Business: Trade: The Black Comedy That Could Come True

It sounds like a ludicrous piece of political black humor. A Southern Democrat introduces an import-restricting bill designed to help a Republican President who wants to win votes in Dixie. Egged on by organized labor, Congressmen joyfully expand the bill into a measure that will force consumers to pay higher prices for clothes, shoes and many other goods. More than 4,000 professional economists sign a letter warning that the bill not only will be grossly inflationary but will also gravely hurt the nation's position in world trade. The U.S. Secretary of State says...