Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-01-26
BY JAMES B. MORROW.

ABOUT Joseph Warren Fordney.
Daily they will see his name in
washington kilograms and in
the editorial columns OF their news
papers. Praise will be given him
without stint Oral cudgels will be
laid upon his back and head. PA
triot," one group of his countrymen
Will shout. "Reactionary," will cry
another.
The commotion will be caused by
tariff bill named In his honor, or to
his dishonor as those will say who
abhor Its schedules. Whatever may
happen in the Senate, where the mar
GIN between parties will be slender.
the House of Representatives In the
next Congress can be counted on as
being soundly republican.
A tariff bill. therefore, will be writ
ten--a bill bristling with the doctrine
of protection. The thirteen republic
can members of the committee on
ways and means will do the writing.
At their head. as chairman. duly
chosen and accepted. win be Mr.. Ford
ney OF Michigan.
~ X
There may be rumors of republican
dissensions. but Mr.. Fordney will be
chosen--chosen under the rule of
seniority and because he knows more
about the tariff than will any other
republican In the new House Of Rep
resentatives.
The bill, by custom, will bear his
name. although twelve other men will
be joint authors with himself. Next
year President is to be elected.
Undoubtedly the Fordney bill will be
one of the great issues OF the cam
paign.
Naturally, Mr.. Fordney himself will
figure In the debates on the stump
and in the press. Descriptions will
dict. Judgments will vary. But the
facts, no matter what is said, will
not change. And some of the facts
are herein to be set down. inasmuch
as they are interesting and poten-
TALLY OF much concern.
Now. at the very edge OF what Is to
come. 1t should be stated that Joseph
Warren Fordney is not milk and
water man. Politically. is no sissy.
What he believes. he believes, not
openly and often almost riotously..
Protection Is his main doctrine--not
protection minus this or that. but pro-
lection plus everything In sight 1t Is
right, as he sees the light. and 80 the
case Ia closed and his mind made up.
Yet his voice Is peaceful ordinarily
and hts bearing most friendly. II want
to be courteous" he says in Con-
gress, as, with a battie-ax. he cleaves
the skull of q disputatious colleague.
For nifty years this man has been
chopping down trees and saving them
into lumber. A pine is to he feiled
and he fells 1t. He has no Ill will for
the pine, but 1t must be converted into
pianks and boards, Scantlirgs and
beams.
Nor can there be any compromising
or bargaining with the tree. 1t stands
but 1t must fail and 1t does fall. In
other terms. 1fr. Fordney is direct In
his physical processes and. therefore.
not ambiguous in hts statements. Tho
gentleman Is talking nonsense and he
knows It," Mr.. Fordney once observed.
addressing a windy person In the
House Of Representatives. ANY man
with brains enough to grease a gim-
let" ought to do no and SO, he remarked
on another day.
II would say this: am not law
YER" and Mr.. F0rdney waved his right
hand in q semi-circle. at still another
time. 10 as to erect an invisible fence
around the hundred or 30 OF lawyers
who were listening, land have no
prejudice against members OF the legal
profession. bot wish that half Of