Evening journal., 1916-01-10
nEMocRATs MANr roMrR mo- suppREss FAcTs.

VXTITH the convenng OF Congress came resump-
w tion OF activities the part Of advocates Of
"non-partisan" tarn commission The purpose of this
commission expressed by sponsors is to take the
tariff out Of politics This leads the conclusion that
group of men have been discovered who have po-
litcal convictions the subject Of the tari and who
will therefore be available for service nonparti
commission Their recommendations, IL called for
viii not be tinctured with belief in high tariff, low
tariff tariff for revenue tariff protection, free
trade because il they we're the commission would not
be non-partisan. As the power TO legislate on the
tariff constutionally be delegated to this her
maphrodidc body the legislation originate in tho
House OF Representatives. using the non-partisan re-
port Of this non-partisan commission basis. II
that does put tho tariff back into politics again.
what does?
When the tariff board provided for in the Repub
can tariff law of 1909 in existence, it reported,
among other subjects, wool and manufactures OF
wool This board kept strictly within its province as
a scientific data-colecting and satistcspreparng bu
The board consisted OF three Republicans and
two Democrats selected by President Taft on the adj
vice OF commercial interests all the country. One
member OF the board editor of a wool trade maga-
zine; another was textile expert; two were uni
versity professors of economies and one was Demo
cratic ex-member Of Congress The wool report was
signed by all five members OF the board and submitted
to a Democratic House Of Representatives, without
recommendations. Three wool schedules we're framed,
based on the report the Underwood schedule Demo-
cratic the Payne schedule, Republican, and the La
Toilette schedule Progressive The champions of each
schedule declared that the rates in their particular
bill we're absolutely justified by the findings of the
board and the tariff in politics again.
When the Federal Trade Commission was organized
President Wilson declared that he had put
Congress and that the functions OF tariff commission
placed IN the hands OF that commission In a
port muslin underwear. recently made public, Sec
rotary Redneld called attention the fact that this
was in the form OF report such as may be expected
from tar commission and while not directly calling
attention to the fact intimated that Congress
should provide the bureau with funds that IL
could fulhn the position Of a tariff commission. re-
port the OF manufacture OF beet sugar, made
by the Federal Trade Commission. at Mr. Redfeds in
stigation said have been filed with the Secretary
OF Commerce last July. Evidently these cost figures
arc of nature embarrassing the administration for
the report has -hoed which shows the dan
ger of giving the supervision OF such work to man
of such decided opinions Mr.. Redheld.
The tariff board organized under the Republican ad-
mnistration to filling the bill as any
thing will in country possessing two radically
the United States. But a Democratic Congress stined
that board by refusing to appropriate for its main
tenance tariff commission organized for the sci
enhc collection and preparation tariff data to be
submitted TO Congress without recommendation would
I'LL long-fet want. but cave-dwelling Democracy,
which fears the searchght OF investigation on the
tariff questions. is trying to beg the question and
lodge the power OF such a commission in the hands OF
administrative department, where any light en-
barrassng to the party in power may promptly be
doused