Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-08-06
FOR HIS PARTY
Democrats Unscathed by
Tariff Fight, Clark Says.
MORE UNITED THAN EVER
In Far Better Shape, He Declares,
Than Are Republicans.
ANALYSIS OF HOUSE VOTES
No Revision Downward in the Bill
as 'Passed-Average of 2 Per
Cent Increase Claimed.
MORE UNITED THAN EVER
ANALYSIS OF HOUSE VOTES

In reply to what he terms 1.-The misrep-
resentation of democrats in the papers,
Champ Clark, leader of the minority in
the House of Representatives, today gave
out the following statement regarding
the course of the democratic members of
the House in connection with the consid
Grafton of the Payne tariff bill:
The old saying that habit is second
nature was never more strikingly illus
trated than by the fact that many news
papers-generally republican or near-re-
publican-and more individuals keep
mouthing about the discussions among
House democrats and the perfect unity
among House republicans, notwithstand-
ing the truth, known of all men who care
to know it. that the House democrats
came out of the tariff fight more thor
oughly united on that question than they
have been in a generation, and the re-
publicans came out of it worse shattred
than ever before.
Some papers, either through careless
ness or malice, have gone SO far as to
say that had the democrats not been alb
sent in large numbers, impaired, we
would have defeated the conference re-
port on the tariff bill There isn't a syl-
liable of truth in it, and to SO charge Is
either unauthorized malice or criminal
negligence.
Only Four Dissenters.
Now. mark how plain tale will put
them down: Upon my motion last spring
to recommit the Payne bill with instruc-
tlons-Which instructions constitute a
comprehensive democratic platform SO
far as the tariff is concerned-all demo-
Gratis voted for it except four. On the
Payne bill itself, voted on Immediately
after my motion to recommit was de-
feated, the republicans lost one vote and
the democrats lost four, a net loss to the
democrats of three-a more nearly unani-
nous democratic vote than has been cast
on a tariff bill in a generation.
True. that on some Of the items
few democrats flew the track, but SO did
more republicans.
Let's examine into the comparative
unity among democrats and republicans
On Mr.. Payne's motion to recommit the
conference report all the democrats ex-
cept one voted for 1t, aDd twenty re-
publicans voted with us, that the
republican machine was :torious by
only five majority, although they had a
majority of forty-five in the House. On
that vote there were absent six demo-
Gratis and five republicans. Among the
absentees four democrats were paired
with four republicans. leaving two DEM
ocrats and one republican absent with
out pairs. If the two democrats alb
sent WltHOuI pairs 0dU Deen present and
had voted with us we would have been
defeated by three votes. Had the one
democrat who voted with the republic
cans also voted with us we would still
have been defeated by one vote. On
that vote to recommit the conference
report the democrats voted more SOL
idly than they ever voted on any tariff
question since the close Of the civil
war. while the republicans were worse
split up.
Machines Close Call.
"On the vote on the adoption of the
conference report the House machine won
by twelve majority only. There were abb
sent six democrats and four republicans
AS on the motion to recommit, four
democrats were paired with four repub-
licans and two democrats were absent
without pairs and two democrats voted
with the republicans. If the two un-
paired democrats had been present and
voted with us the machine majority
would have been reduced to ten, and
II the two democrats who voted with
the republicans had also voted with us
the machine majority would have been
reduced to six. That was a close call
for the machine, but nothing could
nave been done to have turned their
hardly won victory into a defeat.
1.-The reason that Mr.. Chairman Payne
himself into the belief that we were go
ing to offer a motion to recommit with
instructions. and he wanted to head that
on. ana by an agreement with the Speak
er undertook to do so, but we had no idea
of moving to recommit with instructions,
because the situation absolutely forbade
1t, for the republicans who voted with
us in favor of the Payne motion to sim
ply recommit would have voted with the
republican machehists against our motion
to recommit with instructions-which in
structions would have been democratic
propositions. OF course. Mr.. Payne voted
against his own motion to recommit
Credit to Democratic Whips.
THE full democratic attendance was
largely due to the fidelity. vigilance and
industry of the democratic whip. Thomas
NJ. Bell, and to his two assistants, John
y. Garner and William Hughes. They
did all that mortal men could to have
every democrat present
Many newspapers are trying to make
it appear that the Payne-Aldrich-S moot
bill is a revision downward That is alb
solutely untrue. The average of rates
of the Payne-A ldrich-Smoo bill is about
> per cent higher than the average rate
of the Dingley BILL When the maximum
goes into effect. March 81, 1910, the aver
age rate will be about - per cent higher
than the average of the Dingley BILL
HYr