Evening star., 1918-11-24
BY WILL p. KENNEDY.

struction. when the United
~ States is giving throughout
the world helping hand
wherever 1t can to suffering humanity
and at the same time safeguarding the
business life of the nation in the inter-
national contest for world markets.
With a war cost of more than fifty
three billion dollars-as against cxpendi-
ture during all the years up to the war
by the United States of only about forty
four billion dollars-the incoming repub-
fcan Congress faces the necessity OF ef-
fecting the greatest possible curtailment
Of expenditures and increase Of income
without disturbing business.
The republican party has through the
years stood for a protective tariff. The
conditions Of today, as the world enters
upon tho period of reconstruction and
an ora of trade competition. are such as
are likely to confirm the republicans, in
power. In their protectionism rather
than swerve them in any respect from
their old-line tariff convictions.
Will Restore High Rates.
The Underwood tariff law Of 1913 will
be thrown into the discard just as soon
as possible after the republicans or
ganize the next Congress. A new pro-
tective tariff law will be substituted
which will account for the difference in
cost Of production at home and abroad.
This will restore most OF the high rates
in the Payne law of 1909, and in some in
stances make rates sitter.
That q high nrOtRctIVe tariff Dill Will
come from the ways and means commit
tee already is assured. Representative
Joseph w. Fordney, the ranking repub-
Ican. who will be chairman, is known in
ternationally as high protectionst, and
declared his principles on the floor af
tie House recently when the SS.00O,0 000,-
900 revenue bill was under discussion.
Representative ]. Hampton Moore has
always been protectlonlst ana now
espouses the principles of high protect
i've tariff as a bulwark against Amer
Jean industrial life being battered down
by cheap labor competition from the Old
world and the orient. Representative
William r. Green of Iowa sees careful
revision of the tariff rates upward as the
only way in which the income OF this
nation may be increased to meet the
heavy war obligations and American in
dustries built up. And SO it goes. There
are six republican seats to be filled on
this committee and the watchword OF
the committee on committees is to be:
"Put only high protectionists on guard
The pith of the republican position is
thus expressed by Representative Ford
ney: "a tariff for revenue only is not a
scientific tariff law. 1t is tax upon
imports chiefly imposed upon the con-
sumer. A protective tariff law Is
scientific tariff law. to protect our labor
and our capital. our industries IN TINS
country, from ruinous competition from
abroad. where cheap labor can pe
found"
Effect of World Conditions.
Until world conditions have settled
considerably the framing of the new
tariff law will be extremely difficult
r'he republican members of the ways
and means committee say it is clear
that the foreign nations have been
safeguarding their trade affairs and
preparing for the aftermath. The fact
that we are the richest nation and
least injured Of the great nations py
tho war is no assurance of even an
Immediate advantage. The fact that
the railroads of the United States
have been worn out by war work and
must be rebuilt is an important con-
sideration. Much has been said, too,
about the United States building the
greatest merchant marine in history,
but the ranking republicans feel that
the operation of the merchant ma
1ine is one of the vital problems to
lie settled. and that it may be found
necessary to set aside the La Fol-
lette seamen's act because, it is
claimed. the merchant marine cannot
he operated in competition with for
eign countries.
The enactment of tariff bill is al
ways a tedious toll. 1t took nine
months to pass the Payne tariff law,
" hich the ways and means republicans
POINT to as the most scientific tariff
law ever placed on the statute books.
III II, <f
the tariff problem will have most
important bearing on the presidential
election in 1920. 1t has always been
written into the history of tariff legis-
full influence on the next-following
election
History Of Tariff Legislation.
The Mckinley tariff bill. enacted in
1890. lost the republicans the House
that year and the Presidency ,a IN 1892; Ss:;
time put the democratic administra-
ton out of Office at the next election.
Hard times set in and the tariff bill
hill. passed in 1897, was put into
operation there was a steady gain In
prosperity, and the republicans stayed
in until the enactment or the Payne
hill in 1909. That was unfavorab1y re-
ceived, and wave of resentment
swept over the country. with the west
as a storm center. The republicans
lost the House in the next election and
President Wilson was swept into office
Two years later. with split in the re-
publican party mainly responsible.
The Underwood tariff bill was enacted
in 1918. and business conditions be-
came bad with the republicans max
ing gains in the next election Then
came the European war. and business
pick cd up, with all Industries jammed
with more work than they could nam
dla and the United States govern
mont paying the bills
The fate of the republican party
IN the 1920 election will depend
largely upon how tho revenue and
sariff bills are received by the peo-
pie.
The conditions under which the re-
Jrublicans take up the task OF draft
ing a new tariff measure are un-
Irecedented For the first time in
Inc history of the world this country
stood forth as the one nation en-
gaging in a great war without in
creasing its import duties. There
never was a time in American history
when there was greater need for IN
creasing the revenues In debate the
IS still held up In the Senate. Repre-
sentative Fordney-who will be lead
er In the tariff revision-accused tho
democrats Of having declared for
tariff for revenue in their platforms.
but with being for free trade In their
hearts
II was the fear that President VIII
sons third point In his original four
teen articles meant free trade COM
petition with the world-meant that
the millions of returning soldiers
would have to maintain themselves
here in competition with the wage
scales that exist abroad-that spread
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