Reopened

The question of high or low tariff, long a battleground between Republicans and Democrats, has in recent years lost some of its pristine vigor. The Republicans have ignored the high tariff except for perfunctory eulogies. The Democrats have used it chiefly as a handy missile for occasional flings at their opponents.

But agrarian dissatisfaction has recently forced it to the front, reopening the issue with something of the former bitterness. The high tariff was belabored last week at a tariff conference called by the Farmers' National Council in Washington, at a joint meeting of the American Economic Association and the American Farm Economic Association in Manhattan and at a meeting of the People's Reconstruction League in the Capital.

From a political standpoint the farmers' tariff argument is more of a threat than an actual proposal. The Administration does not want the tariff question opened, and by control of Congress it can probably prevent a new tariff bill. But the Administration cannot prevent the farmers from opening anew the tariff fight--a fight in which the Democrats are eager to take part.

Last week the onslaught on the tariff law began. Senator Capper (Republican) declared outright that it must be modified to benefit the farmer. Senator Wheeler, Representative Rainey, ex-Senator Walsh of Massachusetts (Democrats) joined the fray for lower tariffs. And in its midst complaints against the tariff law per se were made by others. Dr. F. W. Taussig of Harvard, the first Chairman of the Tariff Commission, an eminent economist and writer, attacked the use of the Commission for partisan purpose. He told a gathering of economists in Manhattan: "The temptation will always be present to use it as an instrument for supporting and carrying out a given policy--one of high duties or of low ones, of protection or free trade.

"The endeavor seems to have been to make it not an organization for unbiased inquiry on the facts, but one for preparing such recommendations as are known in advance to be acceptable to the party and the Administration in power."

And E. P. Costigan, a member of the Tariff Commission not in sympathy with Administration policies, openly advocated a Congressional investigation of the Commission.

In his speech in Chicago, last month, the President tried to show that farmers have not suffered from the present tariff. But his figures have been attacked. He said that the articles bought by farmers paid very little tariff, but the answer was made by those who argued last week, that the tariff tends to increase the general level of prices, and what the tariff costs the farmer cannot be gauged alone by the commodities on which he pays duty.

So the question of tariff rates was opened again, if not for action at least for free discussion.