Arizona republican., 1913-08-27
The Riqht of seIf-misgovernment

In the course of the debate on the sugar sched- uIe in the senate last week, Senator Cumnins of Iowa alluded to amendment which he pairing propose the tariff bill providing for a tariff commission. an independent, impartial partisan or bipartisan commission, determine the difference between efficiently conducted and well located enterprise in this country and similar one abroad in order difference the cost of production might be ascertained, that difference be duty the products of these enterprises.
 This alusion was made a coIloquy between the Iowa senator and Williams of Mississippi after repeatedly declaring that he did not the tariff commission, finally de- cared his opposition it. the ground that the tariff political question and could not be talk politics A political matter he said, should not be taken from the elected representatives people and put hands appointed commission
 Mr Williams continued T do not believe country governed by commission could exist many years. We have too many commis- sions already 1 the commissioner from the state of Mississippi, or one them elected in judgment this question I not going to ad init that my people made mistake when they sent me here as commissioner I tariff com missioner noW and l acting one, with a full sense of my responsibilities I going to duties to bureau that works in secret and is influenced by God only knows what
 That is my opposition. It is a political opposi- It is governmental opposition It is an op- position the standpoint of a citizen of free governing country, a representative govern ment"
 Why the tariff should be a political question we cannot understand. only made by the leaders of the parties for political purposes. The rank and file both parties are affected precisely by legislation they by all legsla relating economic questions. We are fur nished in the pending tariff legislation with in stance of the evil the tariff in politics Many of the democratic struggled against the caucus in behalf their constituents but only two of them regarded their duty to their constituents as more binding than their duty to their party. Thus witnessing the enactment of a tariff law by the will of a minority against the better Judgment of the majority
 Pursuing his objection commission, MT. Will Hams believed mistake to suppose that the more nearly mechanically accurate government is the better government. efficiency of admins tration, he said, a secondary consideration. T am" said he, those old fashioned fellows believe that the right of self government car res with it the right of -msgovernment"
 MT Williams wilfully misunderstands the pur- pose the proposed tariff commission or any com mission. There be no such thing as government by commission. The power of congress could not be restricted except by constitutional amendment. It is only proposed that congress be put in posses sion of facts by a trained commission, unmoved by political or other influences, that congress may act intelIgenty.
 The right of self-msgovernment is not denied but it is a right which the of the people would not care to exercise to have ignor- antly exercised for by representatives in