New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-09-04
NOT 4 DODGER.


NOT 4 DODGER.
Many Democratic newspapers once
loud In their praises of the pollcy Va
scientific. single-schedUle tariff revision
in the LIGHT OF information gathered ny
u body Of experts working independently
of the committees of Congress now ieel
compclled to eat their words ami BACK
mn Sneaker Clark and Chairman Under
wood in the contention that Congress
ought not 10 he expected 10 bother llSel
about the findings Of mere executive
clerks and hirclings. While the Payne
law was being considered. and after
ward when tie Tariff Commission bill
WAS before Congress. there was scarcely
a Democratic or independent newspaper
of note which did not bitterly condemn
the crude. old-fashioned methods fol-
loved in preparing tariff laws. ana did
I,ot laud the effort TO establish u tariff
board or commission as 4 step toward
taking tariff rcvisionS ont Of politics and
furnishing the country with much
needed means Of Judging the conformity
of a tariff schedule framed in Congress
tu the theories and pledges of the party
framing IT,
Now. because il suited the Democratic
JrSurgent coalition 10 pass several log
rolling measures. slapped together in
haste and representing political trading
rather than economic study. Democratic
newspapers are falling over one another
10 excuse that return 10 evil ways ana
to sncer AT the more scientific plan rs
too complicated and too theoretical.
Even "Thc Evening Post" has apologiZed
fer the log-roling by which the wool,
Farmers Free List and cotton, steel aud
iron and chemical bills were passed. on
the ground that il WIS loc-rolling be
tween politicians instead of log-rolling
between interests. rs if one sort Of log
rolling was not IL Objectionable as The
other.
II Is refreshing in all this exhibition
of back -trsc kinc To find one Democratic
newspaper which still believes as strong
H. I'm the advantages Of the Tariff Board
plan Of revision as il did before Mr..
Clark and Mr.. Underwood decided that
they didn't need such board in their
business. "Thc Charlotte Observer cord
iallv accented the scientific revision
idea two years ago. and secs no reason
why it should not accept it to-day. II
ANYTHING. the exhibition Of ignorant and
reckless legislation given Icy tn" Demo
Cratic-Insurgcrt coalition makes If more
certain than over that the scientific way
is far better than the old piG-in-a-pokc
enc II said frankly the other day:
OF all tho tariff fiascoS which were
put up to President raft FOR his veto.
the Insurgeut Republicans under Senator
La Toilette venting their feud with the
President and the Democrats hoping that
they would derive advantag" somehow,
the cotton bill touched the limit. quite.
After pointing out the absurdity of
dealing with tariff schedules in the
blind way which Congress followed. The
Observer added:
Even If Congress chose 20 ignore Pres
ident Tafts Tariff Board il could q least
frame legislation vitally affecting great
industries with some dellbera0on ana
care. The cause of q tariff commission
is bound 10 take increased impetus from
recent events. And If any ono supposcs
that President Taft will suffer because
he vetoed legislation ten times cruder
than il need have been despite the lack
Of tariff mmission-icgislation not
even proposed i'm good faith-thcir cs-
innate Of the public Intelligence is con-
siderahly lower than our own.
our North Carolina contemporary de-
serves credit for being able 10 follow its
argument. to their just conclusion. /;
dccs not see why, after having con
dcU'ncd IN antiQuated method Of re-
vision applied by Mr.. PAYNE and Mr..
Daizell. il should be called upon to
applaud the same method applied by Mr..
Clark and Mr.. Underwood.