Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1915-12-24
(By Former Senator George Tu

nave POW lay anu COIlcCI IdAcS,
duties, imports and exsises, to pay the
debts and provide for the common de-
tense and general welfare of the
United States; but all duties, imposts
and excuses shall be uniform through
out the United States" Section of
the same article provides: "All bills
for raising revenue shall originate in
the house Of representatives; but the
senate may propose or concur with
amendments as in other bills"
Not even the senate may propose
bills for raising revenue, but that
power is reserved to the house Of rep
resentatives, the popular branch Of
congress and the immediate repre-
sentative Of the people. This, in pur-
suance of a principle Of representa-
tive government deemed essential to
the liberty Of the people, and as old
as constitutional government in the
mother country, that the people ought
to control the purse strings of the
nation.
Exceeds Power of Congress.
It will be seen, therefore, that until
our national constitution is amended
it would be impossible for congress
to create tariff commission and in
vest it with power to fix duties to be
paid on imported articles. 1t can
create an advisory commission with
power to investigate and report to 1t
for it's MISUNDERSTANDING that
it has already done-but 1t cannot
delegate to commission power
which the constitution, for a wise
purpose, has reposed exclusively in it.
Tells How to Name Commission.
This fact, however, does not fore
close the argument for q tariff COM
mission invested with power to fix
tariff rates. because II that Is q good
thing the constitution can be amend
good thing? Are the people Of the
good thing? A re the people OF the
United States prepared to take the
taxing power away from their repre-
sentatives in congress and to fix 1t In
half dozen gentlemen appointed by
the president and called tariff COM
mission? With the power to nix
duties reposed in commission the
power to fix expenditures ought to be
reposed in the same body. because in
come and outgo have necessary re-
lation to each other In government as
we'll as in business.
Executive Would Have All Power.
Congress will have but little to do
under such q system, and all power
will be in the executive. Our ances-
tors thought such a government inim-
ical to liberty. They cut on the head
, of Charles I for endeavoring to rule
without it's consent, and since that
time, in England and in America. the
power to raise revenue as well as the
power to grant 1t to the executive by
way of appropriations has been jeal-
ously guarded as a prime and essen
tial function Of the people, acting
through their representatives.
Lose Sight of Revenue Feature.
The advocates Of a tariff commits
sion with absolute power lose sight Of
the revenue feature of the tariff, and
look at it from the point of view SOLE
" of protection to American indus
tries. In that view there is no rela-
ton between the duties laid and the
necessities OF the government for
revenue, but the duties are to be laid
according to the necessities OF each
industry for protection. A necessary
consequence Of such a tariff will be
that sometimes the national treasury
will be flooded with needless revenue
and at other times there will be
deficit for the ordinary expenses of
government. This might be avoided,
and could only be avoided, by the
commission reporting to congress
each wear the estimated revenue to
be raised by the tariff duties laid by
it, leaving to the latter body the duty
of providing the necessary balance
from other sources of revenue.
Makes Commission Sole Arbiter.
But this would make mere exec
utive commission arbiter over the en-
tire matter Of revenue-how much
should be raised from one source and
how much from another and would
at once destroy the most essential
principle of representative govern
ment. namely, the power reserved to
the people in such a government TO
determine for themselves how much
and in what way they will consent to
be taxed.
Does Not Want Emperor.
It is said that the system WORKS