The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-05-21

appears to be absolutely a dead letter
when it is violated by big criminals.
In one breath the gentleman from
New York glorifies his bill because it
shuts out impOrtations. In the next
he glOrifies it because it has increased
importations. The gentleman from
New York must take one horn or the
other.
The speaker declared that while
American citizens would prefer to use
American-made goods and articles
rather than foreign productions, they
were unwilling to pay eXorbitant prices
to American manufacturers.
The Wooden Schedule.
Taking up the wooden schedule of
the tariff law. Mr.. Clark ridiculed the
idea that the present tariff law was re-
sponsible for the increased importa-
lions of VOL, in that, he said, the tar
iff on No. 1 and No. wool was the
same in the Payne law as in the Ding
ley law.
''Tke Dingley and Payne tariff bills"
said Mr.. Clark "haYe forced another
sort of expectation which grieves
every lover of our country, and that
| is the expectation of good American
citizens to the British northwest. Last
year $4,000 Americans. chiefly from
the Mississippi valley. expatriated
IL themselves. largely because lH6y COulu
purchase all products, including
American farm implements and other
articles manufactured in America,
more cheaply in the British posses
sions than they can purchase them at
home These enigrants from the
United States are among our best citi-
zenS and this departure Is a great and
! serious loss to the republic. for they
are going at the rate of nearly 100000
per annum.
Prices Increased.
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 then turned his attention
to President Taft.
81 will now drop the gentleman from
New York. exclaimed Mr. Clark,
"and go after bigger game. towit, the
president of the United States. He
| is not only the chief traveller, but is
! the chief spokesman for his party. He
| deserves to be treated with candOr and
respect, but I have a perfect right to
| discuss his utterances as 1 would those
of any other public man. 1 wish to
| call attention of all concerned to the
| fact that the president said on the 9Th
| of August. 1909, that the bill is not a
! perfect bill or complete compliance
with the promises made. strictly in
| terpreted.' 1 submit that that declara-
! ton of the president is fiat contra
| dICtlOn
man from New York that his bill is a
perfect compliance with the promises
made prior to the election of 1905"
That Winona Speech.
when the American people read that
| declaration the next morning and re
menbered the utterance which have
quoted from the presidents statement
OF August 5, they wondered what change
| had come over the spirit of his dream.
Mr.. Clark then devoted himself to
| the steel schedule of the tariff law ana
President Taft's endorsement of it. He
declared that what the people wanted
| in a revision of the tariff was reduc-
! ton of prices to a just basis. which is
precisely what they did not get"
Makes Proposition.
| Turning TO the wooden schedule. which
! he said the president admitted was too
high. and facing the Republican side Oh
the house, Mr.. Clark exclaimed:
Il have a 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. That the
president send message to congress
| short and vigorous, which shows that
| he means business, proposing substan-
| tial reductions in the wooden goods
| schedule; let Mr.. Chairman Payne re-
! port that bill from mis- committee and
put it on it's passage, and without haV-
| ing consulted a single Democrat in the
/ house I viii give bond for the propo-
sitfon that every Democrat will line up
and vote for it. If he would recon-
mend it, it will go through the house
| and senate with a whoop and the peo-
! pie would rise up and cali him blessed.
1 It is contended that the reasons that no
| change in the tariff in any manner
/ W hatsoever, however meritorious, can
be offered is the fear that, If the tariff
question be opened up at all, we wick
I ed Democrats will let slip the dogs of
war and open up the whole tariff ques-
| ton as to the disarrangement of all
| business in the land. 1 am so much in
| terested in seeing the American people
! have cheaper wooden clothes that with
! cut having consulted a single Demo-
crat I am certain that everyone of
| them agrees that, if the president will
send in a message recommending the
bill which 1 have indicated and Mr..
| Chairman Payne will report II and put
ii on it's passage, we will not offer an
| amendment of any sort to it. The whole
| transaction could he contaminated in
| less than a week and a shout of re-
| joieing would ascend from the Atlantic
| 10 the Pacific and from the great lakes
to the seeth1ng waters of the sunlit
| gulf It matters not that the president
| would receive the hons share of the
| eIorv''