The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-02-20
Administration May Win,
 But It Will Be Hard Fought Victory
SPEAKER CLARK TO
 SUPPORT THE BILL
Will Be Opposed by Kitchin in House and Underwood in Senate-Lead- ing Democrats Think It Aban-
 doning Faith of Fathers
Bv HUcH WV. RoRERrs

Washington, February 19.-(Special.) There promises to be lively battle for and against the proposed tariff commits sion advocated by President Wilson.
 As previously published in The Age Herald, the idea obtains that the admin istration forces. supported by the high priests of tariff protection, will event. ually succeed in their plan.
 Nevertheless, strong men in both branches of the Congress, declaring wig orously against what they term "an abandonment for the sake of expediency of the faith of the party fathers" will take issue against the virtual repudiation of the democratic tariff.
 Representative Kitchin will lead the fight against the commission bill in the House. Senator Underwood will oppose it in the upper branch. It is thought unlikely that Speaker Clark will support the bill.
 REVERSALS DEMANDED
 The tariff commission idea is regarded as a republicn idea Many democrats still retaining membership in the House, opposed the commission when it was ad- vocated by President Taft. President Wilson, as is generally known, is a re- cent convert to the plan. Last fall he bitterly inveighed against "the unneces-
 
 Representative Bailey of Pennsylvania, democrat, has expressed in a letter to Leader Kitchin, and in language vigor- ous and unmistakable, the position as- stunned by many other democrats. Tt (the tariff commission oilD is distinctly misleading in character, and in certain provisions is a concession to ideas ut terly at war with democratic principle, he declared.
 ''For many years,' he continued, T have fought the tariff commission plans SIS they nave been pressed from time to time by republicans. In this was in full agreement with my party. TarEf com missions in the past have been a farce They have never, even in a slight de- gree. changed the essential aspects oi inc problem with which they have sought to deal, and in vital particulars the in formation they have collected has beer valueless
 REPUBLICAN PROPOSALS"
 T observe with particular concern in ne pending measure a provision re- ting to unfair competition and tc umping.' Can democrats possibly ake themselves responsible for such ald and unblushing republican pro- osals? What is unfair competition! sn't any competition unfair in the oinion of the trusts and combines hfch have sheltered behind our tariff a1ls and from this vantage ground bbed the American consumer? And hat is 1umping? Is it anything ex- pt the importation of goods at prices hich will compel the trusts and com hes to afford our people the bene- Is which should and would have been 9aeirs but for monopolistic control nus far the American people have en denied the cheaper prices for Aany of the necessities of life which kNe Underwood tariff would undoubt- ly have procured but for the Euro an war. That has practically cut off Exports from belligerent countries; and in the measure these imports have been cut off, the American trusts and com pines have been enabled to lift prices and maintain them on a noncompetitive basis, thus cheating the masses out of something democrats designed to give