The New York herald., 1922-08-11

Broussard La.). against the amend
ment, and they will be aided by some
Republicans.
A great deal hinges on the eventful
attitude of the agricultural tariff bloc.
whose opposition. which was limited at
to-day, probably will be based on
grounds aside from constitutionality.
What some of the farm bloc Senators
are afraid of is that the President will
be influenced to give tariff privileges to
organized interests, such as manufac-
turers, and not to the unorganized in
terests. the agriculturists. If the bloc
Senators. such as Senators Gooding
(Rep., Idaho), Bursum (Rep. N. Nj
and Stanfield (Rep.. Ore.). vote against
the proposal it will be beaten.
Senator Lenroot made a long fight
against what he called the vague phrase
in the McCumber amendment authoriz-
ing the President to fix duties in ac-
cordance with the condition OF COM
petition" This should be changed, he
said, to read costs of production" since
1t was the Republican policy to fix tariff
rates equal to the difference in the cost
of production at home and abroad.
Senator McCumber defended the
phrase conditions of competition as
being more elastic and making 1t pos
sible for the President to take items into
consideration other than the difference
In the cost of production at home and
abroad. He said, il anything, the Amer
lean producer should have all the adj
vantage. In the debate that followed
he admitted that the rates in the pend
ing tariff bill are higher than the diff
ference in the cost of production, pro-
ceeding thereupon to deliver a typical
speech championing American labor and
industry, which, he said, deserved more
consideration than the foreign.
Walsh Gives Warming.
Most of the objections to the pro-
posal, aside from those as to constitu-
tionality. were that the President might
unwillingly be led into tariff scandals
carried on behind closed doors, that 1t
placed too much authority in the hands
of the President and that the amend
ment wa loosely written. The trend
of the or 1sition is shown in the speech
of Senat Walsh (Dem., Mont.). which
is presented herewith in part:
Some apology is certainly In order
for this astounding delegation OF the
functions of Congress to the Executive
authorizing him to exercise a power
which no constitutional monarch can
exercise and power quite like in char
acter that for the assumption OF which
kings have been brought to the block.
NO emergency, however grave, can
justify the surrender into the hands OF
the President of the taxing power en-
trusted by the people to their repre-
sentatives in Congress, no matter how
profound may be his statesmanship nor
how exalted may be the character OF the
man who for a brief period may be
elevated to that office. If this encroach-
ment upon the liberties Of the people Is
either sanctioned or condoned there is
no man wise enough nor prescient
enough to foresee the ultimate conse-
quences.
"rhe fathers OF this Republic were
deeply apprehensive concerning the like
lihood that the President. In view of the
great powers with which they invested
him, might exercise an undue influence
over the action OF Congress. and they
took pains to insert In the great charter
which they gave us some provisions
which were intended to. safeguard
against. or to mitigate that evil They
would be Mortified at the idea of repos-
ing in the President the power to inn
pose customs duties. to raise or lower
those duties, carrying with IL the oppor-
tunity TO ruin or enrich the citizen, to
shower wealth upon him the like of
which Croesus never knew or Monte
Cristo ever dreamed of.
Business Uncertainty.
There would be more terror to the
business man in the Presidential power.
| IL this provision ever became law, than
| was ever occasioned by general bank
panic. an unscrupulous political leader.
presumed TO have some influence at the
Z White House, particularly IL the In
cumbent were a candidate for reelec-
I ton, would find In law of that char
acter a convenient instrument for Fat
frying purposes, and resources OF such
rich possibilities as no campaign man
ager ever commanded In this or any
other country.
AT it's worst law OF this character
would be a menace to the perpetuity OF
our Institutions. and at its best IL would
be a constant ever present obstacle 10
the stability OF industrial conditions. an
leIement of uncertainty In any calcula-
tions the business man might make con-
cerning his future operations in any
direction affected by tariff rates.
Whatever may be the cause. II will
oblige him to conservation In his OPP
erations. and thus the wheels OF indus
try will he checked, and the chilling
effect which this act must inevitably
have upon-our foreign trade reflected
here will be intensified. Unfortunate aa
II NAV seem that rates which are now
fixed are too high or too low. IL can
4 scarcely be so disastrous as TO have
all the rates subject to change over
night"
4 FIR ENCH DERT MISSION