Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1910-12-17
YIELDS TO THE GENERAL DEMAND
Had Been Importuned for Statement
on Two Subjects.
PARTY CAUCUS IS NOW sUMMoNED
VIII select wRya and Means Com
uaittee and Rules Committee some
what Larger Than Present
COmmittee of seven.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 16-Representative
Champ Clark issued a statement tonight
fully outlining his platform as the pros
pective speaker OF the democratic house OF
representatives I'm the next congress. He
proclaims himself IN favor OF the appoint
ment Of committees of the house by a
committee 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. Those two
subjects says Mr. Clark, are the ones
upon which he has been continually Inn
portuned TO make some statement.
The democratic members OF the house
sent out a call today for q caucus Janu-
ary 10, Of the democratic membership OF
the next house Of representatives. Mr..
ClarlIs statement is both an explanation
of the call and a declaration Of his own
platform az the probable speaker of the
house.
The caucus will select a ways and means
committee and rules committee, some
what larger than the present committee
OF seven. Mr.. Clark believes one Of these
committees should be empowered TO select
the other committees Of the house.
Two Theories on Tariff.
There are two theories OF tariff re-
vision" says Mr. Clark, in his statement.
Revision by one general bill and revision
by separate bills for separate schedules.
This is a matter. not OF principle. but Of
method.
individually prefer the scheme Of sepa-
rate bills for separate schedules, taking the
schedules with the most obnoxious features
first, perhaps in certain cases having sepa-
rate bills for particular items"
The statement proceeds 10 say that what
rnefhnd IL dad n full baarin0
a. comprehensive as that which preceded
the framing OF the Payne-Aldrich law will
be had by the new ways and means COM
mitteeA
THE assumption, growing out of ignor-
ance In certain quarters" says Mr.. Clark.
that President Taft or Senator Cummins
or any other republican has discovered
something new in tariff revision by the
separate schedule scheme Is preposterous.
AZ far back as the Fifty-seoond congress
Chairman Springer introduced separate bills
for separate schedules and even for par
ticular items. which were denominated
'springer's popgun bills by ribald repub-
lican speakers and writer's. and several
years before Mr.. Springer was chairman
Of the committee on ways and means Mr..
MoKenzis OF Kentucky achieved great
renown and the sobrlquet of 'Quinine jim
by the securing OF a bill putting quinine
on the free list and touching no other item
whatsoever In any tariff schedule"
No Democrats Excluded.
Mr.. Clark declares that he is heartily in
fovar OF inviting to the caucus all the dem
ocrauc members-elect He goes on to say
that his efforts for the last two years have
been directed TO the unification OF the dem
ocrats I'm the house, and for that reason the
memberH-eleot should be given every oppoT-
tunity, II that unifieahon is to be main
tained. to express their choice in the nam
ing of the members OF the committees.
Two questions, Mr.. Clark says, interest
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
he said;
"As TO the mode OF selecting committees
In the event OF my own election to the
speakership. I would not care the snap OF
my finger 20 exercise the power Of appoint
ting them. have stated that to every dem
Oorauo member who cared to inquire my
opinion. The exercise Of that power would
undoubtedly have certain unpleasant fea-
lures"
OF the two plans for the election Of com
mittoes by the democratic caucus or di-
rsotly by the house itself, r clark favors
the last named. This is based on the fact
that in the debatable states the independ-
snt voters appear to favor It. and the fu-
turo speaker OF the house frankly acknawi-
edges that II may be adopted because OF
the influence Il would have In returning a
democratic president and a democratic con-
gress in 1919