Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-12-08
CLARK IS HOPEFUL
Democrats Best Chance Since
1894, He Asserts.
HIS CRITICISM OF TAFT
Presidents Speeches Have Not
Helped His Party, Declares
Leader of Minority.

| Representative Champ Clark OF Mis-
souri, democratic leader of the House,
has decided views upon political condi-
/ tons in the country.
| In an interview he expressed them as
/ follows:
After travelling over: into or through
twenty states during the vacation of
! Congress, talking with all sorts and con-
ditions of people, my conclusion is that
the democrats have the best chance that
| they have had since 1894 to win in the
| congressional elections. This condition
Of affairs grows partly out of republican
factional fights. partly out of dissatisfac-
ton with the PayneAldrich-S moot tariff
monstrosity and partly out of the nat
ural desire for IA change.
Taft and His Speeches.
President Taft's 1:',o0o-milc swing
around the circle did nothing to moilify
the disgruntled republicans. His speeches.
particularly his Winona speech, added
fuel to the flames. His jumping on the
Oklahoma constitution in one OF his New
Mexican speeches set the Oklahomans
wild
His speech at cairo, intimatinS that
all other deep-water boomers must stand
back and wait for nine-foot channel IN
the Ohio was a direct slap in the face Tor
several millions of people In the MISSES
sippi valley. Nobody objects to nlne-
foot channel for the Ohio: it would be
great thing but the rest OF cannot see
any sufficient reason why the MISSISSIPPI,
Missouri. tennessee, Cumberland and
otheN rivers should not be improved at
the same time the Ohio is being lifted out
with a nine-foot channel.
THE President would he better off il
he had remained on the White House lot
all summer had put i'll the time at
Beverly, Mass, playing golf.
His feryent eulogy on Senator Nelson
w Aldrich OF Rhode Island does not set
we'll on the popular stomach Whatever
the senator's virtues or vices. he is per
soma non grata to the masses.
$50 far from believing that the Payne
Aldrich- Smoot bill is the best tariff
bill ever placed upon the statute BOOKS,
as the President asserted in his Wlnona
speech. the majority of the people deem
it the worst. They marvel greatly at the
Presidents change of opinion on that
odoriferous measure from the time he
signed it till he invaded the home town of
James A. Tawney.
Cannon No Peacemaker.
$50 far as Speaker Cannon's speeches
are concerned, they have had about the
same soothing effect as a good, strong,
homemade mustard plaster or vitriol
both would have. Everywhere he rubbed
salt into the wounds of the insurgents. and
they are jumping sideways, and yelling
Wow" in tone loud enough to wake
the dead.
LAS a poultice Uncle Joe is not a
bowling success. To him will never be
applied the blessing vouchsafed to the
peacemakers in the Sermon on the
Mount
What will he done at this session?
Appropriation bills, bridge bills. and
such things. Perhaps effort will be
made to pass ship subsidy bill.
Usually that job is held back to the
short session, but the signs of the times
indicate that the boomers subsidized both
papers and orators to advocate ship SUP
sidy this spring summer and fall. They
may feel confident enough to try and
pass it at this session, but it will be
fought to the last ditch.
IF opportunity serves, we will con
tinue our efforts to liberaliZe the rules
of the House-also to punch holes in
the Payne Aldrich-Smoot tariff bill.
"Of course, the democrats will do all
in their power to cut appropriation bills
toA an economical basis: and to secure
am adequate and comprehensive scheme
of waterway improvement