The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1911-05-03
WEDNESDAY, NAY 8, 1911.
THEY ARE PLAYING POLITICS.

question has become the football Of
politics, . situation that causes uncer.
tainty Do to the immediate future
whenever there is q change in the
political complexion of congress. In
dustries that are affected TO . more or
lees extent by the duties levied upon
importations of competing products,
do not know where they are at when .
political landslide reverses political
conditions; and the capital invested
in such enterprises and labor engaged
therein are threatened every two years
with Q possibility of tariff changes
that will affect the products they sup.
ply to domestic markets.
The desire to make the political op.
position unpopular, or place it in an
embarrassing position, is response.
BILE for much of the tariff agitation
that frequently disturbs business cir.
Giles throughout the United States.
Promises OF certain tariff changes are
made by trainers OF political platforms
and by candidates for Office, with q
view to attr acting popular support
and without q bona fde intention to
carry such pledges into effect. In the
event of success at the polls, however,
some Of these schemers play politics
with the tariff question in an effort to
conceal their insincerity In the matter.
A program OF this kind is now on ex.
hibition at the special session of cor.
gress, under conditions that are excep.
ton ally favorable for the purpose in
view-the house of representatives be.
ing democra attic. and the senate repub.
lican. With divergent party views
upon the tarifflquestion, an agreement
upon radical changes in the existing
law is not probable, but the demo.
cratic majority in the house is at.
tempting tol discredit the political
opposition by%0preparing q "selected
list" of articles upon which the duties
shall be removed or reduced.
Reference to this "selected list"
develops the fact that sugar and other
articles Of necessity that are produced
In localities where democratic voters
control are conspicuously absent.
They enter largely into the cost of
living, but it is not proposed TO
apply the pruning knife to the duties
that afford protection to producers of
these commodities. The pretense of
solicitude for the welfare OF citizens
who are alleged to be in distress be-
cause OF high prices that are caused
by the tariff, should suggest that no
favoritism be shown toward any class
of articles they are compelled to buy.
The so-cslled farmers free list''
is also . good example OF playing
politics with the tariff. Its authors,
when In control of both houses OF
congress and with q president OF the
came political faith, did not attemp,
to enact legislation Of that kind. In
the democratic Wilson.Gorman tariff
bill OF 1894 many of the articles In.
cluded in the proposed FARMERS free
list" were assessed duties of from %
to 35 per cent, and have remained
duitsble at about the same rates since
that time. On that occasion the re.
sponsibility OF conducting the gov.
ernment rested upon q democratic con-
gress and 9 democratic president, and
conserv alive action was considered
necessary. Under present conditions,
however, no such restr amt exists.
If it were possible to frame q tariff
law that would be fairly acceptable tc
all classes affected, and enact it under
conditions that would insure its con.
tinuous operation for q term of years,
the business interests of the country
would be relieved and benefited. Suct
departure, however, would embar
rass politicians whose success II
largely due to their ability to fool thu
public by plausible tariff talk.
PANAMA @,@-~- = -~-,~