Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1910-05-21
CHAMP CLARK HITS
TARIFF LAW AND
SCORES PRESIDENT
Minority Leader Sounds Key-
note of Coming Democratic
Congressional Campaign.

WASHINGTON, May 21.--Denounc-
ing the Payne Aldrich tariff law as a
transparent humbug," attacking the
tariff views of its author, Representa-
tive Serene Payne. Republican, New
York, and vigorously assailing Presi-
dent Taft for his support of that law,
Representative Champ Clark, of Mis-
souri,, leader of the Democratic
minority today delivered in the House
what is regarded as the Democratic
keynote speech of the coming congress
sional campaign.
Mr. Clark spoke at length, giving
facts and figures in support of his con-
tention that the tariff had not been
honestly revised and that the Repub-
lican majority in Congress had en-
deavored to trick the people.
Mr.. Chairman Payne seems to be
afflicted with a new disease-'intermit-
tent forgetfulness. He remembered
with great vividness the soup houses
of 1893 and 1894, but when it came to
the soup houses of 1907, a very recent
occurrence, and the soup houses of 1873
his memory failed him utterly.
'It does not need a PSYCHOLOGIST or
phrenologist to account for this state
of mind on his part, the reason being
that the soup houses of 1873 and 1907
were under Republican administration
and under tariff laws passed by the Re-
publican party. while the soup houses
of 1888, through the Qutgrowth OF a
panic caused by a Republican tarill
bill. sprang up when Democratic
President was in office,
Il will now drop the gentleman from
New York" exclaimed Mr.. Clark, "and
go after bigger game, to wit, the Presl-
dent of the United States. He is mol
only the chief traveller, but is the chic
spokesman for his party. He deserve
to be treated with candor and respect
but | have a perfect right to discuss
his utterances as | would those of any
other public man. | wish to call atten-
.ion of all concerned to the fact that
the President said on the 5th of Au-
gust, 1909 that the bill Is not a per-
feet bill or a complete compliance with
the promises made, strictly inter
preted'
Il submit that that declaration Of
the President is a fiat contradiction
OF the assertion of the gentleman
from New York that his bil'
is perfect compliance wits
the promises made prior to the cleo.
ton Of 1908. In September 1909, the
President went on an extensive speech
making tour, beginning with speech
in Boston, in which he eulogized Sena-
tor Aldrich to the skies. That was the
first serious wound which the Presi
dent inflicted upon his own popularity,
for right or wrong, and l think right,
the American people hold Senator AL
drich largely responsible for the enor-
nifty of the Payne Aldrich tariff bill
On the 18th Of September, 1909, the
President said in Winona, Mimi: ON
the whole, however. am bound to say
that / think the Payne tariff bill is the
best tariff bill that the Republican
party ever passed.
When the American people read that
declaration the next morning and re-
membered the utterance which / have
quoted from the Presidents statement
of August 8. they wondered what
change had come over the spirit of his
dream. They could not reconcile the
two statements,