Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-12-30
Politics at Large
BY &. Could Lincoln

me fordneN-McCumber tariff act
II under a cross-fire. with the Demo
Gratis IN Congress raking it from one
angie and some of the Republican
Senators and Representatives from
me agricultural States of the Middle
west ana West from another
me democrats are frankly intent
upon making the tariff the issue of he
coming congressional campaign. Rep.
'eSentative William A. Oldfield of Ar.
kahSas, Democratic whip" of the
ilouse and chairman of the Democratic
congressional committee. believes that
II the Democrats center their efforts on
me tarlH and are not led off into other
lhes OF attack, they will have an effec.
1--WE weapon to use against their Re.
pupiicah opponents. Mr.. Oldfield and
other Democratic leaders. however. are
carelul 10 state that the Democratic
party Is not seeking free trade" or
anything like it. They arc r,ilsina
OF tarlf for revenue" with incidental
protection.
senators from the West. like
'apper of Kansas, head of tho farm
bloc, are using the tariff as fail 70
get the Republicans of the East in
line for legislation TO aid the farmers
hlspose of their surplus crops af
wheat corn, etc. Senator CaDpeN
makes no bones about saying that IN.
less a real effort is made to solve the
farmers problem and to enable them
10 OBTAIN reasonable return on their
investments and labor. the farmers
u me west viii rise and smite the
p,o'ectlVe tarin which has benefited
me industrial East and made IL pos.
slble for capital and labor engaged in
industry TO become enormously pros.
lefous. The farmers. he saws must
huF In a protected market while they
must sell much of their produce in n
market where the world price largely
governs. Senator Capper is speaking
| TO-DAY before the Boston Chamber of
commerce on this subject.
Inc administration has declined to
I've rausht mapping. however. Indeed
,"'n PRESIDENT Coolidge and Secretary
LARAMIE Of the Department of AEricul.
! lure nave announced that they are
NOT only willing but DESTROYS of tack.
inG the problem of the farmers sur.
| pluS ana OF working il out along
sound economic lines. President cool
| ldGe points ont that in his annual
message and in his address 10 the
/ Americana Farm Bureau Federation in
hicaGo The day Congress assembled
ne gave promise of such action bv the
| administration. Secretary Jardine re-
Sererai weeks ago. TO show the same
! thing.
nile opponents Of the administra
| tlon are declaring that the administra
I non mas been forced to adopt an en-
! ureIN different position with regarC
| To the agricultural problem by the
| roar from Iowa and the America
! Farm Bureau Federation and othe,
farmers organizations when the,
! thought that the administrations pro
gram included only the bill for GOV
! eminent aid 10 the farm co-operotfye
! me administration has called farm
: leaders here for conferences in JanI,
J AIRY and otherwise is preparing to cul
! the-Sround from under the feet of its
/ enemies
Not unnaturallv the administration
u"eS not Ike Ia he charged with hay
: ing been forced to abandon its posi
! ton in regard to the agricultural
! problem. AS a matter of fact. il has
! not. The President and Secretary
Jardlne have all along insisted that
! the Government was not going 10 fix
/ prices or to go into the business OF
! huNlnS and selling farm produce
They still insist there is To he no such
undertaking with their approval
! IN some quarters inimical to the
administration, however. the fact that
me administration has announced its
intention of attempting to work o11
feasible plan to deal with crop s,,r
! pulses has been hailed as Il surrender
! ana 0op-over to the side of those
VINO 1aVor Government export cor.
pofatlon. As matter of fact the
! people VINO have urged such an export
corpora ton. financed by the Govern
! ment. have in considerable part ahan
! doned such a plan. They are willing
! TO get together with the administra
! uon on III" basis of a board or com
| mission which shall use it's good
| offices 10 help the farmers to finance
! their own handling of SURPRISES.
1t looks as though the administra
/ ton was both showing good sense and
! playing good politics in this matter
! The farm problem is one that needs
attention for the sake of the entire
, country, and if the President and his
advisers are successful in their pres.
/ ent efforts. il will be a big feather in
, their cap. Doubtless they will not
! satisfy the radicals. but if they can
( satisfy the great ma jority of the
! farmers, who are after all a conserya
tive class. they will have accomplish.
! ed great deal and the Republican
/ nominees next Fall will benefit
| thereby.
The Democrats in the House have
! already laid the groundwork Of their
attack on the McCumher
tariff act. Representative OldfieId has
introduced resolution to investigate
the cotton tariff schedule. He nro.
poses as soon as Congress reconvenes
/ to introduce another resolution pro.
VldlnG for an investiCa ton of the
aluminium schedule, which he declares
IS an lniquity that works only for the
| benefit of the Aluminium trust and
Secretary Mellon of the Treasury De.
! partment. Il large owner. Representa-.
! tive Hull of Tennessee Democratic
member also of the ways and means