Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-05-26
BY WILLIAM HARD.

The new tariff bill is for the moment
on the road to triumph. 1t will be
passed by the House of Representatives
next Tuesday afternoon in full har-
mony with the final recommendations
of the Republican leadership of the
House and with probably only very
few Republican members voting against
it. These dissident Republicans will be
offset, to some considerable extent. by
Democratic members who will vote In
favor Of the bill.
Their is outrightly strong protection
list sentiment along the extra southern
fringe of the Democratic South. in
Florida and Louisiana and In Texas,
where Democratic agricultural pro-
ducerS are exposed to inroadS OF COM
petitive products from Mexico and the
West Indies, where the climate is warm
er and the wage cost Is lower.
Good Texas Bill"
One Of the most eminent of Texas
Democratic Representatives has re-
marked regarding the new bill, 1T Is a
good Texas bill" He intends. accord
ingly, at this moment to vote for 1t.
Representative O'Connor Of Louisiana,
a Democrat, has comprehensively de-
clared:
Like most of the people among whom
I dwell, am a rational protection1st In
the fullest and widest and deepest Sig
nificance Of the words"
MANY other Democrats in that general
region, including most particularly Flor
ida, are also full, wide and deep pro-
tectionistS. Some of them will vote for
the bill and virtually none of them will
offer to the bill any true opposition on
fundamental principle.
With almost unanimous Republican
support, with much Democratic hidden
support, and with little Democratic
open support, the bill might seem at
this moment to be a crushing success
and to be destined to put the whole
tariff question to sleep for long time
to come. Such. however, Is not the
view wholly held by the most far
sighted opinion in Washington.
Situation Double One.
The present situation is double
one. containing a contradiction which
may produce. revival of the tariff
question in an intense form within
relatively few years.
The first element in the situation is
that almost every Congressman. for his
own district or for his own State, Is a
strong protectionist and is necessarily
demanding higher duties for the prod
ucts Of his own constituents.
The second and conflicting element
in the situation is that an increasing
number Of Congressman. both Repub-
lican and Democratic, are tormented by
the thought that this game OF protec-
ton for everything and anything that
may be threatened by any import from
anywhere may now have gone too far
and that perhaps the adoption OF
basically different theory OF protection
may some day soon be advisable for the
prosperity of the country.
An Eastern Republican member OF
the ways and means committee OF the
House. after assisting in the construc-
ton Of this present new tariff bill, re-
marked to this writer:
ION present accepted principles l
hold this bill to be good bill: ! am
weakening, though. on the principles
I am not sure now that the right prin-
ciples may not be those Of our distin.
glished Democratic opponent, Cordeh
Hull of Tennessee"
Prediction Impossible.
This combat between what most Con-
gressmen are actually doing and what
an increasing number Of them are &C