Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-03-24

doubt that the committee would regart
their wishes.
The people of the district followed hi.
advice Speaker Cannon added that ht
was now convinced that the Joplin DIS
trict earnestly desired protection
Another Tilt With Cannon.
Replying. Mr.. Clark insisted that hi.
position was that the people of the
United States were paying a nigh
price that we might have the society
of my friend. Charlie Morgan. in this
House" Mr.. Morgan is the republican
successor to Mr.. Hackney.
statement by Mr.. Clark that GER
tain persons in Joplin tried to deceive
the committee with regard to. the ne
cessity for a duty on zinc brought a
denial from Mr.. Morgan.
The Speaker again took the floor to
make an explanation, when Mr.. Clark
10 discuss the tariff question with
President Taft before the bill was re-
ported. Mr. Cannon admitted that he
went there at the invitation of the
tor Aldrich and Secretary MacVeagh
there.
He denied that the tariff was dis
cuSsed. or IL it was. he did not know
it. What was discussed. he said. was
the general condition of the Treasury
and the desirability of good admins
tration, land. so far as possible. an
organization and an administration OF
that great department that would tend
to bring the Expenditures of the gov
eminent within the revenues.
Speaker Hints of Undertaking.
Mr.. Cannon took occasion to remark
tina. he rarely corrected pl'srepresenta
ton. but it seemed in the present in
stance he could do SO with propriety. In
former years. he declared, he had sat in
the chair and on the floor and heard mis-
representations Astounding in absolute
fslsehood that have been taken for III =
truth by the undertaking newspapers. and
even written in the democratic platform -
Mr.. Clark protested that he was not
trying to nlisrepresent the Speaker
Il sometimes Think suavely replied
Mr.. Cannon, that perhaps he is not as
clear as to the matter of the difference
between the suggestion of that which is
error and the letting alone of that which
Is truth. as he might have been in Dis
cusslng the public questions touching thn
revenues ~
Resuming his argument, Mr. Clark an.
nounced that. If given the opportunity.
the free list. and" he said. they can AZ,
below about free traders as much as
they please"
Never: he said. would the tariff be taken
of boots and shoes unless it was done
when it was taken off hides
Mucn atten.ion was given by Mr.. Clark
TO the subject Of wool and woolens.
Inc wooden schedule" he said. lis the
most monstrous thing in this bill II is
inc most complicated of all the schedules.
IL IS a monstrous oppression Of the poor
MI. Clark's Speech.
Declaring that the present was no time
for an academic discussion of the tariff.
Mr. Clark said he had gone to Chair
man Payne and suggested that in so far
as he was concerned he gladly would have
waived all general debate on the bill il
assurance could be given that there would
be ample time for amendment and debate
under the five-minute rule of the entire
measure. section 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 there were two reasons for this
one. that in the beginning the public
looked upon the hearings as stupendous
confidence game. and, second, that the
consumer felt that the probability Of hav-
ing his tariff burden substantially reduced
was SO remote that he did not think 1t
worth travelling expenses, hotel bills,
neglect of business and loss OF time.
While that applied to the fairly well-to-
do ultimate consumer. 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 could not afford to use it in that
way.
- so that" he said. 1.-THE ultimate con-
sumner really speaks in these hearings
only through questions propounded by
members of the committee in an honest
endeavor to ascertain the truth
Most of the cross-firing among wit
nesses. he said, was where one set OF
manufacturers fell afoul Of another, be-
tributed and each one wanted the biggest
piece"
Says Fordney Is Fighter.
To Mr.. F'ordney of Michigan Mr.. Clark
extended his assurances Of his profound
est consideration as a fighter. He would
put game cock to blush in that regard. -
If, he said. Mr.. Fordney were given
carte blanche to write a tariff bin, sit
would be short, If not sweet, and would
be in these words: If an article can be
produced in this country by any process
or at any cost whatsoever. nothing like II
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
republicans. first or last, "came over to
our side different subjects and in
various degrees, but that Mr.. Fordney
never lowered his colors.
Neither Leonidas at the pass nor Hora.
thus at the bridge was g. 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 reducing the
tariff rates of the Dingley BILL
''Of course he said "the republican
platform was equivocal." but, he added
In that connection most Of the republican
members of the committee came at las,
to construe 1t as a revision downward
The democrats so construed it, and .ie
said the better part of the wisdom and
patriotism would have been for all the
members to have collaborated In the work
of preparing the bill after the hearings
closed
All Mutually Interested.
I'VE are all American citizens. equally
interested in the prosperity, glory anc
happiness of a mighty people," he ex
claimed. mot one Of US had the slightest
desire to injure in any way or to any ex.
tent whatsoever any legitimate American
frt-