Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-05-19
BY WILLIAM HARD.

The Democrats are maneuvering with
considerable skill toward the next con-
gressional elections and toward the next
presidential campaign, as things look
in Washington at this week end.
The plunge OF the Democrats in the
Senate into the export debenture" ad-
venture is mere by-play. There Is not
going to be any export debcnture" law
on the statute books Of the United
States, nor is there going to be any
export debenture" issue in the Demo-
cratic platforms of the future.
The President himself has just shown
what an export debenture,' or export
bounty, will do. The recent reductions
of railroad freight rates on export wheat
from the interior to the seaboard were
in essence an export bounty. What
was the consequence? The world saw
a lot of American surplus wheat getting
artif1cially propelled into the world
market, and the world price of wheat
dropped downward at an accelerated
pace.
Every open artificial stimulus given
to the export of American wheat pro-
duces a panicky impulse in Canada and
in the Argentine to sell wheat to Europe
cheaper, and produces thereupon bear
market in the wheat pit in Liverpool
price gained by the American producer.
This demonstration of the practical
effect of an export bounty has sprinkled
a lot Of cold water on the enthusiasm
for 1t in Washington and the slender
chance that the export debenture"
once had for continued political life
in the struggle between our two parties
has been drastically narrowed and
shortened. If the plan survives to the
Ill. ~ cn0NiQI
session of the Congress, 1t will have
served all its immediate political pur-
poses and will then be inferred among
the memories of hopeful notions not
vet effectively worked out for actual
practical application.
It's disappearance, however, will not
save the Republicans from being ener-
getically attacked and pressed by tne
Democrats in 1880 and 1882. The
demise Of the Democrats as a political
force in Washington and in the coun-
try has been much exaggerated. The
policy pursued by the Democrats IN
relation to the new tariff bill Is one OF
great finesse and adroitness. Out OF
that bill it is perfectly possible that
the Democrats may find an extremely
telling and persuasive paramount issue
in the years Immediately now to come.
1t has been widely stated and be-
lieyed that the tariff has ceased to be
A point of difference between the two
parties. The most profound and influ-
cntial event Of this special session Is
that the Democrats are giving the lie
TO that assertion, and are preparing
themselves extremely competent TO
make the tariff live again as the vital
issue in American politics.
A few months ago there was pos
sibilitv that the bulk OF the leading
Democrats in the House of Representa-.
tives would actually vote In favor OF
the new proposed tariff BILL and would
thus bury the tariff as mark OF dis
tinction between the two political party
organizations That possibility has now
been thoroughly erased, and the tarl1
Is on its way to new lease OF lie Oh
the American political scene.
An extremely large number OF Demo-
Gratis it is true, will demand duties
and high duties-on the commoolties
produced in their districts.
They will say to the Republicans:
"Yo1r principles require you 10 Oils.
tribute high duties impartially over HI
the products Of the whole country we
therefore demand that you give US ouis'
for our constituents. -
Trey then. nevertheless, In an: al
most unanimous mass If present plans
are not reversed, will vote against the
bill as an entirety.
They then will go to the country on
either one of the two propositions, oe-
pending on the circumstances OF 1851
and 1892. One of these propositions
is at bottom pro-taritl propoSltion anu
the other at bottom Is an anti-tarlIi
proposition, and the democrats Caiou
late that it will be hard luck indeed
if neither OF them is applicable ana
usable The chances certainly are that
one or the other can be brought INTO
play.
tariff is going to be unfair TO certain
regions and to certain elements IN tne
population. The American Farm Bu-
reau Federation and numerous repre-
sentatives Of official organized LABOR
have already lodged emphatlc COM
plants against the bill in this respect.
They contend that certain highly I'M
portant agricultural products and IN
duStrial products are being subjected 10
unfaVorable discrimination. Agricultural
representatives are not getting what
they want on such things as casen.
Industrial representatives are not get
ting what they want on such things
as stained glass. inequalities, or APP
parent inequalities are going to exist.
or can be made to seem to exist, pro-
fusely throughout the bill. Senator
Robinson OF Arkansas. the Democratic
leader in the Senate, who Is second to
nobody in grasping an economic politi-
cal point and opportunity, will be able
to say:
II said in the last campaign that We
Democrats favor an equitable distri-
button of the benefits and burdens OF
the tariff among ALL This equitable
distribution has not been accomplished.
j The new tariff law Is a mass OF dis
ordinations against some citizens and
Of special fayeEs To other citizens.