The Topeka state journal., 1909-03-24
Sounds Keynote of Opposition
to the Tariff Bill.
BLAMES REPUBLICANS
In Advance for Any Possible
Long Drawn Out Debate.
Says Democrats We're Not Con-
suited by Trainers of Bill.

was opened by Congressman Champ
Clark in speech in the house today
Declaring that the present is no time
for an academic discussion of the
tariff. Mr. Clark said he had gone to
Chairman Payne and suggested that in
so far as he was concerned he gladly
would have waived all general debate
on the bill if assurance could be given
that there would be ample time for
amendments and debate under the five
minute rule of the entire measure sec
ton by section 1t was his judgment
that the bill could be amended in many
respects.
Touching the failure of the consumer
to appear before the committee Mr.
Clark said that there were two reasons
for this, one that in the beginning the
public looked upon the hearings as a
stupendous confidence game, and sec
ond that the consumer felt that the
possibility Of having his tariff burden
substantially reduced. was so remote
that he did not think it worth travel
ing expenses, hotel bills, neglect of
business and loss of time While that
applies to the fairly we'll to do ultimate
consumers he said there were millions
OF ultimate consumers who had not the
wherewithal to foot the bills for trip
to Washington and other millions, who
could scrape together the expense
money but could not afford to use it
in that way.
Il,
consumer really speaks in these hear
ings only through questions propound-
ed by members of the committee in All
honest endeavor to ascertain the
TRUTH
Each Wanted Biggest Piece.
Most of the cross firing among wit |
nesses he said was where one set of
manufa cturers fell afoul of another be-
cause ''the tariff pie was not evenly
distributed and each one wanted the
biggest piece
To Mr. Fordney of Michigan. Mr. |
Clark extended his assurances of his
'prof0undest consideration as a fight |
er. He would put a game cock to blush
in that regard. If he said Mr. Ford |
ney were given carte blanche to write a |
tariff bill. it would be short, if not
sweet and would in these words:
g If an article can be produced in |
this country by any process or at any
cost whatsoever, nothing like it shall |
be imported
All through the hearings, he said Mr. |
Fordney was on hand with first aids |
for the wounded. He said that the rest
of the report first or last ''came over to |
our side" on different subjects and in
various degrees, but that Mr.. Fordney |
never lowered his colors Neither
Leonidas at the Pass nor Horatius at |
the bridge was a marker to him. he |
said.
Discussing the situation in which |
the ways and means committee found |
itself, he said, it was unprecedented, |
because both parties had favored re- /
ducing the tariff rates of the Dingley |
bill. "Of course" he said, "the Re-
publican platform was equivocaI' but |
he added in that connection most of |
the Republican members came at last |
to construe it a revision downward. |
The Democrats so construed it. and he |
said the better part of wisdom and |
patriotism would have been for all |
the members to have collaborated in |
the work of preparing the bill after
the hearing closed.
1--WE have all American citizens,
equally interested in the prosperity, |
glory and happiness of a mighty peo-
ple,'' he exclaimed mot one of US
had the slightest desire to injure in /
any way or to any extent whatsoever,
any legitimate American industry"
Each Party Under Orders.
In addition to the peculiar coin |
cidence of both parties being under |
orders to revise the tariff downwards |
he said, all were stared in the face |
by a large and increasing deficiency |
in the revenues. There were, he said, !
but three ways known among men by |
which deficiency may be cured, cut |
down expenses. increase taxes and is !
sue bonds. To issue bonds, he de- !
clared, was no remedy at all 1t was !
simply postponing the day when they |
must be paid. principal and interest |
Taxes should be increased where pos
sible to avoid it.
Cutting down appropriations. he :
said where it could be done, without !
stinting the government in any of it's
proper functions, was the most |
efficient remedy for a deficiency, |
''but'' he added. "our Republican !
brethren seem utterly incapable of |
cutting down appropriations. We |
favor that remedy on the old Jeffer- |
sonian principle of economy in the |
public expense that labor may be |
lightly burdened.
He argued that as the Republicans
can not economic and as they were |
in the majority, the committee on |
puiston. t'to somehow increase the |
revenues by about s15O.O00.OO0 per
annum'' Taking the whole situation |
into account he said. "the wise thing |
would have been to invite the Demo- !
Gratis to join in preparing the bill. |
We would greatly have aided them in |
their investigation meditations. and |
conclusions. he said
In such joint work. he said no !
member could have got into the bill |
or out of it all that he desired. |
There was no danger of our out |
voting Them he remarked. "for they |
had twelve members to our six but |
we might by mutual concessions have |
agreed in whole or even in part. 1t |
would have greatly expedited the pas |
sage of the bill. thereby shortening |
the business suspense now pervadins |
the land
The idea of collaboration, however, |
he said did not occur to the Republi- |
cans. son the contrary they concluded
TO seeregate themselves and go it |
alone, az they had a perfect right to
do"