Evening star., 1932-06-26

came mainly from OKIanona ana
Texas.
Then in the Senate Democratic Sen
ators initiated a tariff on copper, upon
which there had been none before. And
Democratic Senators. in order to get
the tariffs they wanted on oil and cop
per and coal. agreed to support, and
did support, a tariff on lumber, de-
manded by Republicans from mainly
the States of Oregon and Washington.
The Democratic Senator, Barkley of
Kentucky, who had been chosen to
make the keynote speech next week,
was one of those who participated in
adding these new tariffs to the Smcot-
Hawley bill.
Under these circumstances it will be
interesting to see what the Democrats
do about the tariff next week. In the
country's present mood of disillusion-
ment about many institutions and
many symbols of accepted ways OF
thinking, it is dangerous to any party,
and a cruelty to the country, to make
promises without keeping them. con-
siderable portion Of the voters belieVe
the tariff to be an unJustifiab!e spe-
cial privilege. Many leaders OF thought
believe reduction of tariff walls by our
own country and others is an I'M
perative prerequisite for world recovery
from a world disease.
In fairness, it should be said that
from the point of view OF the United
States, changes in world conditions
since the Democrats won control OF the
House, have justified new view about
the tariff. Changes in the values OF
foreign currencies have in effect re-
duced tariffs, which in 1880 seemed
high. But if the Democrats stand on
this view they should be frank enough
70 say so. The country, for the sake
Of recovery from spiritual d1sillusion-
ment, for the sake of recovery OF faith
in parties, leaders and institutions,
needs candor even more than 1t needs
tariffs or any other economic device.
The writer of this article attended
last week the Republican National Con-
vention. Tomorrow he will begin at
tendance at the Democratic National
Convention. The total number Of these
quadrennial sessions OF politicians ne
has attended is now close to score.
I suspect few men, perhaps none, have
attended more. A Democrat l know has
attended 10 conventions Of his own party
and. I think, without verifying the
point, that DR.. Nicholas Murray Butler, |
president of Columbia University, has
attended IA Republican conventions
think he attended the Republican con-
vention Of 1880 (Which nominated Car |
feld) as youthful spectator not yet |
old enough to vote. He was delegate
to the Republican convention of 1888 4
and to every one from 1904 to the
present. That record Of IA ccnven- /
tons, If it is correct, must be without |
equal among Republicans.
Politicians and Inventions.
But Republicans and Democrats at
tend as a rule only the conventions /
of their respective parties The writer |
of this article belongs by his calling !
to that small number of men; almost |
exclusively newspaper writer's, who have |
preferred seats, and also the run of the !
back scene stage, at conventions OF
both parties-as well as, in my own |
case the two quite important conven- |
tions Of the Progressive party i'll 1912 I
and 1916, and two or three of the con- /
ventions of minor third parties
From the extent and the miscellane-
business of his experience and from a
tempcramental point Of view, to which
practically al politicians of either party
have come to look alike, the reader has
a right to expect that 1 should be able
to distill some small essence of worth |
while wisdom.
extract it from the air in the audi
torium Not, mark you, the wind. The
tilpeS comfortably cool. 1t had an even
temperature Of I should say, 70 de-
grueS, regardless of the heat outside.
AS ! mere contrast between present and
raSis that is a striking change, to one
who can recall the swelter of conven- |
tions on not June and July days in st.
Louis and Kansas City, when the sun
heat OF 100 degrees was increased by
the man heat of 10000 sweltering. !
sweating delegates and spectators-3nd
the sum of that was still further in
creased by the oratorical calorifics of
such a speaker as William Jennings
BRYAN.
But if there is to be value in this
observation, 1t must go further than
merely to record the contrast between
the now and the then; 1t should find
some generalization, some deduction OF
wisdom. Well, here it is:
This addition to mans comfort, the
air-cooling device that makes this
room comfortable and healthful, was
not brought about by politicians. 1t
never would have been brought about
by politicians. The extension Of that
comfort to any home. which is just
ahead of us, will not come about
through politicians Within very few
years, in every home, office and fac
tory. artificial coolness will be turned
on in Summer as simply and naturally
as artificial heat is turned on in Win
ter, The process will at no time be
brought about, or in any way helped,
By politicians. So far as politicians
get their hands on it. the effect Of their
lingering and interfering will be to
delay and impede It.
Among other impediments the poll
ticians will tax 1t. To the politician,
any new form of human enrichment
is a new thing TO tax. Gasoline came
into the world in an important way,
but little more than a quarter CEN
tury ago. It was not long allowed to
escape the taX-layers and taX-eaters.
Today, in some States, gasoline is taxed
as high as cents gallon. Congress
has Just put on an additional tax of
another cent. Speaker Garner wanted
to put on yet another quarter cent TO
pay for dredging mud creeks and build
ing post Offices in country villages, the
purpose Of this pork being TO keep
politicians in Office The aggregate
tax paid on gallon of gasoline is in
many States greater than the sum re-
ceiyed for it by the workers who pro-
duced it; it is a 100 per cent tax.
That is what politicians do about
new inventions. That is what they
will do to air-cooling. They will tax
it. and many of them will follow poll
cies in Congress and elsewhere which
will have the effect of deliberately him
dering it. Politicians distrust the
processes by which new inventions are
! diffused among the people; and they
are jealous of the rewards of the men
/ who bring this diffusion about
Bryan and La Toilette.
At the conventions which composed
the beginnings of my experience, two
Of the, leading figures were William
Jennings Bryan in the Democratic
party, and Robert M. La Toilette in
the Republican. Their political philos-
ophy. speaking broadly. looked to put
ting limitation upon large units of in
dustry Their political appeal consisted
mainly of inciting the average man
TO suspicion of men who were above
the average