Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1922-03-31
The Tariff II Lively Corpse

II HOSE Credulous folks who have been
told again and again that the pcrma-
rcnt tariff bill would be put to sleep in the
Senate. and who believed all they were told,
nay find themselves rudeiy shocked within
another week or two. This piece OF lcgis-
lation. which has rested quietly in the SEN
ate Committee on Finance for more than
three months, we are told. is about to he
revived. II will be called up for passage
before the adjournment OF the present SEES
sion OF Congress. il is added
The Old Guard has given notice that the
tariff must not be Shelved The Fordueys
are determined to put the bill upon the
statute books before the new Congress is
elected. The President il is stated. is pre-
pared to aid and ahet his party associates
III that business. He. too. doubts the wis
dom of going before the voters this fall
without the enactment of permanent tariff
bill
II is thc mature judgment OF most think
ing people that no greater misfortune could
he imposed upon the industrial system of
America than the erection of a high tariff
wall around this nation at the present time
Even those intcrests-many OF them at all
evcnts-which in the past have clamored
most vigorously for protection have CON
tended that domestic prosperity could not
be assured without it. and have been will
ing TO finance Republican campaigns with
ont stint in order to guarantee protection.
ere now in grave doubt as to the wisdom OF
high protective duties
Great manufacturing enterprises have
sent their spokesman to Washington to ad-
wise against prohibitive tariff. They have
argued that the American markets should
be left rs wide open as possible if foreign
markets are to remain open to Amer
lean producers The Ways and Means Com
mittee struggled for months with these in
terests and. finally overriding them put
through the House tariff bill which would
practically isolate this country from an in
ternational business standpoint
1t was declared al the time that the Sen
ate would stop the measure II was stated
that year or more would elapse before
the Republican leaders could or would work
ont permanent tariff policy 1t was said
that the White House was contending for
an elastic system OF rates which could be
changed by executive order; that the ma
jority leaders We're hopelessly at odds over
the question OF American valuation, and
al things considered. il would be advisable
TO hold up the bill until more settled bust
Eess conditions could be taken into account
!, is possible. of course, that this program
Will yet be adopted. There is a chance that
The Republican leaders will sec this mistake
o. foisting high protective tariff upon a
country totally uCprepared for it. They
may discover what almost everybody else
in the United States knows, that with Eu-
rope in debt TO this government to the cx-
tent OF eleven billions OF dollars, and with
nothing to pay that debt except commodi-
ties, it would be folly TO bar European
goods from our shores
The temporary tariff bill passed less than
a year ago has been dismal failure. \ per
manent tariff bill following the lines OF
that which the House has adopted. would be
close TO a calamity