Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1913-04-18
The Tariff.

The Tariff.
In much of the discussion of the
new tariff measure, it probably will
be described us the "Underwood bill
Possibly it would be more exact to
describe it as the Wilson Underwood
BILL" for there is no doubt that, if it
depended upon Mr.. Underwood alone
to supply the chief ele nent Of driving
power, the bill as finally enacted
would not bear much resemblance to
the measure he introduced on the
opening day of the session. The
real force behind the Eill is the presi-
dent. Mr.. Wilson has done numb
er of things since his election quite
outof the ordinary presidential course
but he has done nothing more extra,
ordinary presidential course, but he
has done nothing more. extraordinary
than is his ambitious attempt, before
the bill was made public, to effect an
agreement upon it between Senate
and House leaders, SO that 1t should
go through practically unchanged.
Moreover, there are many. indications
now that he has been largely success
full and it will not be particularly sur
prising to find his bill going through
both House and Senate unamended
in any important particular.
There are numerous elements of
dissatisfaction in the bill. Many
Democrats in both House and Senate
are vigorously opposed to several of
it's provisions. They would be glad
to see important changes made. If
they dared, they would fight for
these changes but they do not dare.
Mr.. Wilson has been successful in his
first move, for the bill is accepted
widely as smashing reduction of
rates and already there is no little
no little talk that the result is bound
to be a su bstantial decrease in the
cost of living. Many articles Of daily
consum ption by all the people either
go on the free list or sustain substan
tial cuts in duties
This is really the paramount per
formance Of the Bill. The promise of
the Democratic campaigns was to
reduce The cost of living and the chief
method which the Democrats promis-
ed to employ in bringing about such
a reduction was just this kfud of a
smashing cut In tariff rates. So the
test of fulfllment of that promise will
come when the pending reduction be-
comes law and has had reasonable
opportunity to operate.
Both Republicans and Democrats
display interesting anxiety over the
situation. Many Democrats are des-
perately afraid that the bill will pro-
duce hard times and possibly panic.
Many Republicans are afraid that it
will not. The Democrats hope-but
do not know-that the bill will fulfill
their campaign promises. The Re-
publicans hope but do not know that
it will smash industry as we'll as rates
and afford an opportunity for re-
newal Of the old standpat cry for
tariff privilege.
The fact is, nobody knows what the
bill will do, just as nobody knows ex-
actly the reason for any particular
provision. in 1t. The bill has been
made in exactly the same manner
aud by the same methods that pre-
vious Republican bills we're made, on
secret information rather than on
data obtainaDle by the general public.
The Democratic Ways and Means
Committee went through the per-
functory farce of holding public hear
ings just as the Republican Ways and
Means. Committee did. The same
kind of testimony was given on each
occasion. Mr.. Underwood ostensibly
used this testimony to justify one set
of rates just as MIR. Payne cstensibly
used his testimony to justify his rates
In each case, II there was any posi-
tive information on which the rates
were based, II WAS conveyed to the