The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1915-08-27
An Evening Echo.
A. T-rie,,1s oY Commission.

INO
with remarkable facility, Demo
cratic leaders change front on Inn
f1artant governmental questions anu
endeayor to delude the American
f,eopie into the notion that they have
always been advocates of the doc
trines to the support of which they
have been driven by public opinion:
Preparedness is one instance ana
creation OF tariff commission is an
other.
After refusing to make ADEQUATE
annropriat ions for the national de-
Tense and after declaring that the
military branch OF the government
had not been neglected, the admin
istration suddenly reverses. its attl-
tude and proclatms it's Intention 70
make preparedness an issue. IL they
are seeking for some one to quarrel
with on that question, they must
quarrel with their own past record.
Now they announce an intention 70
make the creation of a tariff COM
mission an issue. They forgot that
fheir. own party has been the only
sopponent of a tariff commission and
that such q commission would now
he In existence but for their negative
votes.
The Democratic party, with control
OF both houses of Congress ana the
1913. 1t had every opportunity 10,
place in that act a provision FOR q
HarifR commission of any form or kind
in might choose. The Democrat1c
sCongress not only failed to incoc-i
iporate In that law any provision Tor
8 tariff commission but when on
September 6, 1913, Senator Works.
tof California; Republican, ofered az !.
amendment providing for tar1n
commission, that amendment was de-
:feated every vote for it being cast by
8. Republican ard every vote against
1T cast by a Deilocrat. Later in ths
same day Senator Pofndexter, OF
washington. Progressive Repu bllcan,
offered different amendment TOT
the creation OF a tariff commission
but it also was defeated. The roll
call shows that every vote for thel
amendment was cast by Republican
and every vote against it was cast
by a Democrat.
Not one of the Democratic sena-I
tors offered a word of objection to-
the form or language of the amend-l
ment. The opposition was to tariff
commission in any form. Senator
John Sharp Williams, of Mississippim
voiced what was apparently the
opinion of the Democrats OF the
Senate when he said:
t.
briefly my opposition to tariff COM
mission. I think, in short meter, it
ia simply protection reduced to .
science. Therefore, I do not see how
Democrats support ii"
The unsatisfactory consequences
of their tarin legislation may have
convinced them that scientific pro-
lection would help restore the broken
or ruined industries of this country,
but their belated acknowledged
OF their past ignorance will not in
SHIRE confidence in their future ac-
lions. A tariff commission created /
by them would be formed for the
purpose of defeating rather than
establishing protection to sAmericaatt
labor and capital. /
The Democratic party, both IN its
platform and its performances. is
against eftRer protection or tariff
mission The Republican party,
has always stood for protection and
in the tariff act of 1909 made an iIi.-l
ffal step in the direction of tariff
commission by creating a tariff board /
which the Democratic party discon-,
tinued.
There is need for tariff commits;
sion as q board OF intelligent ascer-i
tainmefit, but not clothed with such
powers as may hamper, retard and
destroy general business In this eoun-
try. The members Of such commits
sion should not be subservient to
the president or any other one man.
The commission should not have
powers which could be used to favor
one section of the country or to re-
ward friends or punish enemies. The
nnwers Of the board should be de-
.ss,fsly prescribed and it should sub
NIT It's reports to Congress and
through Congress to the people Of the
f4o1InHry