Exit Costigan

One way to spoil a party of which you disapprove is to leave it, making a disturbance as you go. That attracts people's attention. If you were right, the party may be toned down or turned off.

Such was the technique of Edward Prentiss Costigan, when he resigned last week from the Federal Tariff Commission. He had served longer on it than any other member. A Colorado lawyer and mine-owner, he was appointed in 1917 by President Wilson, when the Commission was invented to "take the tariff out of politics."

Removing the tariff from politics is about as possible as breeding a boneless herring. "High tariff" and "low tariff" are dogmas of two opposite schools of economy if not expressions of two opposite views of life. The inevitable politics of tariff administration were acknowledged when the Commission's founders provided that of its six members, not more than three should be in the same political party. That provision provided deadlock. The deadlock has persisted during virtually all of the Commission's eleven-year existence. The low-tariff deadlocker has been Edward Prentiss Costigan. Since 1922, the high-tariff deadlocker--and successful champion--has been Chairman Thomas O. Marvin, Boston Republican, against whom Mr. Costigan last week hurled charges and complaints that were six years old.

Mr. Costigan began calling Mr. Marvin a "lobbyist" when the latter was first appointed by President Harding. And Mr. Marvin was a lobbyist in Washington, for the wool trade. That is why President Harding appointed him. That is politics. "Give as many people as much as they want as much of the time as you can."

Last week Low-Tariff Mr. Costigan added that High-Tariff Mr. Marvin was "tireless and fanatical"; that his continued membership on the Commission impaired its usefulness and reputation. He criticized two other members of the Commission--Edgar B. Brossard of Utah and Sherman J. Lowell of New York--for belonging to the "Marvin group." He attacked President Coolidge for disposing of former Commissioners, notably David J. Lewis of Maryland, when their views and actions displeased. He also charged disregard of law and improper exercise of power against President Coolidge's record on tariff changes under the flexible provision which permits 50% increases or decreases by the President independent of Congress. The Coolidge record is 18 increases and five decreases, the latter including lowered rates on bobwhite quail, mill-feed, paintbrush handles. President Coolidge has raised the tariff on such important commodities as wheat, butter, pig iron.

What Mr. Costigan sought was a Congressional inquiry. Two years ago he sought the same thing and a committee under Senator Robinson of Arkansas was appointed, but nothing came of it.

Used to the Costigan castigations, Chairman Marvin commented last week: "I part with him with a salute for his many fine qualities and wish him greater success and satisfaction in his new enterprises than he achieved as a member of the commission." Commissioner Brossard quoted sarcastically: "'Captain, they're all out of step but me.'"