Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-07-13
For Want of Wits
EVER did an Old Man Of the Sea hang
I'll more frettingly about political Sim

II IL
bad's neck than does the Fordney-
McCumber tariff bill. Projected at a most
unreasonable juncture and designed in dis
regard of the common veal, the measure
grows more and more intolerable, even to
members of the senate majority that is spon-
soring It, Ssnator Lenroot of Wisconsin,
patty tells his Republican colleagues that "If
rates like this are to be written into the bill
in any great number shall be relieved Of OBJ
legation to support it, while Senator Nor
ris, - Nebraska declares, .4hnot de-
fend bill built on these principles; you
may get the votes to put it through, but
warn you now that we shall be the suffer-
ers." Senator Townsend, Of Michigan, recog-
nizes that "this is about the most unfavor-
able time imaginable to revise the tariff
Senator Cummins, of Iowa, AYERS eff could
have had my way would have allowed the
existing tariff (the Underwood Simmons act)
to remain as the general law upon the sub
ject." Senator McCumber himself now &C.
knowledges: 1--WE have often been advised,
and the advice is well founded that of all
times in our history this is the worst to form
ulate and put Into effect new tariff measure"
Why, then, one is minded to ask, do they
not shake off pestiferous thing and adj
dress themselves to timely tasks for the
common good? Why persist in course so
unwise and unjust, as well as unpopular2
Mr.. Wells, in his outline, speaks OF certain
militarist survivals of the great war as going
on t'for sheer want Of wits to leave off," It
is not surprising that party group which
had no more discretion than to take UP ex-
tensi~e tariff revision, with view to large
increases in import duties, at this stage Of
the worlds business, now lacks strength OF
mind to lay It down. At the outset it was
obvious that high tariff wall, though raised
for excluding competition, would have the
effect of excluding prosperity. For me war
weakened nations whom we wish to buy from
US are not permitted to sell to us, what rea-
sonar, ..ar- n we have of sustaining and
upbui1ding our foreign trade? And If we
lose the markets to which go the surplus out
put OF our factories and fields and on which,
therefore, depends our Industrial expansion,
what reasonable hope of prosperity will be
left? Further, IL we make 1t SO that our
European debtors cannot pay in goods, which
ia the one medium in which they can pay at
ALL what chance will there be of collecting
the billions owed? These are not political
or partisan considerations; they are economic
truths Of which Rep leaders at Wash
ington were repeatedly admonished by their
own better counselors of the press and of the
party organization, but to which they have
turned deal ears.
Were It not an actually under the coun-
try's very eyes, this condition of affairs
would seem incredible. Nor would it have
been possible If the Republican regime had
not been bound to special interests that
thrive upon tariff favoritism. Had the tax
revision act been more Of substance and less
of shadow, then the tariff might have been
let alone. But having failed in the former
to please even its staunchest allies and old
est beneficiaries, the G. o. P. strategists felt
constrained to do something in the latter,
lest their support from the sinews of privi-
lege be lost altogether. So 1t was that the
Fordney. MeCumber tariff Hill, an admins.
alton measure, has been carried forward de-
spite its economic absurdities, despite its
injustice to the American rank and file,
despite its denunciation by the more discern
ing and thoughtful Republicans themselves.
Thus far only about one-third of the items
Of the bill have been taken up, and the re-
nainder cannot be disposed OF, at the earli.
est, before September. Meanwhile the falla-
cies and wrongs and dangers of the measure
become increasingly apparent and rebellion
against it grows apace. II Republican lead
ers of today were half as sagacious as in years
gone they would pray for its defeat; but al
things are, they will probably play the farce
out to its end.