The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1922-06-21
WEEKLY news NOTES
FROM WASHINGTON
Especial News Correspondent

As S.1 Cuiic AO-W HSli
Oscar Underwood, of Alabama, was
in the House of Representative he
built up great reputation as an ex-
pert on the tariff; he became Chair
man of the Committee on Ways and
Means and his name became fastened
on the tariff law which his committee
compiled and put through the House
Under that measure the country en-
joyed the greatest prosperity it ever
knew, and it remained for the greed
of American manufacturers to find
fault with the law Mr.. Underwood
is now the Democratic leader in the
Senate He has written for the New
York Times, the greatest Democratic
newspaper Of this time, long article
on the proposed tariff law now before
the Senate. Space forbids its use in
full, but here are some of the most
pertinent paragraphs:
"I he >-e always opposed in principle
the theory Of protection, and have
leaned strongly to the idea that GUS
toms taxation should be levied pri-
marily in the interest of revenue for
the Government, and that all rates of
taxation should be 50 adjusted as to
allow a reasonable inflow of goods
from abroad in order that the Gus
tom House might have an opportunity
to take it's toll as they passed through
and some degree of competition might
be established. have never contend
ed that, in the interest of revenue
tariff, it is necessary to bring about
destructive competition, but a tariff
that fixes the rates of taxation so
high as to practically prohibit foreign
goods from entering the American
market at all has been abhorrent to
my ideas of the proper use of the tax
ing power of the Congress of the Unit
ed States.
Otustrips All Other Bills
"There are some few low rates in
the pending bill. There are some ar
tic! !es on the free list, but, taking it
all in all, it is undoubtedly the most
prohibitive tariff bill that has ever
been proposed in the American Con-
gress, and the rates Of taxation are
higher and less dcfcnsiblc than any
that have ever been presented to us
in the past. 1t looks as if those
charged with the responsibility of
writing the bill have accepted unquali-
fiedly the rates proposed by the
special interests desiring protection
and have not given consideration to
the resultant effect on the general
business of the countrf or the bur-
sumers of America. Should the bill
become law, the American people
will find this out in time, but it will
be after they have paid the price of
the experiment.
"The Democratic Party is often
charged with being a free trade party.
So far as l know fro mthe beginning
the Democratic Party has never aban-
doned the system of raising taxes at
the Custom House. There are free
traders in the Democratic Party and
I have known of some in the Repubh-
can Party. AS I understand it, the
the position Of the Democratic Party
is that taxes levied at the Custom
House should be for revenue purposes
only, that the custom House is
place where revenue may be obtained
to run the Government, and that it
provides convenient uay of raising
a certain amount of revenue; that if
House in such a way that it does not
unduly stifle competition from abroad
and the person who pays it really
pays it to the Government, it is rea-
sonable way to raise revenue. But
when a tax is levied so high that
very few imports come in-and if i'm
ports do not pass through the Custom
House they leave no taxes behind
them-the result is merely that of
raising the price, which goes into the
pockets Of the home producer.
"The effect Of protective tariff laws
as distinguished from tariffs for re-
venue only, has been to tax the great
mass of the American people and to
increase the profits Of few Is often
hear socialism and communism con-
\ H. "a
but it is discrimination on the part of
the Government against the masses
of the people for the benefit of the
few that sows the seed from which
grows the tree of discomfort, and dis
content when brought about by un-
just laws reflects on the whole system
of Government. | believe that the
great powers Of the Government arc
intended to be used only for the benc-
fit Of all the people, not for the pro-
motion of special interests, and I
care not whether those special inter
est come out of the fields of agricul-
ture or arise from the smokestacks
of steel mill.
Where the Farmer Comes Out
"In my opinion, if it were not for
the support given this bill by Senators
who represent agricultural constitu-
cncieS IL WOuld De Impossible 10 pass
it through the Senate. The argu-
mcnt is advanced that since taxes are
to be levied on manufactured pro-
ducts, taxes should also be levied on
agricultural products, and that if
the people are to be penalized for the
benefit of the manufacturer they
should likewise be pcnalized for the
benefit Of the fapmer. Where the fall
lacy OF this argument comes is that