Yesterday was Friday the thirteenth. Yesterday the Senate passed the new tariff bill by the slim margin of two votes. That was as expected. The prestige of the United States Senate is not what it used to be. The days of Calhoun and Webster are gone. Unfortunately, however, the power of the Senate remains the same.

The new extremely high tariff comes from the Senate with the damning of everyone except the good old Republican regulars. The farmers find in it no relief for their troubles. The heavy industrial flavor of the rate increases will shoot up the cost of living more than enough to offset the agricultural protection. Economists in the cloister are unanimous in condemning the increase at the present time. Even the business men whom the Boston Herald would have settle the tariff are opposed to the new measure. Henry Ford and Alfred P. Sloan, friends of the President and giants of industry, hit the bill as a dangerous blow to genuine prosperity.

With the nation dissatisfied with the new tariff the bill goes to the President. "The Senate is pretty jaded", as Senator Moses admits, but Mr. Hoover is an engineer and supposedly free from the evils of the politician. He will consider the new act carefully. It seems hard to believe that he can be satisfied with it. An interesting point in connection with the 1932 campaign is to speculate on the President's action. Will the engineer meet the situation with the powers of real leadership necessary to make the statesman?