The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1934-01-06

tainly have to be renewed, ana
probably carefully restricted, be-
fore it will be prudent to make
permanent the NRA. On the other
hand, powers have been vested in
the President which in any we'll
ordered government clearly ought to
repose permanently in the eXecu-
tive. The economy act is the con-
Spicuous example here. The essen
tial principle of that act is that the
initiative in expenditure should be
with the President, the restraint
upon expenditure with congress.
The old practice of having congress
determine what the President must
spend, down to the last detail of
the Office boys salary and the SOL
diers' pension and the poStoffice in
the village square is not only
wasteful, is not only destructive of
sound administration, but is pro-
foundry corrupting congress.
Patronage and the pork barrel
and pensions are not bulWarkS of
our liberty. On the contrary, they
are acids which corrode it. The
logrolling they require is nothing
but the bribery of interested voters
and political machines and whole
districts. The fact that reelection
is so greatly dependent upon mans
effectiveness in obtaining patron
age and pensions and pork is the
greatest obstacle that exists to the
rise of first rate men in the legis-
lature.
For congress to relinquish the de-
tailed control of these matters would
not be a diminution of its power, but
an enhancement of it. Preoccupa-
ton with salaries, jobs, local real
estate developments and contracts
degrades the legislative power, dis
tracts it from importnt matters, de-
stroys its effectiveness and its dig
nifty and its hold upon the conf
dence of the people. The day when
congress divests itself of its powers
over patronage and pensions and
pork will be day of emancipation
from bondage to ridiculous but cor
rupting trifles.
II
CONGRESS will be able to be the
" true defender of American
liberties and the true exponent OF
the national will when it can not
be coerced and cajoled by jobs and
favors. Congress, which is prop
erly resentful of bankers and 9TH
ers who are in positions of trust,
and yet attempt to serve two mas
tiers, should roll over in bed wake
up, and realize that trading votes
on national question for an ap-
pointment or a contract or pen
sion, is as immoral as speculation
with other peoples money.
The publication of the legiSIa-
tive power, SO that it may become
national in spirit and effective in
the control of policy, is the real way
of defending and perpetuating rep
resentative democracy. For it is
the weakness of parliaments rather
than the strength of tyrantS which
destroys free institutions. In the
modern world there can, therefore,
be no greater service to the cause
of liberty than to make liberal gov
ernments strong. They can be
strong only as they are incorrupt-
ible.
For that reason as we'll as for
many others, the report of the
Presidents executive commercial
policy committee dealing with the
tariff is a document of immense
Importance. In ffeect, it proposes
the adoption of something which for
all practicable purposes we have
never had-namely, a tariff policy
which is for the nation as a whole
and is based on sound economic
principles.
The committee proposes to have
congress recognize that interna-
tional trade is a two-way and not
one-way tranaction, that imports
and exports must be in approx
mate balance. 1t then proposes to
recognize the principle that protec-
ton should be given not to the in
efficient producers, but to the eff
Gent, that we should protect those
industries which are economically
sound and not those which are con-
genial invalids. 1t proposes then
that we should sell abroad the goods
We are most fitted to produce and
buy in exchange the goods we are
least fitted to produce.
u
NOTHING could be more i'm
l pregnably sound in principle
and if this report is the work of the
brains trust then it is evident that
the trust has brains. But quite
clearly it also knows American poll
tics And, therefore, the report pro-
poses that within reasonable limits
and in accordance with settled prin-
ciples, congress shall invest the exc
cutive with the power to fix rates
and make international bargains.
This proposal calls upon congress
to give up one of its cherished pre-
rogatives-namely, the right to log
roll the tariff rates. 1t will, there
fore, be attacked as unconstitu-
tional. revolutionary, fascist, COM
munist and so forth. But it is q
great proposal, and if it can be
adopted it will be one of the most
important reforms and. I believe,
one OF the most beneficial in our
history.
For our established method of
tariff making has two vital de-
fects. One is that it prevents us
from having a tariff policy suited
to our real interest. The last two
tariffs, as many Republican leaders
now admit in private, have been
economic monstrosities. In order to