Los Angeles herald., 1910-05-22
Leader of Democratic Minority
Gives Facts and Figures
to Support Charge
PEOPLE TRICKED BY G. o. P.
Clothing Higher Instead of Lower,
and Made of Poorer Ma
teriaL Says Speaker
Press1

a lO4Ns may SI' ANSPAS
wv sentative 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 had pre-
pared his address with great care and
spoke at length, giving facts and hg-
ures in support of his contention that
the tariff had not been honestly re-
vised and that the Republican major
ity in congress had endeavored to
trick the people. Mr.. Clark also pa PAID
his respects, incidentally, to the $780,
900 item in the sundry civil appropria-
ton bill for the creation of tariff
board:
During this debate we have wit
messed a spectacle perhaps without
parallel in the annals of congress.
First we heard the gentleman from
New York (Mr. Payne), the Republi-
can floor leader, make a vitriolic at
tack on the speech of the Hon. Jona-
than Prentiss Dolliver Republican
senator from Iowa, recently delivered
in the city of Des Moines, both
speeches being upon the subject of
the tariff.
Nobody appointed me to defend
Senator Dolliver. This much, however,
1 will say for him: 1 have for years
regarded him as the greatest orator in
the Republican party. I would travel
far to hear a debate on the stump be-
tween him and the gentlemen from
New York. When it was over, 1 am
certain that the country for con-
siderable distance around would be so
fairly saturated with oil that 1t would
be dangerous to strike g. match In the
neighborhood, and it would not be oil
out of Mr.. Delivers corporosity.
BEvERIDGE ATTACKED NEXT
"The next day we heard the gentle
man from Michigan (Mr. Fordney),
who is a Republican of high degree,
deliver most bitter and vicious assaults
upon Senator Beveridge, the Republi-
can boss of Indiana, on account of a
speech delivered recently at Indian
apolis.
"In making a speech in defense Of his
tariff bill, Mr.. Chairman Payne ap-
peared to be performing a disagreeable
stunt. He did not exhibit his usual
enthusiasm or his old-time felicity of
expression. He appeared to be in about
as cheerful frame of mind as law
yer appointed by the court defending
without fee a man that he feels certain
will be convicted and hanged.
1.-THE gentleman declared they put up
the tariff on hosiery, and as a conse-
quence the price of hosiery has gone
down. He declared they put up the
tariff on wines, and as a consequence
the price of wines has gone down. He
seems to be playing both ends against
the middle, for it must be apparent to
any sane man that if putting up the
tariff on hosiery made the price of
hosiery go down, then by the same
logic putting up the tariff on wine
would have made the price of wine go
down."
CLOTHING HIGHER PRICED
Mr. Clark declared that the Payne
tariff had not reduced the price of
clothing, but had increased it, and re-
suited in a shoddier class of goods
The speaker turned his attention to
President Taft, and after contrasting
the presidents Winona speech with
previous one, in which the president
said the tariff bill "was not complete
compliance with the promises of the
Republican platform" Mr. Clark said:
"Al the perfumes of 'Araby the
Blest' cannot sweeten the Payne-Ald-
rich tariff bill to please the dainty nos
trils of the people. They believe it to
be the worst tariff bill ever passed by
the American congress. That Winona
speech was a serious wound which the
president inflicted on his own popular
ity."
which he said the president admitted
were too high, and facing the Republi-
can side of the house, Mr.. Clark ex-
claimed:
'I have fair proposition to make to
the president and to my Republican
friends which will promote harmony
and which will bring untold blessings
to the consumers in the land. 1t is that
the president send a message to con-
gress, short and vigorous, which shows
that he means business, proposing sub
stantial reductions in the woolen goods
schedule. Let Mr.. Chairman Payne re-
port that bill from his committee and
nut it on its passage, and without hav-
ing consulted a single Democrat in the
house 1 will give bond for the PROPOSE
tion that every Democrat will line up
and vote for it. If he will recommend
it. it will go through the house and sem
ate with a whoop. and the people will
rise up and call him blessed"