Evening star., 1928-10-28

non-partisan of bipartisan. Our pco-
pie have a right to express themselves
at the ballot box upon so vital a queS-
ton as this. There Is only one COM
mission to which delegation Of that
authority can be made. That is the
great commission of their own choos-
ing. the Congress of the United States
and the President"
Mr.. Hoover could only have used
these words for the purpose of be-
clouding the issue. No suggestion was
made by me that the tariff commission
should take the place Of Congress, nor
is there a single line in the Democratic
platform to that effect. l definitely
referred to the tariff commission as
fact-finding body to lay before the
Congress of the United States the facts
in detail so that Congress may inteli-
gently exercise its power to make tariff
bills. quoted former President Taft,
who said that the members of Con-
gresS themselves did not understand
the tariff bills. He challenged anybody
to tell what they meant after a read
ing of them The only proposal that
came from me with regard to the tariff
commission was that it ought to be
rehabilitated, it ought to be strength
ened, it ought to be put into the hands
of the most capable persons that can
be procured in this country. Mr..
Hoover well knows that the proposal he
seeks to inject into the controversy
would require an amendment to the
Constitution of the United States.
Nobody ever even remotely suggested
any such thing. He knows what a
tariff commission is. He says 1t is a
most valuable arm of the Government;
but he neglects to say that his own
party palsied that valuable arm and
rendered it useless. He knows that.
And he further knows that when ne
intimated that I proposed to limit the
power of Congress. he was doing II 10
muddy up the water.
Refers to Business Attitude.
Former Gov. Hughes, speaking Of me
in Missouri, commented on my state
ment that I want to take the tarlfr
out of politics. He said:
IF history is clear about anything, 1t
is that you can't take the tariff out OF
politics.
Does Gov. Hughes really want to con-
tinue to have the tariff treated as the
foot ball of politics? Is he in accord
with the present system OF tariff making
by compromise and log-rolling? The
American people themselves will take
the tariff out of politics when they get
the facts. The trouble today is that
they have not got them and, as Presi-
dent Taft said, not even the members
of Congress know what is in the tariff
bill. Gov. Hughes did not make very
good point when he challenged my
declaration that the tariff should be
taken out of politics. If Charles e.
Hughes thinks that the present system
of tariff making has any widespread
approval in this country he does not
keep track of the proceedings among
business groups as outlined In the Jour-
nal of Commerce only two days ago.
The National Manufacturers Associa-
ton, according to the Journal OF Com
merce, in session here, passed resolu-
tions declaring against the old-fash-
ioned log-rolling method of drawing up
the tariff bill. And I read from the
headline:
"They recommend that the commits
sion be taken entirely out of politics"
His party won't try it, / will
Gov. Hughes argues, Nothing can be
done" He found fault with me because
referred to the reactionary Repub-
1ican leaders as Bourbons, who learn
nothing and forget nothing. 1t seems
to me he is making good my statement
for me. do not have to offer any evi-
dence. l will take his-"You cannot do
anything about it," A man with con-
structive ideas for the betterment of
conditions is either fighting a sham
battle or he is trying to do something
which cannot be done or, as Mr. Hoover
said he Is a Socialist
Defends Change in Position.
In his Chicago speech Gov. Hughes
said that the Democratic party would
have to eat crow to modify its tariff
policy to meet the changed conditions
of today. / do not see what license he
has to make statement of that kind.
Why, even the Republican party some
times changes its position. 1t changed
its position on the Federal reserve
law. When that bill was pending be-
fore Congress, during the administra-
ton of President Wilson, only three Re-
publican Senators voted for it. Senator
Borah, the great Republican progressive.
as he likes to hear himself called, voted
in the negative. The speeches in the
party then feared that the Government
was being put into business, and that 1t
was probably a little journey into So
coalistic territory. In fact, Senator
Borah, speaking against the Federal
reserve act, said the following:
"The wisdom of the matter I do not
discuss, but is just as socialistic to as
semble the banking powers and then
turn them over to the Government as
it would be the railroads"
Where did we hear that theory be-
fore? That was the theory put forth
in Madison Square Garden by the Re
publican candidate only last Monday,
|. speaking with reference to the Demo-
cratic solution of the farm, water pow
er and prohibition questions, but read
what they say about it today. Observe
their change of attitude. Secretary
Mellon today says about the Federal
Reserve system:
"In a few years of their existence,
the Federal Reserve banks have demon
strated beyond any doubt their value
to the country. During these years the
country has come safely through a
great war not only without a panic but
with a minimum of strain upon its
financial structure. The credit for this
achievement is due in large measure to
the steadying influence eXerted by the
Federal Reserve system"
'NIeets Popular will"
The Democratic party all during It's
history has been able to meet the pop
ular need and the popular will. Un-
Ger the administration Of President