The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1909-02-04

tageously by the proposed legislation
is several times grd1ter now than It
was when the Arthur commission
bill was passed.
Most of those who have made a
special study of tariffs are agreeu
in saying that the act which Presi-
dent Arthur Signed in 1883 was the
best balanced and most scientific tar
III law which anybody now living
has seen In most of it's provision
that, act was basel upon the investi
iyations and the report CT the COM
mission appointed in 1882. Mr..
.Tafts commission--if Congress adopts
our idea, and think 1t will FNill
have more work to DO than that
which was done by ats predeceSsor,
and 1t can do better work
Let nobody suppose that Mr.. Taft
wiz find any dfIiclty in getting
the proper iuen TO serve. The posi-
tion will confer ilistinction on every
member. The names, the record and
the work of all the members will
receive the widest sort OF publicity,
from The newspapers. They will be
among the Frs. Citizens of the
land.
Let II be well understood tina,
we do not recommend commission
to fix rates, that would be uncon
siitutional. We want commission
to ascertain facts on which con-
gress cnn base rates.
The commission must have ample
funds with which to prosecute it's
investigations. These win take 1t to
the leading industrial and comrlsr-
cial centers of Europe as well as to
thoge in their own country. Neces-
sarily its work will deal with facts
and not with theories. The object
of the commission will he to get
at the truth, regardless of the COM
plexion which the truth may benr.
Whether the fags whtrh II obtains
abroad and ait home please its mem
bers or not. they must set them
forth in the report which they make
TO Congress-. Whether Congress- likes
these facts or not, 1t must reckon
with them
Manifesty Congress has no trust
worthy means of getting the opln
ion of the cOuntry on this import
ant issue Of tariff commission eX-
cept through the voice Of It's s1vo-
Gates In the great activities and
through the editorial comments Of
the press
Most of the influential papers of
the country have come over to our
side ON this question in The past
few months. At the approaching con-
yention Congress will hear the de-
mand for commission voiced i'm a
formal and decisive way. Congress
VIA then learn that we have the
g eat majority of the Amerluln peo-
pie, Of all parties, all callings and
all localities behind us.
understand that scme members
of Congress- Wy this commission
idea is radical To all the persons
welded to old nations ani practices
every reform has seemed radical
when first proposed do not be-
lleye that many members of Con
gress can be placed in this cate
CORY | think that the things which
will be said and done in the con
Ivention will bring Congress to ou
side. We must show doubters ana
skeptics that what Is called mdical-
ism in this case, j. an improve.
ment. II is the application Of busi-
ness principles TO a, business nropo-
sition. It means that we ere clip
alb of learning by experience, By
doing this we will show that we are
a little wiser this year than we
were last yenr and in the preceding
years.
In some things we can proiiably
so to school TO Europe, This r. one
of them. Germany and France have
tariff commissions. The present
tariff in each country Is based on
the investigations of its commission,
which have extended over several
years, and which have carried the
members TO nrlny countries, so as TO
get these farrs on the ground, and
get them straight. Fer their particu
lar purpose those sdatutes are admir-
ably devised The rivals of Germany
Ind France coniede this. The tarit
statutes yield revenue to the govern
ment and profession to every indus
Iiry which needs II, and in the
measure OF its need.
Other European countries have
also adopted the commission plan.
Germany, France and their neigh
bors thus show thar they can learn
something from their past mistakes
The United States Is now called
upon TO make simtnr acknowl-
elament and, like them, to make a
step forward
The opportunity for which the
National Association OF Manufactlr-
ers has been working for years has
come. We have seen our idea adopt
ed by the business men of the whole
rountry and sanctioned by the
President and President-elect. AT
Indianapolis on February 16 we will
have the American people behind
us, and we will assist I'm giving
concrete shape to a demand to whh,h
Congress will find it advisable to
listen.