Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1909-02-25
TARIFF IN POLITICS
ALL this talk OF TAKING IT
OUT IS BUNCOMBE.
10 Take The Tariff Out of Politics
Is to Put the Republican Party Out
OF Politics. That Party Could Not
Long Exist Without the Tariff
pablum.

Whatever may be the conflicting
views as to the practical utility of a
permanent tariff commission, one
cannot but sympathize with the pur-
pose of its advocates ito put the tar
III out of politics. But have the in
telligent and well meaning manufac-
turers assembled at indianapolis duly
considered the effect of this policy?
Upon what else has the Republican
party thrived but the tariff these
many years? Certainly not on its
monetary policy, with millions of leg
al tenders of the war period still un-
redeemed; with its bantling of in
ternational bi-metallism; with it's
free silver purchases that produced
financial crisis, and with it's enor-
nous treasury deficit now approach
ing $140,00O,0OO. Nor upon its en-
ormuos expenditures upon the army
and navy in a period of profound
peace, with no sign of war on the
horizon. Nor yet on it's imperial
policy of holding millions of brown
men in the Philippines under coloni-
al subsection at vast cost of life and
treasure and in fragrant violation of
the spirit of democratic institutions.
Upon what other source than the tar
iff is the Republican party able to
draw for its campign funds and the
means of systematic corruption of
the elections?
1t must be manifest therefore, that
to put the tariff out of politics is to
put the Republican party out of poll
tics at the same time. Without the
tariff pablum the party must die from
sheer inatition. What else but the
tariff sends Penrose to misrepre-
sent the Commonwealth of Pennsyl-
vania in the United States Senate?
Through what other agency of cor
ruption has political sentiment fallen
to SO low and degraded a stage as to
regard with abject complacency the
prospective election of George Oil
yer to the Senate by machine ma
jority in the state legislature?
But whilst putting the tariff (and
with it the Republican party) "out
of politics" is a consummation most
devoutly to be wished by friends of
good government, the means of at
tanning the end in a permanent tar
iff commission may we'll be question:
ed. The experiment Of Germany,
where parliamentary government is as
yet extremely crude, does not fit this
country, because the constitution of
the United States confers upon con-
gress alone the power of enacting
tariff laws. Even were the propos-
ed commission mere advisory board
(and it could be nothing more). its
reports could have no binding effect
upon congress, though they should
claim ever so loudly the attention of
that body. Would a tariff commits
sion prevent the election of the Dali
zells and other attorneys of the
trusts to congress, or make their elec-
tion any the less desirable by their
contentious? The only apparent ef-
feet of such a commission would be
to create questions of tariff contro-
versy to be dragged along from year
to year when the public interest Is
that they should be speedily deter
mined. 1t is absurd to conceive that
congress would ever consent to put
the tariff and the Republican party
out of politics, even if such a thing
were Observation-Disclosures Re.
cord.