Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1911-01-19
DEMOCRATS TALK
TARIFF reform
SITUATION met FAIRLY AT JACK.
SON DAY Dinner
LEADING DEMOCRATS OF NATION
GATHER AT FESTIVE BOARD,
AND DISCUSS POLITICAL SiTU-
ATION-CHAMP CLARK SAYS
PROMISES TO PEOPLE MUST BE
HELD SACRED

BALTIMORE, Md, Jan. 17.-Tarifl
problems with all the vicissitudes they
bring from without and within pol
itical party, were the principal top
les at the Jackson day gathering OF
the democrats here today. This was
evident at the mass meeting this af
ternoon and also at the banquet to-
night.
But the issue was met fairly by all
the speakers. Some frankly acknowl
edged there would be differences OF
opinion among the democrats on this
subject, as there had been among the
republicans. Senator Bailey, for in
stance, while declaring that harmony
must be the watchWord if democracy
is to maintain the advantage won at
the last election, took direct issue
with those democrats who favor piece
meal revision of the tariff.
Champ Clark of Missouri, speaker
to-be of the house of representatives
said the sentiment among Missouri
democrats seemed TO favor piecemeal
revision of the tariff-schedule by
schedule-and item by item, if neces-
sary.
"And the most obnoxious items
first exclaimed Mr.. Clark.
Clark Urges Harmony.
Champ Clark in addressing the
gathering, said:
1T has been generally stated in
the public press that this meeting is
for the purpose of securing harmony
among the democrats That is not
true, for harmony already exists
among democrats, and this meeting
is for the purpose of maintaining
rather than securing harmony We
ought to compose our differences in
caucus, where they ought to be set
tied. They are family matters and
ought to be arranged in the family
circle. That they will be so arrang-
ed there can be no doubt, because
democrats are sensible men and that
is the sensible thing to do.
'In order to give the country proof
positive that we intend to redeem
the pledges by which We won last
autumn, the house democrats have
called caucus of the members-elect
of the 62d congress, to be held on
the 10Th day of this month, for the
purpose of selecting the democratic
portion of the ways and means COM
time to collect the information to con-
struct tariff bill or bills wisely and
systematically, so as to have the tar
iff bill or bills introduced at as early
a day as possible, to reduce the ef-
fects of uncertainty to the minimum.
Must Revise Wisely
1--WE could not afford to slap togeth-
er a tariff bill or bills without due
information on which to base them,
and the country could not afford to
have us do so. Therefore the only
rational thing to do is the thing we
are about to do-that is, to get ready
to go to work to revise the tariff
wisely, scientifically and systemati-
cally, in accordance with our prom
Use.
There are two ways of revising
the tariff; one by a general bill, the
other by particular bills for particu-
lar schedules, or even particular bills
for particular items. The consensus
of opinion among democrats seems to
be that the latter is the preferable
method and that we should proceed
to revise it by separate bills, taking
the most obnoxious schedules first.
to get rid of some of the monstrosi-
ties and crudities of the Payne-Al-
drich-Smoot bill, to pass separate
bills for particular items.
Hope to Help Business
"Our first duty is to remove the
cruel features of the present bill. The
proper function of the tariff is to raise
revenue, and We should so arrange
the rates as to raise the maximum
amount of revenue, at the same time
taking from the pockets of the people
the minimum amount of money. In
arranging the rates the highest
should be on the luxuries and the low
est, or none at all, on the necessi-
ties of life. BY so doing We will