The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-08-06

commission should be large enough to
cover all the different and widely vary
ing branches of American industry. 1T
should have ample powers to enable it
to secure exact and reliable informa :
ton. 1t should have authority to eN-
anime closely all correlated subjccts,
such as the effect of any given duty
on the consumers of the article on
! which the duty is levied; that is, it
should directly consider the question IS
to what any duty costs the people IN
the price of living. 1t should examine
into the wages and conditions of labor
and life of the workmen in an indus
try, so as to insure our refusing pro-
lection to any industry unless the
showing as regards the share labor re-
ceives therefrom is satisfactory. This
commission would be wholly diffe4 ent
from the present unsatisfactory tariff
! board, which was created under a pro
/ vision of law which failed to give
| it the powers Indispensable ii it was tC
do the work it should do.
| 1t will be well for US to study the eN-
! perience of Germany in considering tt4s
question. The German tariff commits
sion has proved conclusively the ettl-
cheney and wisdom of this method of
! handling tariff questions The reports
! of a permanent, expert, and nonpartl-
san tariff commission would at once
| strike a most powerful blow against
| the chief iniquity of the old rolling
method of tariff-making. One of the
(
! cd has been that it was impossible
for the public generally, and especially
! for those members of congress not di-
rectly connected with the committees
handling a tariff bill, to secure any
thing like adequate and impartial liz
formation on the particular subjects
under consideration. The reports of
such a tariff commission would at once
correct this evil and furnish to the
general public full. complete, and dis
interested information on every subject
treated in a tariff bill. With such re-
ports it would no longer be possible to
construct a tariff bill in secret or 70
jam it through either house of congress
without the fullest and most illuminat-
ing discussion. The path of the tariff
Joker would be rendered infinitely
difficult.
AS a further means of disrupting the
old crooked, log-rolling method of tar
iff-making, all future revisions of the
tariff should be made schedule by SCH
dule as changing conditions may r.
quire. Thus a great obstacle will be
thrown in the way of the trading Of
votes which has marked so scandalous-
~ the enactment of every tariff bill of
recent years. The tariff commission
should render reports at the call CT
congress or of either branch of con-
gress and to the president. Under the
constitution, congress is the tariff
making power 1t should not be the
a
sion to take anything away from this
power of congress, but rather to afford
a wise means of giving to congress the
widest. and most scientific assistance
possible, and of furnishing it and the
public with the fullest disinterested in
formation. Only by this means can the
tariff be taken out of politics. The
creation of such a permanent tariff
COMMISSION, and the adoption 0f
the policy of schedule by
to accomplish this highly desired oh |
Ject than any other means yet devils |
ed.
The Democratic platform declares for a |
tarlH Tor revenue only, asserting that a |
protective tariff is unconstitutional T, /
say that a protective tariff is unconstitu-
tfonal as the Democratic platform insists
is only excuSa BILE on a theory of the Coz, |
stitution which would make it unconstftu-
tonal to legislate in any shape or way for
the betterment of social ana fnGnS+rIaI
conditions. The abolition of the protective |
tariff or the substitution for it of a tariff
Tor revenue only, as proposed by the Dem
4c.at ne platIorm, would plunge this couI.-
Try INTO the most widespread Industrial
depression we have yet seen and this d.
preston would continue for an indefinite
period There is no hope from the stand
point of our people from action such as l.
me democrats propose The one and only
business conditions in this country Wis
at the same time guaranteeing fair play
TO farmer, consumer, business man, and
commission as I herein advocate. Only
by such a commission and only by su-h
activities of the commission will it BE-
poSslple Tor us TO get reasonably quick
revision of the tariff schedule by schedule
"a revision which shall be downwards
and not upwards and at the same time
secure square deal not merely to the
but to the wage-worker
and to the general consumer.
The High Cost of Living.
There can be no more important ques-
high il /
ties The main purpose of the Progress
slNe movement is to place the American
people in possession of their birthright, to
secure for all the American people unob-
structed access to the fountains of meas
ureless prosperity which their Creator OF
Iers them. we in this country are blessed
with great natural resources, and our
men and women have a very high stand
ard of intelligence and of industrial ca
pacity. Surely such being the case we I
cannot permanently support conditions
under which each family finds it incrcas-
ngly difficult to secure the necessaries Of /
life and a fair share of its comforts ]
through the earnings of its members. The {
during the last few years out of all pro- f
portion to the wages; the same situation | {
eonfronts alike the majority of wage
workers. small business men, small pro- ,
fessional men, the clerks. the DOCTORS :
,lergymen. No. grave though the problem :
and that is to deal with it fnsincereIv' to '
ADVANCE false remedies. to promise the
impossible. Our opponents. Republicans
0S.tAOCi ats anne, pIOpOSe 10 Oedl with ~
t in this way. The Republicans in their :
platform promise an inquiry into the
acts. Most certainly there should be :
such inquiry. But the way the present 3
has failed to keep its 7
promises in the past. and the rank dishon- :
esty of action on the part of the Penrose- 4
Sarne -Guggenheim. national convention, .
makes their every promise worthless. The :
Democratic platform affects to find the !
sntire cause of the high cost OF living in :
he tariff. and promises to remedy it by :
rec trade. especially free trade in the r
lecessaries of life. In the first place this
attitude ignores the patent fact that tie l
problem is worldwide, that everywhere, =
n England and France, as in Germany =