The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-04-27
NEITHER Will suIT.


Much literature is being sent out re-
garding the creation Of a tariff COM
mission as proposed by the convention
Of manufacturers recently held at
indianapolis. or d tariff board which
is said 10 be favored by Aldrich, ct al
The gentlemen who met at the Indiana
capital may very properly be regarded
as parties in interest so far as fixing
tariff schedules are concerned. As
American citizens they are entitled to
consideration. but not in excess Of
that accorded every other American
citizen Senator Aldrich is a Republic
an politician who represents certain
great financial interests in the United
States senate and is entitled 10 no con-
sideration at the hands Of the people
who foot the bills.
The idea Of the men who gathered at
Indianapolis is that q commission, 70
be composed Of men with expert
knowledge, should be organized and
permanently retained to collect data
for the use Of congress in framing
tariff bills, the data. Of course. to be
furnished by the protected manufac-
turers themselves The Aldrich plan
involves the appointment of a board
made up Of representatives Of existing
government bureaus, presumably those
who believe in the principle" OF pro-
lection and who would not hesitate TO
stretch the so-called principle" to the
fullest extent if the proper pressure
We're applied.
1t is not necessary for this paper TO
make a choice between a commission
and a board. Neither will fill the bin
and both are open to grave objections.
Cnder the constitution OF the United
states, which fortunately has survived
the preceding administration, the duty
Of formulating revenue bills devoIves
upon the lower house of congress A
tariff bill is Il revenue measure pure
and simple and as such must originate
with the representatives. So far as
furnishing data to aid in the work is
concerned, that is done now and the
figures given are often misleading and
in some cases entirely false. and there
is no reason TO suppose that the in
terested parties would hew any closer
TO the line when presenting their case
to commission than they do at pres
ent when the ways and means COM
mittee listens TO their several tales
Of woe
Mr.. Van Cleave. president of the Ma
tionaI Association Of Manufacturers.
and Colonel Albert Clarke. secretary
OF the Boston Home Market club. are
enthusiastic supporters OF the commits
sion plan. but that fact will not at
tract support when it is called to mind
that these two men have been instru-
mental in boosting the rates in times
past Both of them believe in putting on
all the tariff will stand. to borrow a rail-
road expression in a similar case. What
is really needed in the premises is the
senators and representatives. who will
carefully consider the needs and de-
sires Of the consumers who, after all
is said and done, are the real produc-
ers, and not devote their entire time to
figuring out schemes BY which chunks
OF money can be handed 70 those al
ready richly endowed with this world s
goods and at the same time delude the
people into the belief that they are
being benefited. Until such men are
elected there is no possibility Of an
honest revision Of the tariff.
Regarding the extra session Of con-
gress and its work. no one is fool enough
to suppose that the outcome viii be
satisfactory. Henry r. Towne, a Re
publican, president Of the Merchants
Association Of New York, voices the
general opinion when he says: 1T is
evident already that the new tariff bill.
whatever its final form, VIII not sat
isfy popular demand. This implies the
danger of continued tariff agitation.
and the demand for another tariff bill
next year"
But popular demand win be salts
fled some day. The waving of the
bloody shirt finally ceased to be effect
i've and there is good reason TO believe
that the limit has been reached in
promising tariff reform in Republican
platforms and on the stump.