Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1909-04-02
THE MINORITY LEADER SPEAKS.

hours upon the tariff bill now penang III
the House. Following is brief synopsis
of Mr.. Clark's speech:
In his formal speech Mr.. Clark said that
he had gone to Chairman Payne and sue-
gested that so far as he was concerned he
gladly would have waived all general de-
bate on the bill if assurance could be given
that there would be ample time for amend
ment and debate under the five-minute
rule, of the entire measure, section by Sec
ton.
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 look
ed upon the hearings as stupendous con-
fdence game, and second. that the con-
sumner felt that the possibility of having
his tariff burden substantially reduced was
so remote that he did not think it worth
travelling expenses, hotel bills, neglect of
business and loss of time.
ALL INTERESTED.
Discussing the situation in which the
ways and means committee found itself,
he said it was unprecedented, because both
parties had favored reducing the tariff rates
of the Dingley bill. "Of course" he said,
1.-The Republican platform ives equivOcal,"
but he added in that connection most of
the Republican members of the committee
came at last to construe it as 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 elaborated in the work
of preparing the bill after the hearings
closed
In addition to the peculiar coincidence
of both parties being under orders to re-
wise the tariff downward, he said. all were
stared in the face by large and increas-
ing deficiency in the revenues.
Cutting down appropriations, he said,
where it could be done without stintine
the government in any of its proper func-
tons was the most efficient remedy for a
deficiency, but" he added. "our Republi-
can brethren seem utterly incapable of
cutting down appropriations. We favor
that remedy on the old JeffersOnian prin-
ciplc of Economy in the public expense
that labor may be lightly burdened.
The Republicans. Mr.. Clark said, had
made two tactical blunders. Mr.. Payne.
the chairman of the committee on ways
and means, he added. had been scared by
the Democrats into declaring on the floor of
the House in favor of tariff revision. The
other mistake was in adopting the maxi
mum and minimum tariff system as ex-
emplifed in the Payne bill. But at the
bottom of the movement for tariff revision,
he said, was Theodore Roosevelt.
SOME Mock SORROW.
81 never had any decisions about that
man." he said amid shouts of laughter.
"He is gone" he said. in mock tones of
sorrow. Addressing the Republicans, he
said Some of you hope he will never
come back. But my regret is that he left
at all, because if he had stayed here you
would have been in such a row within 80
days that you would not know whether
you were Republicans or Democrats.
The average rates in the Payne bill. Mr..
Clark declared, are about 1855 per cent.
higher than the average rate of the Ding
ley act. What reductions have been made
in the Dingey schedules, he continued,
were more apparent than real. The re-
duction in sugar made by the Payne, bill
would not hurt, but, on the contrary. would
aid the sugar trust. which, Mr.. Clark said,
was criminal corporation. There is the
same old joker in the tariff on petroleum,
which, he continued, is ostensbly on the
free list, but is actually protected by rate
of between 1870 per cent. and 200 per
cent. The Democrats. he said, will make
an attempt to defeat the countervailing
duties on petroleum. The Standard Oil
Company, Mr.. Clark continued, did not dis
cover their oil fields. but allowed other
persons to locate and exploit them; then.
he said the Standard Oil Company stepped
in and bought the oil fields at their own
price.
Would that condition be changed by
eliminating this c0untervailing duty2" in
quired Mr.. Scott
Mr.. Clark replied in the affirmative, and
being pressed for an explanation as to how
it could be done. he said that If the Stand
ard put up the price of refined oil too high
somebody else would ship refined oil to the
United States.
~. af ha
minority leader declared that as choice
between evils it would be infinitely better
to repeal the countervailing duty on pc
troleum and put straight ad valorem duty
on crude oil even Of 20 or IS per cent.
CANNON AND ZINC.
Taking up the duty on zinc ore. Mr.. Clark
said he was in favor Of revenue tariff on
zinc ore, but not in favor Of a prohbitive
duty, such as was contained in the Payne
bill. Mr. Clark referred to a trip made by
Speaker Cannon through Missouri last fall
during the political campaign. The Speaker.
Mr.. Clark said. made several speeches in
behalf of Representative Charles Morgan.
who was the Republican candidate in that
district Mr.. Clark said that he would re-
member Speaker CannOn's speech at Jop-
lin as long as he lived. He quoted the
Speaker as saying
my fellow-citizens, here is the situation :
If Republican House is elected. will be
Speaker II the Democrats elect the House,
Mr.. Clark will be Speaker. A vote for Mr..
Morgan is vote for me. A vote for Mr..
Hackney, the Democratic candidate is a
means a tariff on zinc; a vote for Mr..
Hackney means none"
For the first time this session. Speaker Can