Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1909-03-25


Judgment thai the bill could b.
amended In many respects
Touching the failure OF the con
sumner to appear before the commit,
tee. Mr.. Clark said thai there were
two reasons for this. one. that 81
the beginning the public looked upon
the hearings ss a stupendous conf,
dence game. and. seoond. cha the
consumer felt that the possibility oil
having his tariff burden sub xantially
reduced was so remote that they aid
not think II worth travelling expenses
hotel. bi'ls. neglect of business and
loss OF time.
While shat applied 60 the fairly
well-to-do ultimate consumer he said
there we're millions OF ultimate con-
sumer5 who had not the wherewiih-
al to foot the bills for trip 10
Washington and other millions who
could scrapc together the expenss
money could not afford to use Il In
that way"
$50 that" he said, the ultimate
con umer ally speaks IN these hear
ings only through questions pro-
pounded by members OF the comml.-
tee in an honest endeavor to ascsf-
tain the truth
Most OF the Gro s-firinn among
witnesse5 he said. was where one SCI
Of manufacturers fell afouI OF an.
ether becaue the sarir pie was
not evenly distributed and each one
wanted the biggest piece
To. Mr. Fordney. OF Michigan, Mr.
Clark extended his assurances OF
his profoundest con- alteration as 4
fighter. He would put game cock
TO bhuSh in that regard. "Tf he said
Mr.. F'ordney were given carte
Blanche TO write sariff bill "it
would be short II not sweet and
would be in these words, 'ff an
article can be produced In this coun-
try by any process whatsoeyer. atoh-
ing like II shall be imported.
'Al through the hearings he eaid.
Mr.. Fordney was on hand with first
aid for the wounded. He said shat
the rest OF the Republicans. arst or
last. came over TO our side" on
different subjects and In various de-
grees but that Fordney never low
cred hts colors. Neither Leonilas
at the pass nor Horatius at The
bridge was marker to him." he
said.
! THE TWO PLATFORMS
Discussing the Situation In which
the Ways and Means committee
found itself, he said 1t was unprece-
dented because both parties had IA
vored reducing the tariff rates Of the
Dingley bill. "Of cour1e," he said
"the Republican Platform was equiv
ocal." but he added I'm that connec-
tion most OF the Republican mem
bers OF the committee came at last
to conetrue Il az a revision down
ward. The Democrats 20 construed
IL, and he 0aid the better part of the
wisdom and patriotism would have
have been for ali Uhe members %
have coiiaborated la the work o;
preparing the bill after the hearing
closed.
I'VE are all American citizens
equally interested m the prosperi-
y. glory, and happiness OF mighty
people" he exclaimed. "Not one
Of as had the slightest desire To
injure in any way or TO any extern
Whatsoever any legitimate Amer
lean indu Sry."
Ia addition to the peculiar eolnci.
de7ce OF both parties being under
orders 20 revise the tarin downward
he said, all wsTe stared In the fac
by the large and Increasing dehclen.
cy IN the revenues. There were. he
aid. but three ways known among
men by which a de6lcic1cy may b.
cured, cut down expenses. Increase
taxes and issue bonds. To Isme
bonds. he declared, was no remedy
at all. II was amp'y possponing the
evil day when they must Do paid
principal and interest Taxes a.
contended, never should be Increase
where possibls TO avoid It.
Cutting down appropriations. ho
said, where Il could be- done with
out stinting the government In any
Of its proper functions, was the mos
efficient remedy for a defcieney
but" ne added. 'our RspuBlicaa
brethren seem utterly incapable OF
Continued on fourth pager