The New York herald., 1922-05-21

10 scathing criticism not only for this
but the form of both legislative ven
lures. His efforts to produce a rea-
sonable tariff measure framed on
scientific principles and rational
bonus bill have been characterized as
'amateurish in the extreme" Demo
cratic Senators have pronounced the
measure to be "a hopeless botch.'' un-
intelligent in form and unwarranted
in purpose.
One of the most significant features
OF the arguments presented by Mr.
McCumber and other advocates of the
pending tariff measure is that none
cf them tries to justify it but all
spend their time in attempting to de-
fend it. Republican Senator'S who Say
they will vote for the bill admit they
do not. like it,
No clearer statement of the methods
byfwhch the unavoidable Fordney bill
was made even more Objectionable by
Mr. McCumber's committee has been
supplied than the explanation fur
nished by Senator Watson of Indiana.
When the measure was in final stage
of preparation the. Indiana Senator
said:
1--WE are not going to have any
trouble getting the tariff bill through
because everybody who was kicking
for genuine protection is getting all
lthey want"
The Indiana Senator hit the nail
squarely on the head VIXEN he made
that statement. The debate on COM
paratively few of the schedules has
developed the fact unmistakably. Com
ments of Republican Senator's who
will support the measure "for party
reasons" and the few Democrats who
have been won over by the old time
log rolling" methods OF winning sup
port fully confirm the statement Of
Mr. Watson
Senators ambitious to win political
support by securing the maximum of
protection for Influential political ele-
ments In their districts have not ex-
perienced the slightest difficulty in
making satisfactory trades.
The results. according to impartial
authorities, kave been the production
of bill that exceeds in reasonable
scope the Mckinley. Dingley and
Payne-Aldrich tariff measures and
Stretched to the breaking point" the
traditional commitment of the Repub-
lican party to high protective tariff.
Beveridge's Prediction.
The pending tariff bill therefore is
declared by those critics to justify the
prediction made by Albert J. Bever-
idge, soon to return to the Senate
from Indiana. that "if the Republican
party came into power again it would
pass the highest tariff bill in History"
A rather intelligent scrutiny Of the
measure by an impartial authority
justifies the statement that the Ford
ney- y-McCumber tariff bill is made up
Of unrelated items dictated by political
rather tEan economic necessities. In
the Judgment of these critics there is
no actual necessity of a general busi-
ness scope to justify the enactment of
a permanent tariff law until business
conditions both at home and abroad
have more nearly attained normal
equilibrium than that which now ex-
lists.
The legitimate arguments advanced
in support of the bill by Mr. McCum-
ber and his sympathetic associates are
that conditions have been adjusted suf-
ficiently to warrant the adoption of a
revision upward of the Underwood
Simmons Democratic measure and the
notification of the emergency tariff
law.
- tI,A h tr ad
on the sincere conviction that the
emergency tariff law passed last year
fully covers the economic situation at
present, and that no harm can come
to the country through continuation
of 1t until a more substantial base for
tariff building has developed
Many Republican Senators who will
not vote for the Fordney- -McCumber
tariff bill frankly concede the logic Of
the latter argument. They also ex-
press sympathy with the plan, which
is growing in popular favor, to expand
the authority given to the existing
Tariff Commission to work out gem
uine tariff bill on sound economic
grounds and eliminate it as political
factor in the life of the country.
The Tariff Commission, with rather
less power than was originally pro-
jected for 1t by Mr.. Taft, and subse-
quently Mr.. Wilson, has provided the
ground work for such an undertaking.
The trouble is that the representations
made by the commission have come in
for little, If any, consideration at the
hand Of either Democratic or Repub-
lican Congresses.
Advocates of the plan to take the
tariff out of politics" are convinced