The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-03-07
WHO rs OUR GLADSTONE?

We are sorry 10 see that our excel.
Jent contemporary, the Philadelphia
Record. is disposed To view with Il good
deal Of contempt and impatience the
work of the Tariff Board. \ recent
number Of that paper has an editorial
under the beading ''Tariff Boards as
a Means Of Pull Back > 1t notes with
dissatisfaction that the Canadians are
taking n leaf from the experience Of
this country, and are themselves about
to establish a Tariff Commission CORE
spending to our Tariff Board 1t SAYS
that 'whIlc a tariff board digs and
dallics and dubitates in studying the
incidence OF tariff taxes, the executive
and legislative bodies lie on their oars
and make small study of the situa-
ton And il scornfullv refers to the
idea of the elective representatives of
the people shifting their duty 10 cir
responsible hands, - whereas they should
begin their own work at the begin
ming. It states further that there have
been repeated efforts of tariff commits
slons in the past history of tanff max
ing and of tariff tinkeriug TO no avail.
1t holds that every National admins.
tratiou has the machinery and author
jtv to gather all the essential facts
needed, and that. armed with this au-
thoritv. "thc executive and legislative
departments of the Government should
act. This seems to ignore the essen
tial point that the Tariff Board is one
Of the very agencies thus provided; and
il the Tariff Board is to be ignored,
WHY should not all the other 'machiu
erv and authority be also ignored
1t is in pursuance OF the power and
authority vested in the representatives.
of the people aud in the executive that
the Tariff Board is created for the pre-
else purpose Of getting this specific
information.
But the Record apparently considers
that the representatives Of the people
should themselves be fully masters of
the tariff question, and should not need
apv instruction from Tariff Boards or
from any source whatever. Clinchlng
this idea, it gives the following Illus.
tration:
One day there came into the establish
ment Of great business firm In Liver
pool a customer of the house. Pending
the completion OF the transaction that
was the object OF his visit his attention
was attracted by the movements of a
man whom he took TO he an employc OF
tho firm engaged in the work Of aC-
counting. Gong to the head Of tho es,
object 10 parting with the services OF
the supposed clerk, who seemed from his
manner OF running through account
books TO understand his BUSINESS The
merchant asked in an amused way II he
would like To know the name Of the
clerk and on getting an affirmative
answer replied: THAT IS Mr. Gladstone.
Chancellor OF tho ENchcqucr Whenever
he comes tn me fUr information ! hand
over 10 him my account books for he
can then get his facts nj first hand and
more quickly han he can set them In
any other way"
II quotes approvingly a London pa
per, which saws that Mr. Gladstone
"was one Of the most efficient and dis
tjDguishcd Gnanciers of all countries
and all tines And the Record adds:
.'Hc did not need any tariff commits
sion to help him serve his country
while he was twiddling his thumbs
uegIccting his sworn duty, and raking
in an uncarncd salary
Very fine indeed And this prompts
the query. how many Gladstones have
we in either or both houses of Con
gress! If we have IN abundance of
them TO deal with this question, mcu
who are the most efficient aud dis
tinguishcd 6nancicrs of all countries
and all times then tho illustration
given is fatal to the Tariff Board, But
unless VIC have at least ono such man
in Congress. then certainly the Con
grcssmcn need help. So far As We are
able TO Judge. we have not one that
even approaches within hailiug dis
tancc of Gladstone. But if we have
any who are in bis class, or who are
even 80 near him Is Co be within his
shadow let rs have his name. that We
NAV all applaud.