The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1909-06-11
CLARK THINKS PEOPLE WILL
PUNISH CONGRESS FOR TARIFF
BY gibson GARDNER.

This is the question / shot at
Champ Clark, leader of the minor
ity of the house. 2
The tariff" answered Clark.
'NYoa mean what do we porpose to
do in case the Cannon-Payne-Ald-
rich bill becomes a LAWN the
shape in which It is?"
Assuming that the tariff law
will be substantially what the AID
rich bill now forecasts"
Turn them out" said Clark. Il
take it that will be the peoples
verdict. The republican party is
responsible and the republicans
will have to pay the fiddler"
"Do you think the country will
be satisfied with the Aldrich bill ?"
Not unless the people change
their mind 1t is plain to me that
at the present time the voters of
the country are far from satisfied.
Why should they be? Have they
been clamorign for revision up
ward? Does the average man want
to see the cost Of food and clothes
increase? Does he like to pay a
tax every time he turns around in
order that monopoly may be fos-
tered?
Not much. The republican
party went before the country in
. the national campaign promising
revision downwards. That is what
the people understood. That under
standing was responsible for a mil
lion votes for their presidential
ticket. 1t was responsible for the
election of many republican
member of the house who other
wise would have been a democrat.
The people. have feeling that
they have been unfairly dealt with.
The people will~resent it."
How about the democratic
votes which have been cast in
favor of the Aldrich tariff SEIZED
ules?"
THAT will be one question to be
answered by the people. Either the
tariff is a democratic issue or 1t is
not. If the men who vote for
tariff bill are supported by the peo-
pie in what are democratic dis
tricts, then the tariff issue has no
place in politics. 1t has ceased to
be a political issue. On the other
hand, if there is a difference be-
tween republicans and democrats
on this tariff matter, the demo-
Gratis who vote for a republican
tariff bill are not representing
their constituencies. Il will be up
to their constituents to turn them
out of office"
do you anticipate that the tar
iff will be the next campaign is
sue?"
"The republicans have kindly
furnished us with several cam
.paign issues. The tariff will be
one; Cannonism will be another.
A good many people feel that the
necessity for a change in the rules
and in the government of the
house of representative is quite
as important as any legislation
which has been passed or will be
pending. They want to see their
house made representative body.
They want to see an end to a sys-
TEN by which all legislative power
is lodged in one man and the COM
mittees which he organizes. I pre-
dict that in the coming election of
congressman all candidates will be
subjected to sharp questioning
along these lines. They will have
to tell the people what they think
about the rules and what they
think about protective tariff. AS
to the latter matter, they will have
to tell their people whether they
are In favor of a tariff for the
trusts or a tariff framed for reve-
nue-evenue for the government,
not revenue for private monopo-
lies"
do you expect the next house
to have democratic majority?"
"Unquestionably ! do. 1t has
been the history of tariff legisla.
ton that the party responsible for
such laws as this Aldrich bill has
been overwhelmingly defeated at
the elections following their pass
age"
Republicans claim that they
will be able to overcome the pres
ent feeling of the people by the
prosperity argument"
Yes, ] expect they will try that
game. They will get up and try to
make the people think that their
tariff bill has brought prosperity.
But that argument has been worn
quite threadbare. The increased
cost of living will be forced upon
the consumer, prosperity or nc
prosperity. The growing power OF
trusts will be brought home to the
people by the history of this tariff
act. The control by trusts of the
men In congress supposed to repre-
sent the people will be none the
less evident whether prosperity