The New York herald., 1922-06-24
Mend the Tariff Making System

Nobody in his economic senses, or,
for the matter of that, in his political
senses, can question the imperative
need of the reform in making tariffs
urged by Senator FRELINGHUYsEN
with his amendment to the McCum-
Der measure. He says, and Says truly,
that there never has been time
when any tariff, Republican or
Democratic, was made with an exact
knowledge of all the facts in the
country's situation.
This was bad enough under normal
conditions when great tariff students
/ in Congress, men of natural brain
power and broad experience. were
| intrusted with the responsibility Of
writing tariff schedules for American
industry and the American public.
1t is a positive menace now. when
industrial and financial conditions
are in chaos over the greater part OF
Europe and when the responsibility
of meeting the great problem in our
Congress has fallen into the hands
of economic charlatans, political
tricksters and sordid log rollers.
If the country does not get the
services of the kind of permanent
tariff commission Senator FRELING-
uuYsEN proposes in his amendment,
if that commission is not vested with
powers enough to let it master the
facts and technicalities of world eco
nomic conditions, along with the true
situation of American industry and
business, and if Congress lawmakers
are not willing to construct tarins
on the basis of the fundamental facts
and the technical conditions pre-
sented by the expert work of such
commissioner this reform does not
come and come at once to replace
the present unsound and dangerous
system of making tariffs then the
country ia in fair way to go on the
tariff rocks.
| Aside and apart from the question
of whether it is now too late to ria
the Fordney- -McCumber measure OF
it's tariff excesses and save the coun-
try from the perils they threaten, the
Frelinghuysen proposal must appeal
to Republicans and Democrats alike
who are sound in their heads and
honest in their public conduct 1t Is
for a party to determine its tarifi
policy, whether 1t is to be high or
low tariff. a tariff merely on manufac-
lures, tariff for protection or a
tariff for revenue only. 1t is for the
voters of the United States to &C
cept the party policy they wish to
have put into force.
But whether it is a low tariff
policy, a high tariff policy or what
ever kind Of policy that is to be car
ried out, no party in control of the
Government can ignore the facts and
defy the laws OF economics without
making a wretched botch out of its
tariff measure.
In the United States to-day there
are Republicans and protectlonlsts by
the hundreds Of thousands who are
asking one another whether the
party leaders in Congress have gone
crazy over the tariff. There are Re-
publicans Snd protectionists by the
tens OF thousands who believe thai
the -McCumber tariff will
destroy their party. This is becom.
ing a national sentiment which !:
immeasurable in its political posi-
bilities.
In such desperate circumstances i
is time for all Republicans in Con
gress who have not lost their sense:
over the tariff to try to save the day
not merely with the admirable ant
necessary principles of the Freling
huysen amendment but with opposi
ton to the McCumber mon
strosities to the last ditch.