El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-09-05

probably not much better and certainly
no worse continually fail to give US
| the results we have a right to expect
from their efforts, we may just as well
make up our minds that the fault lies,
not in their personality. but in the con-
ditions under which they work. and
profit comes, not from denouncing them,
but in seeing that the conditions are
changed. This is especially true of tar
| if making. It has been conclusively
shown, by experiments repeated again
and again, that the methods OF tariff
making BY congress which have now
obtained for so many years, cannot
from the very nature OF the case, bring
really satisfactory results.
Tariff Needs Revising.
with the present tariff, made by the
same methods as its predecessor, there
is grave dissatisfaction. The people
know there are some things in it which
are not right and therefore they tend to
suspect, as I think. the more numerous
things in 1t which are right. They
know that the system on which it is
made the same system on which its
predecessors were made, encourages a
scramble of selfish interests, to which
the all important general interest to the
public is necessarily more or less sub
ordinated.
There was a time when this scram-
BILE was regarded as a natural course in
tariff making and was not resented.
Now the people demand, and rightly,
that the profit Of the special interests
shall be subordinated 20 the general
welfare in every case 1t is this atti-
tude of the people which must be let in
in dealing with the present tariff and
with proposals to amend the present
tariff. Very little Improvement indeed
will follow any attempt to revise the
tariff by methods hitherto used The
thing to do is to change the methods.
Believes in Protection.
Il believe this country Is fully COM
mitted to the principle OF protection;
but it is to protection as a principle;
to protection primarily in the interest
Of the standard Of living Of the Ameri-
can workingman. I believe that when
protection becomes, not a principle. but
a privilege and a preference-or, rath-
er. a tumble of privileges and prefer
ences-then the American people disap-
prove of il.
Now, TO correct the trouble it is
necessary. in the first place, to get in
mind clearly what we want, and, in
the next place, TO get IN mind clearly
the method by which we hope to obtain
what we want. What we want is a
square deal in the tariff as in every
thing else; a square deal for the wage
Garner; a square deal for the employer;
a square deal for the general public.
To obtain it we must have a thor
oughly efficient and well equipped tar
if commission.
Should be Material Issue.
'The tariff ought to be a ma teriaI is
sue and not moral issue; but instead
OF a square deal we get a crooked deal,
then 1t becomes very emphaticaIly
moral issue. What we desire in a tar
if is such measure of protection as
will equalize the cost OF production
here and abroad: and as the cost of
production is mainly labor cost, this
means primarily a tariff sufficient to
make up for the. difference In labor
cost here and abroad
1.-The American pubf5A wants the
American labOring manpput on an
equality with other citizens. so that he
shall have the ability to achieve the
American standard of living and the ca
pacity to enjoy it: and to do this we
must see that his wages are not lower
ed by improper competition with infe-
rior wage workers abrOad-with wage
workers who are paid poorly and who
live as no Americans are willing to
live. But the American public does not
wish to see the tariff so arranged as
to benefit primarily q few wealthy
men.
Fair Minded CoIumiaSion
"As a means toward the attainmint
of its end in view, we have as yet de-
vised nothing in any way as effective
as tariff commission. There should
be a commission of well-paid experts;
men who should not represent airy IN
dustry; who should h. masters IT their
subjects; of the very highest character;
and who should approach TIE matter
with absolute disregard of every out
side consideration. These n;er should
take up in succession each subject with
which the tariff deals and Investigate
the conditions of production here and
and not merely accept The statements
Of interested parties; and they should |
report to congress on each subject rs
soon as that subject has been covered. !
Then action can oe taken a once on
the particular subject concerned, while |
the commission Immediately proceeds to |
investigate another.
BY this means log-rolIing would he |
avoided and each subject treated on |
its merits. while there would be no |
such shock to general industry as is |
implied in the present custom of MAX |
ing sweeping changes in the whole tar |
if at once. Finally, 1T should be the |
duty OF such governmental department !
Or bureau to investigate the conditions |
III the NdIlOuS pIOleCl6u industries. and
see that the laborers really are getting |
the benefit oc the tariff supposed to be |
enacted in their interest. Moreover. to
insure good treatment abroad we should |
keep the maximum and minimum pro- |
vision.
Rivers and HnrbOrs.
The same principle of a first-class I
outside commission should be applied to /
river and horbor legislation. At pres |
INT a river and harbor bill. like a tariff
Dil. tends to be settled by a squabbIe
among lot of big selfish interests and |
little selfish interests. with scant re-
gard to the one really vital interest |
that of the general public. In this mat
ter the national legislature would do
well to profit by the example of Massa-
>husettS
Formerly Massachusetts dealt with
It's land and harbOr Legislature just as at |
Washington tariff and river and harbor |
avs have been dealt with; and there
vas just the same pulling and hauling |
the same bargaining and log-roIIing. |
the same subordinatiOn of the general |