The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1910-10-28
Democratic Ticket
FOR CONGRESS
Second Congressional District,
]. FRED. C TALBOT,
NJ Baltimore County.
NJ Baltimore County.
WHO SHOULD REVISE THE TARIFF

WHO SHOULD REVISE THE TARIFF
The tariff plays such conspicuous
part in the life Of every American
citizen that it is not strange he should
feel its weight and have distinct
judgment as to its benefits and its
burdens. Being one form of public
tax, its weight falls with unerring
certainty upon its friends and lis
foes. SO steadily has the sentiment
grown that existing sche dulles are I'M
scientific and unequal that the first
point at issue is, not that the tariff
law should be amended but
WHO SHALL AMEND IT?
Nearly fifty years ago when the
country was engaged in war which
drew 100000 per day from the
treasury Republican Congress 18th
this apology enacted a tariff law
with an average duty of about 40
per cent. This war has been over
for forty-hve years, except in the
bosoms of such men as Senators
Foraker and Lodge, yet the tariff
instead of growing lower has been
climbing higher and higher, culm-
mating with the Aldrich. Payne law
of last summer which is the highest
of all Does it seem then that in the
light of the past the Republican
party is the safe one to entrust with
the job? II as matter of history
every time it touches the tariff it
raises the average rate is it fair to
suppose that it will suddenly reverse
its methodist
HOW SHOULD 1T he REVISED!
The extent Of our country being so
great, its people so heterogeneous
and its occupations and resources SO
varied, from a practical, selfish stand.
point some Congressman will always
make this local business question
rather than one Of principle ingovern
ment, and party principles will in
this way be more or less betrayed
As result the more progressive Gle.
ment Of the Republican party have
become insurgents and cut loose
from the stand pat and fry fat" elr-
ment which is so strong in the East,
and it is frequently urged and gencr.
ally conceded that the safest way OF
fixing tariff rates in accordance with
well defined principles of political
economy would be through the ef.
forts Of skilled Com mission. Such
a board Of scholars, unembarrassed
by a load of wealth accumulated
under the law they are called on to
study and improve, would bring a
clearness of vision and balance of
Judgment to the task which the
average Congressman, pressed by
the lash of home electors and often
promptedby the gnawing temptation
to vote on public questions in ac-
cordance with private interests
would be unable to command.
Its recommendation would be
crystallized into law by the next ses-
sion of the Congress which named it.
WHICH PARTY SHOULD NAME THIS
COMMISSION!
On two successive occasions in the
past a Republican Congress pressed
by FESTIVE constituents whose de.
mands it was un willing to DEFY, ap.
pointed commissioned of experts
but of it's own members-to invest.
gate and report on the subject with
such recommendations as seemed
wise to them. These commissions
were not wisely selected. 1t is not
fair proposition to place men in
Judgment in case in which they are
interested, yet in both of these cases
the committee did better than they
were expected to, and recommended
n substantial reduction of rates, but
in both cases their reports were not
only ignored but rates were actually
raised.
Therefore (a) because the Republi.
can party is historically and from
principle a high tariff party; (b) be.
cause it has deceived its constituency
when pressed for tariff reform; (c be.
cause it has fostered certain indus.
tries at the expense of Others, certain
classes-for instance steel workers
becoming enormously wealthy while
consumers have become proportion
ately poorer; I'd because in its recent
tariff legislation such injustice exists
that even an increasing proportion
of it's own people refuse to stand for
il; TEL because the fruits of its
methods bear unequally on our peo-
pie and are not conducive Of their
best prosperity either morally or
from a business standpoint, we urge
that Democracy, which rings true to
the popular will in all OF its princi-
pies and its proud record in the past,
be again clothed with authority to
legislate for the American people.
TET EVERY NAN STAND TRUE