Evening star., 1911-01-12


tion' of the tariff question or take the
tariff out OF politics.
1T seems to me important to limit the
functions OF the tariff commission in order
and more justly eyaluate the real func.
tions which 1t is called upon to perform
In the first place. in this age and coun.
try of specialization and expert service. j,
is astonishing to recall that the Congress
OF the United States does not enjoy the
advantages which are possessed by the
heads OF our great industrial and othe,
organizations.
Yet vast and unrestrained as the au-
thOrity of Congress is. up to this time II
ance Of the economic facts and interests
involved
Need in This Country.
I'm the United States We need a COM
mission who shall not only make up so
far as possible for the lost time which
Germany and Austria have Sawed. but
who shall year in and year out devote
themselves without fear or favor, with
no motive but q disinterested desire TO
obtain the truth, to the ascertainment of
the facts regarding the cost OF produc-
ton of commodities at home and abroad
and other information regarding each
article in the tariff, which in the Ian
guage of President Taft shall have the
effect for the intelligent reader oe trans
lating the tariff into English
Our best economists, even those who
are not free traders, believe that our
present tariff duties are needlessly high,
even on the principle of euualZat ton of
costs at home and abroad. The tariff
commission will be able to furnish us
an impartial determination Of this ques-
ton.
1T is widely assumed that any reduc-
ton in duty would entail correspond
ing reduction in the price Of the article.
This may be said to be the view of the
general public. Yet economic experts.
who are not protectionists. have demon
reduction Of duties would not make pos
sible a general lowering of prices.
Finally, the public and politicians have
very generally assumed that the eco
nomic prosperity or adversely Of the coun-
try depended on the tariff. This belief
no doubt is due to the circumstance that
in the absence of larger and more vital
issues the tariff for very many years
has played a very large part in the poll
ties Of our country. But students recog-
doubtedly agree with them-that this
great country could prosper under any
protective tariff or no protective tariff.
THE sources and the guarantees of our
with It's varied and inexhaustible re-
sources, the energy and intelligence Of
the American people, the industry and
skill Of our wage-earners. tho enterprise
and sagacity OF our great industrial lead
ers and financiers, and the institutions Of
education, moral and spiritual improve
ment and democratic government, which
keep the mind and heart and conscience
and civic sense Of our people sound, alert
and vigorous"
Protect Own Districts.
John NJ. Stahl. representing the Farm
ers' National Congress and others, spoke
on the alertness Of congressman 20 pro-
tect their own districts. He said:
AS legislative agent of the Farmers
National Congress. I have quietly but
carefully watched and Investigated the
proceedings Of Congress and the results,
and I am convinced that the only Just
criticism Of Congress In relation to tariff
legislation Is that congressman have been
indeed alert and jealous to secure in
the shaping OF tariff bin. for the in
dustries of their respective districts, and
especially the industries that command
the most concentrated capital or thet
take the most active interest in the for
tunes OF congressman, the greatest pos
sible benefits to be had under the tariff
law about to be enacted: that they have
allowed the interests Of their districts to
obscure the larger view.
Men have different abilities qualifying
them for different lines of work. We
farmers want q tariff commission be-
cause We expect It to be composed, not
OF men that the voters have recently
repudtated at the polls. not OF men that
cannot or will not make q living IN pri-
vate enterprise, not Of the agents OF big
interests. but of men having the pc
culiar ability and disposition to discover
all the facts that members OF Congress
should have at their command when
framing q tariff law. and the honesty
and courage to reveal those facts with
out fear or favor.
bly, the interests OF the majority OF peo-
pie have not been fairly considered. The
big industries controlled by q few. the
few organizations possessing vast cap
ital, the highly centralized Industries,
could have and have had their interests
presented to the ways and means COM
mittee of the House and the finance COM
mittee of the Senate by the shrewdest
and ablest men and most compelling
takers. And. further, this concentrated
minority could have and has had Its
adroit and persuasive agents to influence
the members Of Congress.
Millions Are Unheard.
But the millions that constitute our
plain. common people. scattered, unor-
ganized. not even cohesive, their capital
widely and thinly diffused. and that are
the large majority. could not be and
have not been effectively heard. This
great unheard majority. OF which the
farmers are the most considerable class.
are the ones whose interests demand q
tariff commission composed OF men of
the greatest ability. fidelity and firmness
OF character Such q commission would
have the time and the disposition To
give ear to all classes and al industries.
But properly constituted tariff
commission would mean more than
that to the unheard majority. 1t would
not confine itself to the facts and ar
guments presented to 1t. 1t would
seek out facts. 1t would consider and
safeguard the interests OF those that
would yet be unheard. That class or
that industry that is too poor or weak
and scattered or difident to present
its case would have its interests con-
sidered nevertheless. AS tariffs have
been framed the rich and powerful
have been heard and considered while
the industries Of widest use and of
greatest benefit to our people have beer
least considered.
I'VE farmers are we'll aware that the
good or evil of tariff commission will
depend on the attainments characte,
and purposes OF the men that comnose
1t. Farmers have the intelligence to
note the Sf0niffcan nf tbyc and