The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-11-15
DEMOCRATS TO TRY
 P|ECEMEAL REVISION
Champ Clark Says Action of New House For Lower Tariff May Take That Form
TALK OF TAFT TARIFF MOVE
Special Session to FOrestaIl Demo- cratic Initiative-PrOspcct New Speaker Vague on Rule
 Changes.

 leader of the minority in the present House and presumptive heir to the Speakership in the coming Democrat ic House, has arrived in Washington
 and will have everything in readiness for a brisk session when Congress
 convenes on Dec ,. MT. Clark is na- turally elated at Democratic success,
 and he is looking forward optimisti- cally to the future. The Democrats, in his opinion, have their first great opportunity in many years, and if they come up to the mark, he believes they will march Victoriously to the EWhite House two years hence, with a | majority in both houses.
 The two great questions for the new Democratic chamber to decide relate
 to tariff revision and revision of the
 House rules. On the subject of the
 tariff Mir. Clark is positive that there
 must be revision started by the
 Democratic House. He is not 30 sure,
 however, whether this revision should ]
 affect the whole tariff act at once, or
 as President Taft has suggested, deal
 with one schedule at a time as the
 best way to prevent log-rolling. The question is one which must he set tied, in MT. Clark's opinion, by the
 Democratic representatives when they meet in caucus year from next month. Many of the men who will make up this caucus MT. Clark has never seen, and for none of them tnls far in advance, especially in view of his own pending candidacy for the Speakership, is MT. Clark ready Or willing to speak.
 MT. Clark's own declarations for i'm mediate revision of the tariff is how | ever, having the effect of forestal :ng | a move that friends of President Taft | have been advocating as master rfv 1xo hi eff ic less than summoning the new Con- 1 gress in spec.al session next Marchs to consider the revision of particular schedules, thereby taking from the. Democrats the credit of forcing re- vision. With his power of veto it is believed that the President could I hold the legislators strictly to the | schedules on winch the Tariff Board | is ready to report, while if the Demo- crats, by extending their revision be- yond these schedules landed in the log rolling tumble of the Republicans, he l could throw the whole blame upon them. Since, however, MT. Clark, as minority leader, has already declared | for the revision, the President will be unable to claim all the credit even in the event of success in the proposed move.
 On the revision of the rules MT. Clark Is equally reticent. In the fight l last year and two years ago the Dem- ocrats in general lined up with the | insurgents for reducing the power of the Speaker and for the election of committee on committees which would take from the Speaker the power to appoint members to the various com mittee posts. Now that they are themselves to be in power naturally the Democrats feel less hostility to the Speakers power than they did when that power meant only the ironl rule of Speaker Cannon. But it is a question whether they will risk seem ing to reverse their position by de- lending for their officers power they condemned in the Republican ma chine.
 MT. Clark said last night that the method of the appointment of com- mittees must be settled by caucus. One point he made, however, may in- dicate a natural tendency not to cur tail his own prospective authority, Mir. Clark made the point that he had never gone on record in favor of the committee on committees. At the or. ganization of the House he argued in caucus for comm ttee on the revision of the rules, and it was on that issue F he split with MT. Fitzgerald of Brook lyn Last Spring it was the insur- gents who sprang the resolution for the election of the committee and the Democrats merely trailed along.
 It is interesting to recall bit of the history of the feud between MT. Clark and Mir. Fitzgerald, admittedly the ablest parliamentarian in the House. When Fitzgerald led the Tam many delegation to the assistance of Speaker Cannon Ais relations with MT. Clark were almost broken off, i and their coolness lasted until last Spring.
 On March F. however, when MT. Norris offered his resolution curtailing | MT. Cannon's power, the minority of fcials wired for Fitzgerald along | with other absentees, and the Brook lynite left a dinner to hurry to Wash ington. When he reached here next he entered C1ark's office, and said: "I am with you Champ. It r is now National issue, and l will see it through Since then their re- lations have been cordial.
 There is little doubt that MT. Clark will be nominated for Speaker on the first ballot. From various States have come the announcement of candida cies, mostly from men practically un- known. These announcements, 1t is suggested, are mostly for auvertfsing purposes and as bids for good com- mittee assignments. Ollie James's re- cent declaration that victorious army never mutinies against it's Gen. eraI and that the Democrats will not abandon Leader Clark, has had the effect of putting a stop to further