New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1921-09-23
DEMOCRATIC PRoTECTIoNISTs

The changes of time have nothing
on the changes in tariff views. Re-
preventative Frank Clark, of Florida,
is a free trader or everything but
piaeapples and leaf tobacco, hut he
has been staunch in his advocacy of
protective rates on those two Floridi-
an products.
The Senators and Representatives
from Louisiana are wholly apathetic
concerning protection on other Ameri-
can products, but when sugar comes
up for discussion, they monopolize the
legislative floors as they present their
terrorizing arrays of statistics to
prove that Louisiana sugar must be
protected or the country viii go to
Smash.
Even Oscar Underwood turned a
paternal eye on the Birmingham steel
industries when he framed the tariff
bill which is scheduled for the ash
barrel just as soon as the Republican
bill is passed.
Mr.. Clark and the Louisiana solons
have been consistent in their incon-
siStency respecting protection, but
when Senator Ashurst, of Arizona,
pleaded with the Finance Committee
for free trade in tomatoes from Mex
leo, recently, he used language which
woul read strangely if set in parallel
columns with a speech he made a few
weeks back favoring protection. and,
above all, protection to the cotton
growers of his home State. You see,
they don't raise many tomatoes in
Arizona, but they do raise considerable
long staple cotton, and Ashurst want
ed the Republican duty rate on that
commodity to the sky.
Another funny one was to hear Neyle
Colquitt, of Georgia, begging the Fin
ance Committee the other day for a
duty of 4 cents a .ound on peanuts.
The rate in the pending Republican
tariff bill as it passed the House is
; cents on the unshelled, Colquitt want
ed that duty raised 80 per ZEN and
the way he turned on the tremulo
stop and pleaded for the down trod"
panut producers of the South and des-
rribed the scenes of poverty and
wretchers which would ensue il pea
nuts received only ; cents duty would
brought tears to the eyes OF an
obsidian idol.
The joke Of it is that Colquitt was
to the Ways and Means Com
when Oscar Underwood was
is chairman. That committee fixed
duty of 3-8 of a zen a pound on
inshelled, and 3-4 of a cent a pound
,n shelled peanuts and they have
coming in by shiploads from
-hina and Spain ever since. Colquitt
S clerk to the committee, had con-
iderable to do with the framing of
he Underwood tariff law, and had
he peanut industry then as he was
Iefore the committee the other day,
lie might have exerted not a little
influence in rescuing it from Demo-
ratio tribulation. But in 1913 Colquitt
-as Just up from Geawgia" and was
cling paid to help the free trade cause;
,hile in 1921 he is Washington at
Drney employed by the peanut in
to boost their business.
Peanuts will get protective rates, all
ight, but 3 cents a pound on the IN
1elled ought to be enough. However.
ne change which is coming over the
outh on the subject of protection, as
<emplified by the activities of such
ssociation, and others, IS gratifying
EXAMINATIONS as the Southern Tariff
nd a pretty fair assurance that as a
issue tariff protection has well
Ugh ceased to exist. except for a
W old intransigeants in C%ongress
no are not keeping abreast of their
,nstituencies.