Evening star., 1928-03-29
Tariff Commission Conflict
Furnishes Campaign Issue

A party issue is being made If the
dispute over the personnel OF the United
States Tariff Commission. The reSisna-
ton OF Edward P. CoStigan. oldest
member OF the board and an appoiniee
Of Woodrow Wilson. is accompanied by
an attack from him on the accomplish
mentS Of this governmental body Re
publican opinion is favorable 70 the
present policies OF the commission.
while Democratic comment emphasizes
the belief that the purpose 10 take the
tariff out OF politics has not been
achieved
Quoting Mr. CoStigan's statement
that no part OF the public edifice can
be undermined without danger to the
whole structure" and that public sery-
ice still demands fldclity,' the Atlanta
Journal tDemocratiCl declares. For all
their temperatures and restraint his
words glow with patriots indignation.
That the power Of the Republic should
De employed in dispensing privilege 70
few instead Of protecting the rights
and promoting the interests OF the rank
and file strikes him as not only in
equitable but essentially dishonest. and
reCreant TO all that is truly American
The Tariff Commission was established
getting a hundred million consumers
and 20 ascertain all facts necessary O.
proper adjustment Of import duties tc
changing conditions here and abroad
But under the sway OF Republican in
fuCnce and for the bchoof OF those Spe-
cial interests To which the Republican
administration IS beholdSn. 10 has made
a traVeSty Of the purpose for which u
was created
II II is true. as he SAYS" remarks
the Boston Transcript independently,
that Chairman Marvin Is a ttreleSS
and iAnatical protectionist,' Mr.. CoSti-
gan may as appropriately be labeled q
tireic>S and indefatigable loW-tar man
II Presidents Harding and Coolidge
packed the commission with prOtac-
tionlstS. they evidently had the example
of President Wilson in tllltnS Il with
critics not to say enemies, ol the pro
teCtive policy. II nothing is to be gained
ny calling the kettle black, at least MIR
Coolidge put real Democrats on the
commission when he put any, and Nh
CoStigans presence on the commission
never made for peace or for progress
The advice Of the Schenectady Ga.
retts independent Democraticl Is that
MIR CoSttgaD's resignation should cen
ter the attention of the consumers of
this country on the fact that the TariH
Commission Is not an impartial body
but actually Is representative of the
high protection forces, doing all In It's
power To further their program And
body which mas cost che Nation msl-
lions IN the past few years for operating
expenses alone certainly Is failing IN It's
important duty of serving the people ey
taking preludieed stand
The Kansas CITY journal iRepuh-
iicanA. however holds that "makinS the
commission non partisan IN the sense
that Il represents the free traders and
the protegtioniSts Is practical impNS-
sihtttN The country has chosen the
policy ot protection" continues thai
naper "and nobody who Is opposed a.
the theory itself should he ON the cont
mission Expert knowledge and fair
mtndedneSS are necessary, but OppASl-
tinn tn protection paradlng in the name
ei iairmlndedneSa should not be eounte-
nNnced
The San FTaaelsco Bulletin tRepuh-
licanl also states. M one would ae-
euse Oostigan ct hetng a tanatieal free
trader, but he was the lOw.tarin ar
polntee Of = lew-tArih President He
appears 20 overlook the fact that IN
both the laaN and 1924 elections the