The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1930-01-16
BECK DOUBTS
PASSAGE OF
TARIFF BILL
Noted Congressman, Here
to Address State Bar,
Mum on Dry Law.
DEADLOCK Is EXPLAINED
Neither Senate Nor House
Will Abandon Stand
on FIexibiIity.
BY DANIEL VI. KIDNEY

Prohibition Is cancer that
slowly is eating out the moral fibre
OF the American people. Enforce
nlent will be as effective as the ap-
piication by surgeon of a mustard
Plaster to a malignant cancer"
That is how Congressman James
NJ Beck of Pennsylvania, former
solicitor general of the United
States. feels about this prohibition
business, on the tenth anniversary
of the adoption of the eighteenth
amendment
CongrI man Beck is in Indian
apolis to address the midwinter
meeting Of the Indiana Bar AsSo-
citation at the dinner tonight at the
Columbia CLUB.
He stated his stand, as quoted
above, before leaving Washington
Tor Indianapolis. The occasion was
his rejection of leadership of the
modificationiStS in the lower house.
Beck, however, declared his willing
ness to serve in the ranks.
Doubts Tariff Progress
Today he refused to expand on
this statement, although it is the
tenth anniversary of VolSteadlSm.
The congressman pointed out that
he is the guest here of both the
state and Indianapolis Bar Associa-
ton, and felt that it would be i'm
proper to be interviewed on such a
highly controversial question while
here.
He did express his views on the
impoSsibility of tariff legislation, on
the values of the speedy procedure
OF the house. and the long drawn
out debate CT the senate.
81 doubt whether tariff legisla-
ton will be passed this session, -
Congressman Beck declared AT
the JOINT conferences. differences be-
tween the house and senate on deb
enture may be ironed out, but nei-
ther side will yield on the flexible
tariff
Should the President abandon his
demand for flexibility. as passed by
the house, reasonable adjustment
Of other differences may be reached.
Neither VIII Yield
But there is no present indica-
ton that either the President or
senate will yield on their respective
views in this important matter. The
houee is likely to sustain the Presi-
dent If he insists on the retention
OF his present powers of raising or
lowering tariffs as amplif1ed by the
house bill
"The fight probably will be a
stubborn one, for it involves a con-
Stitutional question of fundamental
Importance.
Possibly the President will
abandon his position, rather than
have a failure of any tariff legisla-
ton.
This session will be long and
extremely important"
In answering the question regard
ing procedure, Congressman Beck
had this to say:
In my judgment, it is an al
vantage to the American people
that the house is efficient in the
speedy disposition of public
measures and equally so that the
senate prefers more careful con-
Sideration of important public
questions.
System Is Good
1T Is TO the best interests of the
people that one branch should not
be too much controlled by the mo-
tive of speedy action. Most impor-
tant public measures involve ques-
tions of principles affecting the
structure of our government.
1T Is desirable that the full sig
nificance of these fundamental ques-
lions should be understood. While
this means a great deal of futile
prolixity by some talkative sena-
tors, whose speeches are more VOL
able; as Napoleon said. You can
not make an omelet without break
ing eggs So you can not have or
DERBY debate without some senators
wasting the time of the senate.
The house and the senate may
be regarded as the positive and
negative poles Of the electric cur
rent of public opinion. Each serves