The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-02-14
Ovation Is Given to the Mis- souTian By Republicans
 and Democrats Hike
TARIFF ID BE REVISED
 AFTER TIE ELECTION
Congressman Clark Declares RepubIls cans Will Put Another Stupendoue Confidence Game Upon the
 People After Election.

Washington. February 13.-Generai de-
 bate on the legislative appropriation bill | was brought to a close in the House of
 Representatives today after a session full | of interest and entertainment. Several | speeches were made on the issues of the
 day, the most notable by Champ Clark
 of Missouri, who commanded the atten-
 ton of the House for an hour and a half. | Upon the conclusion of his remarks he
 was accorded an ovation by democrats
 and republicans alike. MT. Clark arr
 raigned the republicans for their attl-
 tude on the tariff question and said that
 the announcement that there would be
 a revision of the tariff after election was
 simply 'in preparation of another stu
 pendous confidence game on the people," 1 He discussed the Presidents message and | said that whatever his virtues his 1 faults, the President was not democrat Other speakers were Messrs Rainey of
 Illinois, Thrill of Massachusetts, Gillett of
 Massachusetts and Hammond of Indiana. ! all of whom discussed various phases i of the tariff question.
 l Washington. February 13.-Representa- i tive Champ Clark of Missouri occupied ' the attention of the House of Representa- !! lives today for over hour in an ad- | dress upon the Presidents recent special 1 message to Congress, the financial dis l turbance of last fall and the tariff ques- | ton. It was a characteristic talk and | aroused the interest of the House to a i high degree.
 | In opening MT. Clark asserted that a. ] reasonable view should be taken in mat 1 ters touching the President but that it 1 had not been done as a rule.
 'He Is such belligerent personage,' | he declared, that his lightest word is a. 1 challenge to combat
 The President, he said, could not ex- press his views upon any question under l heaven "even on such subject So pro-
 saie and threadbare as the prospective | state of the weather, without precipi- tating a row his extreme adherents | swearing that there never had been such I a weather prophet on earth since Adam | and Eve were driven from the Garden l of Eden with flaming swords from para ! disc and his extreme enemies vocferat- l, ing that he knows no more about the 1 weather than does a ground hog" The i Presidents whole public life, said MT | Clark, had been one long succession of l spectacular fights. No man had been 1 more viciously assaed by men of his
 own party "and none was ever. while
  some of the opposing party
 Stronger and Stronger. But" he said. ''the truth is that this ! extraordinary man has waxed stronger 1 and stronger by waging his battles.", | Even defeat. he declared had made him | a larger and more commanding figure. l "So, he said, amid the swirl of things, l the deluge of words, the shouting of | his captains, the beating of tom toms. hn nf cFirr Ad hA ! wells of friend and foe. one who was a 1 personal friend of Theodore Roosevelt. | the man, but political opponent; the | politician statesman. had but little l chance of being heard in this babel of l voices"
 l Mr., Clark. however insisted that le would have his say. He spoke of his personal liking for the President. and l said that although. after the manner of | strong men, the President had pronounc- ed virtues and glaring faults of char | acter. he had never abused him. nor l had grown hysterical in admiration of | him, but he had supported him when l he right and fought him tooth and nail' when he was wrong. He believed | that was the way the President wanted l to be treated He must, indeed, said MT. Clark, entertain ineffable contempt for the invertebrate sycophants who l grovel before him all occasions and
 who. no matter what he does or says. throw high their sweaty caps in the air and shout 10 trumphe, To triumphe.'" MT. Clark spoke of the claim that MT. Roosevelt was better than his party,
 which fact he estimated, easily could be without running any imminent dam ger of being translated after the man. ner of Elijah in chariot of fire by reason of his goodness"
 Not a Democrat.
 But. he said. whatever the Presidents
 virtues or faults, he was not a democrat.
 Occasionally, he said, the President, very
 much to the delight of democrats and
 the confusion of republicans, approprates
 or absorbs, borrows or seizes democra-
 tic idea, and from his high coign of i
 vantage urges it with tremendous force:
 for.s he said the President obeyed to tho
 letter at least one scriptural njunction:
 whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do
 it with thy might" It was the heavy
 hand, or Big Stick of the President. !
 ho declared that had driven so many rel
 publicans 'pell mell Into the cave #
 Adullem, where there is weeping and
 wailing and gnashing of teeth and much
 profane swearing" and, he added. "so
 far as he has advocated democratic ideas, {,
 so far as he has mauled wicked republi- l
 cans with his mailed fist or thumped them
 with his big stick. he has deserved the
 unstfnted praise of all lovers of our coun-
 try"
 No one knew. continued MT. Clark,
 whether or not the President was a great
 man. He quoted from an old saying.
 count no man happy till he is dead and said it safe and sane rule to pronounce no man great until he was in his grave. We have not enough perspec- tive necessary to fix his status in history, he said and 1t is sheer folly to attempt it. Individually he wished the President well until March 4. 1908. when he hoped the President would quit forever flor no
 President will ever be elected to third term till the republic is on its last legs.'' Everyone could be honest. he maintained. even if he could not be great, and" he added If you republican big wigs would be candid you would confess that you are not half so much enamored of ths President as you seem to be-" The re- publicans. he declared. grew red in ths