The Grangeville globe. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho) 1907-1922, 1912-03-07
NONPARTISAN TARIFF
BOARD.

TreSbuent Idft says he would
be highly pleased to have the
tariff made the national issue in
the coming presidential campaign
that he might justify his action
regarding nonpartisan tariff
commission before the common
people of the nation and forever
establish it as fixed policy of
our government.
"NOt that l wish to see the
tariff question made the football
of politics." he said; eve have
had too much of that already
But | would like to have the peo-
pie of the United States pass
their deliberate judgment on the
issue as it has been made up with.
In the last year-the difference
between the common sense way
and the haphazard way of making
a tariff law. AS you know, l am
a believer in the republican poll
cy of protection. l want to see
1t continued; but l also want to
see our party strengthen it by
giving it an underpinning which
cannot be swept away by the
first passing flood of popular SEN
timent.
"This can be done by fixing
the tariff rates at figures not die
tated by group of domestic pro-
ducers for their own enrichment,
but based on the difference be-
tween the cost of production here
and the cost Of production abroad
ascertained by means of a tariff
commission or board, correspond
ing in a general way with the
nonpartisan tariff commission we
now have. And do not know
where you would find a sim
liar body less partisan than the
board we now have.
Reynolds is a republican of
lonr, standing, and Page and
Howard are democrats. Emery
is-perhaps we had better class
him as an independent; that is
his vote is not determined by
any party name or traditional af-
filiation. Sanders would, l fancy
commonly be called republican,
but he's good deal like Emery.
Certainly none of us knew when
these two were appointed to
which party they belonged. In
the hands Of such a quintet
there is no danger that facts or
statistics will be pulled out of
shape to fit any political dogma
or promote the success of any
party or the fortunates of any
candidate. This is the sort of
board | want to see made one of
the permanent institutions of gov
h Why do the democrats object
to the continuance of board
of this kind, you askY Well II
ean't understand it, myself. As
| have shown, there is no legiti-
mate reason having its root in
politics; for the board not only |
has no partisan bias of its own,
but has never raised question
as to the party affiliations of |
persons from whom it extracts
its facts and figures. 1t surely |
does not usurp-it does not even
trench upon-the functions of |
congress in merely gathering in
formation. 1t does not construct |
bills, or procure their introduc-
ton, or in any way dabble with
legislation. If the democrats
were to obtain complete control
of congress tomorrow, and wish
ed to frame revenue tariff act,
the same data would be at their
command and be equally useful.
There is nothing more partisan
about pure statistics than there
is about the letters of an alpha
bet; everything depends on the
use made of them, and their com
bination for this or that purpose
is entirly at the will of whichever
party is dominant in the govern
ment at any time. !"