Evening star., 1918-11-17
Leading Republicans and
Democrats Agitated Over
Changed Conditions.
TARIFF MAY GIVE WAY
TO NEW PROBLEMS OF DAY
Experiments in Paternalism, Near
Socialism and q. S. Control Like
~ to Figure in Platforms.
BY N. O. MESSENGER.

BY N. O. MESSENGER.
How will problems of reconstruction
in this country affect the alignment of
the old political parties for the fu-
ture7
This question is agitating leading
men of both parties in Congress and
in the national political. management
at large. It is induced by the thought
that it is inevitable that markedly
changed conditions, economic and in
dustrial, must result after the war.
Commerce and industry will have
changed. A greater future in both is
opened out for America. Politics, it
would seem, must in a measure reflect
the alterations.
An influence passing these consid-
erations is thought to exist in the
Socialism, centralized federal control
to which the country was forced ~
the exigencies of war. How TAR Will
that influence extend into permanent
law and policies? In the last year
and a half the United States made
marvellous innovations in its policies.
wide departures from traditions ana
from supposedly fXed convictions
rooted in hundred years and more
of governmental operation. the
country was forced to these changes
and had no choice. 1t was in self
preservation that they were made
aFor the period of the war only
was written in the letter Of the law
as well as breathed in the spirit.
What Will Big Parties Doe
But is that breath evanescent. to
vanish when the letter of the law IS
revised? Or will it take form In
similar though modified led g stattutosy a noas
which of the two great political par
ties will lead the advance and which
act as the brake?
In the last thirty years or more.
except for a brief interiude IN 1895.
when there was q short but terrific
grapple between the democrats and
the republicans over sound money
and. the standard of value, and after
the war with Spain over the rather
academic issue of so-called imperial l.
ism, in which the republicans had
the popular and winning side botli
times. the issue between the two par
ties has been the tariff.
Democrats Oppose Free Trade.
The majority thought Of the demo-
cratic party is now believed to be
opposed to downright free trade. II
is demonstrated in their adoption
from the republicans of the plan fol-
a tariff commission which shall decide
what customs duties are necessary to
raise revenue, the democrats diluting
the idea to make protection to home
industries secondary. No one serious
ly contemplates any political party
being able to survive on a principle
of absolute free trade.
The bulk of the republicans are
committed, it is believed. to making
protection march in the lead of reve-
nue. raising and not side by side. al
though a large element in the party
will never consent to going back to
the prohibitory tariffs of some past
days, it is declared. Is it not prob-
able, therefore, that in the future, the
tariff issue will finally settle down te
some method of determining what
rates will protect American indus.
tries, raise revenue in this manner in
stead of by more direct taxation, and
yet not build up a favored class oi
manufacturers intrenched behind ar
unassailable wall of prohibitive rates?
Income taxes have come to stay. o.
be claimed by either party as strict
ly party asset and policy. But the
public, it is urged. has had practical
experience With direct taxation Other
than on incomes. Is the public
enamored of the plan to a degree te
make it the chief source of revenue;
The belief obtains widely among
thoughtful men in both parties in
Congress that eventually the tariff
and revenue raising will become pure.
ly business propositions, to be dealt
with along business lines, according
to individual ideas, and that it will
be increasingly difficult to draw
sharply defined lines OF demarkatioL
between mere party issues.
Federal Control Issue Seen.
Leading men in Congress are look
ing forward to more pronounced party
divisions over the subject OF fedora
control of great public utilities az
against outright government owner.
ship of them; over more paternalistit
general laws; over possible insidious
approaches to socialism.
The issues will probably be crystal
lied by the Presidential campaign OF
1920, it is thought at the Capitol. A
present the two parties are operating
politically under the charter Of theil
State platforms adopted in 1918 threw
straws in the wind to indicate in {
measure the drift of sentiment on Ger.
tain questions. The two parties il
the summer Of 1920 will meet in form
al conclave and draft their new plat
forms upon which the voters will gt
to the polls for the Presidency ant
Congress in the following November
Ownership of Railroads.
1t may not be feasible for either
party to adopt or oppose ygovernmen,
ownership of railroads as a part,
nolicy, since there is divided opinion
in both parties upon that question. /,
the democratic party should incorpor'
ate government ownership of trans.
form, it would attract some republi.
cans, and lose them. some democrats
The general Impression exists with
the public that the democrats arr
"squintipg'' toward public ownership
with the republicans frowning upor
il but there has been no downright
party declaration by-either side.
The nearest approach to expression
upon federal ownership was in the plat.
form Of the Indiana republican stats
convention, later tacitly indorsed by the
national committee, which said: 1--WE
will bring the government back to the
stitution in time of peace and establish
policies which will prevent
the further spread Of the socialistic ten
Continued ca Second 24