The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1922-04-26
new TARIFF
FRAMED FOR
PROFlTEERS
Democrats Have Had
No Hand in Writing.
Fordney Bill Which
IS Highest Ever De-
Vised
tspecial correspondenee.1 )

SSnec4at CorreSpGn0enee-}
Washington, April 20.-It should
be understood In advance that the
Democrats in Congress have had
no hand or part in the framing of
the tariff bill recently reported in
! the Senate They were not called in
until the Jinkering of the bill had
been completed and were then per-
nlitted TO east a vote on reporting
the bill. but having had no oppor-
tun:ty To see ii or study it they nat
asalig voted against reporting it.
The Democratic Senators, how
ever. have until April 20. TO make
q minority report and until then
the many objections to the measure
will not be known in detail. This
much. however, is obvious upon the
fare OF the bill:
1t is a profiteers tariff from
start TO finish, and If enacted in its
s present form viii greatly increase
the present high cost of living.
It displays throughout an ignor-
ance OF even the elementary princi-
pies Of economies. in many respects
it is as niach OF an economic joke
as it was when It came fresh from
the hands of Fordaey of Saginaw
and was generally known as Ford
neys Folly.
The rates Of the Fordney-Mc-
cunaber bill are higher than under
: the payne-Aldrich act against
which the people revoked in 1910
and elected Democratic Congresses
for the following eight years.
The Senate bill apparently re-
jecfs. the Fordney American Valu-
alton plan, seneralg opposed by
importers and business men, and
then gises tf1es President authority.
in defiance OF the Constitution, to
modify tariff rates either upward
or downward and to change the
basis df ad yaioren duties from
the foreign TO the American valu-
ation:
IN this bill as in the Emergency
Tariff act another effort is made
10 fool the farmer by placing high
duties apon agricultural products.
bat the opponents of the bill con-
tend that the experience OF the
farmer following the Emergency,
Tariff act when prices OF ali his
products declined to q point at
which il was Improbable 10 ship
them and compelled him to burn
his corn while millions were star
wing to death in Europe FOR lack OF
unstable products. has taught hin:
for all time that what he needs is
not tariffs but markets,
Opponents of the bill also point
out that when Republican orators
this fall tell the farmer that this
tariff bill is framed in his interest.
he: the farmer. viii naturally ask
why the Republicans who have had
fun control of Congress for three
years. have waited until now to
offer him prosperity in the form Of
q tariff bin.
Although the bill itself has just
been published and only It's most
siariHs defects are apparent at a
enrsory glance. it is already mani
fest that opposition 10 the bill is
not TO be confined to Democrats.
but that Republicans themselves
are divided. and intense opposition
may be expected not only from Re-
publican Senators but from large
section OF the Republican press.
It has been suggested that per-
haps one reason why Attorney Cen
eral Daugherty has not started any
prosecution against profiteers in
general was because he has been
waiting To find out whether the
persons 90 be prosecuted would in
cude the Republican tariff 1inkcrs.