Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1910-12-17
DEMOCRATIC CAUCUS.

The call for the democratic caucus
OF members OF the present House
and members Of the next House,
at which it is proposed to set
tie upon a policy and adopt plans
for the guidance of the party in rcyIs-
ing the tariff and meeting the other
responsibilities that will dcvolie upon
it when the Sixty-sccond Congress as
sembles, was sent out yesterday by
Chairman Henry d. Clayton, OF Ala
bama.
The date was fixed for January 10,
two days after the time OF the demo
cratic celebration and banquet in Balti-
moro, because it is recognized that
many OF the democratic members-elect
Of the next House will go to Balti-
more for the celebration.
Representative Champ Clark, the
next speaker OF the House, in state
ment rs to the purposes Of the caucus
given out last night, procIaims himself
in favor OF the appointment OF COM
mittces OF the House by com
miltee rather than by the speaker, and
he states his belief that the tariff should
be revised schedule by schedule rather
than in one single bill. These two sub
jects, says Mr.. Clark, are the ones upon
which he has been continually impor-
tuned to make some statement.
The caucus will select 4 ways and
means committee and Il rules committee
somewhat larger than the present COM
mittcc OF seven. Mr.. Clark believes
one Of these committees should then be
empowered to select the other commit
tees OF the House.
There arc two theories Of tariff re-
vision, says Mr.. Clark in his state
ment- revision by one general bill
and revision by separate bills for scpar-
ate schedules. This is matter not OF
principle, but of method. Individually
| prefer the scheme Of separate bill 5
for separate schedules, taking the
schedules with the most obnoxious
features first, perhaps in certain cases
having separate bills for particular
items.
The statement proceeds TO say that
whatever method is decided upon full
hearing, as comprehensive rs that
which proceeded the framing Of tho
Payne Aldrich law, will be had by the
new ways ana means committee.
The assumption, growing out Of ig.
norance in certain quarters" says Mr.
Clark, that President Taft or Senator
Cummings or any other republican has
discovered something new in tariff re-
vision by the separate schedule scheme
is preposterous. AS far back rs the
Fifty-second Congress Mr.. Chairman
Springer introduced separate bills for
separate schedules and even for par
iicular items, which were dcrisivcly
denominated 'Springcr's popgun bills
by ribald republican speakers and
writer's, and several years before Judge
Springer was chairman Of the com
mittec on ways and means Mr.. Nc
kcnzic, Of Kentucky, achieved both
great renown and the sobriquet OF
'Quininc jim by securing the passage
Of a bill putting quinine on the free
list and touching no other item what
soever in any tariff schedule. !"
Mr.. Clark declared that he is heartily
in favor OF inviting to the caucus all
the democratic membcrs-eect He
goes on to say his efforts for the last
two years have been directed largely to
the unifcation of the democrats in the
House, and for that reason the mem
bcrs-clect should be given every oppor-
tunity, If that uniiication is to be main
tanned, TO express their choice in the
naming of the members OF the commit
tees.
Two questions, Mr.. Clark says, in
terest the country-how the democrats
will select their committees and what
the party will do with the tariff. This
last question has been answered, and,
proceeding TO the first, the statement
says:
AS to the mode Of selecting COM
mittecs in the event OF my own cleo
ton to the spcakcrship, I would not
care the snap of my finger to exercise
the power Of appointing them. | have
stated that TO every democratic mem
Der who cared 10 inquire my opinion.
The exercise Of that power would un-
doubtcdly have certain unpleasant fea-
lures"
OF the two plans for the election Of
committees by the democratic caucus or
directly by the House itself Mr..
Clark favors the last named. This is
based on the fact that in the dcbatable
states the Independent voters appear to
favor it, and the future speaker OF the
House frankly acknowledges that II
may be adopted because Of the influence
it would have in returning demo-
cratic president and 4 democratic Con-
gress in 1912.