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


OF members OF the present House
and members of the next House,
at which it is proposed to set
tic upon a policy and adopt plans
for the guidance OF the party in reyis-
ing the tariff and meeting the other
responsibilities that will deyolye upon
it when the Sixty-second 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
more, because it is recognized that
many OF the democratic members-elect
OF the next House will 90 to Balti-
more for the celebration.
Representative Champ Clark, the
next speaker OF the House, in a state
ment as to the purposes OF the caucus
given out last night, proclaims himself
in favor OF the appointment OF COM
mittees OF the House by COM
mittee 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 inpOr-
tuned to make some statement.
The caucus will select ways and
means committee and n rules committee
somewhat larger than the present COM
mitiec OF seven. Mr.. Clark hclieyes
one OF these committees should then be
empowered to select the other commit
tees OF the House.
There are two theories Of tariff re-
vision, says Mr.. Clark in his state
ment-" revision by one general bill
aud revision by separate bills for separ-
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 as that
which proceeded the framing of the
Payne-Aldrich law, will be had by the
new ways and 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 as the
Fifty-second Congress Mr. Chairman
Springer introduced separate bills for
separate schedules and even for par
iicular items, which we're derisively
.denominated 'Springer's popgun bills
by ribald republican speakers and
writer's, and several years before Judge
Springer was chairman of the com
mittee on ways and means Mr.. Nc
Kenzie, OF Kentucky, achieved both
great renown and the sobriquet OF
'Quinine jim by securing the passage
OF a bill putting quinine on the free
list and touching no other item what
soeyer in any tariff schedule. "
Mr.. Clark declared that he is heartily
in favor OF inviting to the caucus all
the democratic members-elect. 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
bers-elect should be given every oppor-
tunity, il that unification 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 c0untry-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
mittees in the event OF my own cleo
ton to the speakership, / 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 TO inquire my opinion.
The exercise OF that power would UNI
doubleday have certain unpleasant iea-
lures"
or the two plans for the election OF
committees by the democratic caucus or
directly by the House itself. Mr..
Clark fayors 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 il
may be adopted because OF the influence
it would have in returning a demo-
cratic president and n democratic Con-
gress in 1912.