Los Angeles herald., 1909-08-07
CLARK CLAIMS
DEMOCRATS IN
HOUSE UNITED
SAYS MINORITY IN HARMONY
ON TARIFF BILL
LEADER OF PARTY DECLARES
WRONG REPORTS ISSUED
insists Members of Opposition At
tended Meetings More Numerously
Than Republicans and Voted
on Payne's Motion
GRy Associated Press. ]

IA ASt1INGION, Aug. b-ln reply
w to what terms the misrepre-
sentations of Democrats in the
papers," Champ Clark, leader of the
minority in the house, today gave out
the following statement regarding the
course of the Democratic members of
the house in connection with the con-
sideration Of the Payne bill:
THE old saying that habit is second
nature, never more strikingly was IL
lustrated than by the fact many news
papers-generally Republican, or near
Republican - and more individuals,
keep mouthing about the dissensions
among the Democrats and the perfect
unity among house Republicans, not
withstanding the truth known or all
men who care to know that the house
Democrats came out of the tariff fight
more thoroughly united on that ques-
ton than they had been in genera
ton, and the Republicans came out
of it worse shattered than ever be-
fore.
"Some papers, either through care
lessness or malice, have gone so far
as to say that had the Democrats not
been absent in large numbers until
paired. we would have defeated the
conference report on the tariff bill.
There is not a syllable of truth In 1t,
and so to charge is either unadulter-
ated malice or criminal negligence.
Tells the Story
Now mark how plain a tale will
nut them down: on my notion last
spring to recommit the Payne bill
with instructions-whch instructions
constitute a comprehensive Democratic
platform, so far as the tariff is con-
cerned-all Democrats voted for II ex-
cept four. On the Payne bill itself,
4zJ.r mr. n
to recommit, was defeated. the Re-
publicans lost one vote and the Demo-
Gratis lost four a net loss to the Demo-
Gratis of three-a more nearly unani-
nous Democratic vote than has been
cast on a tariff bill in generation.
Lets examine into the comparative
majority among the Democrats and
Republicans. On Mr.. Payne's motion
to recommit the conference report, all
the Democrats except one voted for
il and twenty Republicans voted with
us. so the Republican party was We
torious by only five majority, al
though they had a majority of forty
five in the house.
ION that vote. there were absent six
Democrats and five Republicans.
among those absent four Democrats
we're paired with four Republicans,
leaving two Democrats and one Repub-
1ican absent without pair. If the two
Democrats absent without pairs had
been present and had voted with us we
would have been defeated by three
votes, Had one Democrat, who voted
with the Republicans, voted with us,
we would still have been defeated by
one vote. On that vote to recommt
the conference report the Democrats
voted more solidly than ever before
since the close of the Civil War, while
the Republicans were worse spllt up
House Machine Wins
"On the vote of the adoption of the
conference report the house machine
won by 10 majority only. There were
absent six Democrats and four RepuD-
Iicans. As on the motion to recommlt
four Democrats were paired with four
Republicans and two Democrats were
absent without pairs and two Demo-
Gratis voted with the Republicans. II
the two impaired Democrats had been
present and voted with us the machine
majority would have been reduced to
10; and if the two Democrats who voted
with the Republicans had also voted
with us the machine majority would
have been reduced TO b.
'''The reason Chairman Payne moved
to recomit was that he fooled himself
into the belief that we were going to
offer a motion to recommit with sn-
structions and he wanted to head that
off and by an agreement with the
sneaker undertook to do so, but we had
no idea of moving to recommit with IN
structions, because the situation abso-
lutely forbade ii, for the Republicans
who voted with us in favor of the
Payne motion simply to recommit
would have voted with the Republican
machinists against our motion to re-
commit with instructions-which IN
structions would have been Democratic
propositions.
Bell Kept Party in Line
"The full Democratic attendance was
largely due to the fidelity, vigilance and
industry of the Democratic whip, Thos
M. Bell, and to his two assistants, John
Garner and William Hughes, They did
all mortal men could do to have every
Democrat present.
MANY newspapers are trying to make
il appear that the Payne-AldriCh-S Smoot
hill is a revision downward This is alb
solutely untrue. The average of rates
of the Payne- Aldrich- Smoot bill is about
. per cent higher than the average rate
of the Dingley bill. When the maxi
mum goes into effect March 81, 1910, the
average rate will be about 27 per cent
higher than the average OF the Dihsle!
BILL"
Information received at the treasury
TODAY from New York, Boston and Phil
adelphia indicates the new tariff law is
working with unexpected smoothness.
Generally, at the beginning of the
operation of a new tariff law, matters
in the big customs houses are at skies
and sevens" for a few days, but no
confusion has yet manifested itself in
the administration of the Payne law,
it is said.
BY treasury officials this is accounted
for by reason of the new law having
been constructed on the general lines
of the Dingley act, although, of course,
the figures differ.
UNITED STATES GIVES FULL