members of the
latter are pronounced standpatters who
resist with every means in their power
every proposal for the modification of the
tariff who are unwilling even to have an
expert tariff commission gather The in
formation prerequisite to an Intelligent
revision Of the tariff. and whose only con-
cession is consent 10 a resolution Of the
House authorizing them to gather that
information themselves. Thus tariff re-
vision is kept within the hands of the
very oligarchy through which the chief
taTin beneheiaries have hitherto obtained
exactly what they want
The grasp which various interests have
upon national legislation will be under
stood in the light of these facts. With
the House virtually under the thumb of
a few men. powerful influences more
readily exert their sway over the course
Of legislation than they would if the
House were in truth deliberative body
and If the real majority could enforce its
will. Other reforms would make more
Roadway if the procedure of the House
we're reformed and It is becoming evident
that precedent to any real revision of the
tariff there must be a revision of the
rules so as TO shear the oIigarchv Of its
abnormal power.