Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-01-15
PARTY SENTIMENT GROWING IN
FAVOR OF COMMISSION TO
ADJUST DUTIES.
REPUBLICANS FOR IT
EXCEPT RADICAL sTANDPATs
All Opposition Disappearing Except
From Old Guard Republicans and
. Out and Out Free Trade Democrats
All Concede Better Way Than
Present System Must Be Adopted.
Especial Correspondence


Washington, Jan. IA. Striking
changes are occurring in the democra-
tic position regarding tariff COM
mission.
long until the only opponents of the
tariff commission idea in congress are
the ultra high tariff republicans OF the
old guard school and the extreme free
trade democrats who hold there should
be no tariff duties and that II there
are no duties then no commission IS
needed to fix them.
In recent months, there have been
many signs that the position OF great
numbers of democrats on the tarir
commission is changing. President
Wilson has been won over to the loea
that q commission to investigate tariff
facts is needed. Part Of the tariff
commission bills introduced this ses-
sion are from democrats.
The recent speeches In the senate by
Senators Newlands and Owen, In which
the tariff commission was advocated,
and as to which there was eVidene
much democratic backing, indicate the
trend Of sentiment. Senator NewlanCs
came out for tariff commission and
Senator owen, who Is chairman Of the
banking and currency committee, and
a progressive democrat, not only advo-
Gated a commission because he said
it was impossible for a member OF
congress to devote the time NEEDED to
get at tariff facts, but he took the po-
sition that If congress defined the
maximum and minimum limits of tar
if duties, then the president, making
reciprocal trade arrangements with
foreign nations, could change the rates
for the best interest of the country. At
the same time, he would have the
president kept fully informed of the
facts, the workings Of schedules and ak
such essential matters by commits
sion. Senator Shafroth indicated his
sympathy with the commission plan
and Senator Lewis cited the decision
Of the supreme court Of the United
States on a case involving the reci-
procity clause Of the Mckinley tariff to
show that he believed the president
could be clothed with such authority as
referred to by Senator owen.
Better Way Must Be Found.
The expressions of such democratic
senator's did not by any. means indl-
cate the extent Of the tariff commits
sion sentiment on the democratic side
But the feeling is growing among dem
ocrats both In senate and house that
better way than the present one
must be found for handling the vex-
atious tariff problem.
One factor in this change Is the de-
veloping sentiment Of business men
that with the close Of the war there
will come from Europe fiercer COM
petition than ever before and that UNI
less American industries-especlally
small ones developed thru WARFARE to
be ruined, there must be some way OF
preventing dumping and some way
less clumsy than the legislative way,
must be found for meeting new stu
alton which arises suddenly.
1t is true, the extreme high tariff
men take the position that if the duties
are put at the altitude they ought to
be. there will be no danger of dump
ing. But congress is not in temper
to stand for extreme duties and 1t Is
not likely the public would sanction
such duties.
The probabilities are that as the ses-
sion progresses, the consideration OF
the tariff commission will command
more close and more intelligent at
tention in congress than it has in prior
sessions. Advocates of the commission