The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1911-07-11
FAYORS CLARK
Congressman Finley Believes the Speak
er Our Strongest Man.
THINKS he WILL WIN

|
Bases His Opinion on the Great Pop
ularity of Clark Among House As
sociates and Remarkable Ability
He Has Displayed, Considered In
Connection With Present Status.
In an interview with the Washing
ton correspondent of The News and
Courier Representative D. E. Finley,
of the Fifth South Carolina District
declares that In congressional circles
the belief is growing that Of the men
thus far mentioned Speaker Clark
would be the strongest candidate the
Democrats could name. Mr.. Finley
stated that the party had in the past
won it's victories on the tariff ques-
ton. He is also strongly of the
opinion that Speaker Clark Is the
strongest available candidate, and
should be nominated.
"The Democratic party is in better
shape to-day than it has been at any
time within the last eighteen years"
said Mr.. Finley. "In 1892 the party
was united on the tariff question and
swept the country, gaining for the
first time since the civil war the
Presidency and both houses Of Con-
gress. In 1894 the unfortunate d.
vision within the party on the money
question cost us the control of Con-
gress. Happily the money question
is now out of the way and the tariff Is
again live issue.
For 16 years the Republican party
has perpetuated itself in liver as
result of Democratic divisions on
questions other than the tariff. Now
the Republicans are divided on the
tariff to as great extent as the DEM
ocrats were during Cleveland's sec
ond administration. The old line Re-
publicans, the party Of Cannon, Payne
and Dalzell, stand for a protective
tariff. The so-called insurgent Re-
publicans, who hail from the agri-
cultural States of the West, proclaim
their opposition to protective tariff
unless it is on some product of their
immediate section. But generally
their attitude on the tariff Is we'll
illustrated in the vote in the House
of Representatives on the passage of
the farmers free list bill and the bill
reducing the tariff on wool, when
practically all Of them voted with
the Democrats. Today there are no
division in our party on any subject.
Next year we shall enter the national
campaign with q record Of achieve
ment In tariff reform, and lessening
the high cost of living, which we ex-
pect to carry US to victory.
much is being said In the public
prints and by individuals In every
walk of life as to who will be the
Democratic candidate for the Presi-
dency in 1912. Fortunately for the
country, the Democracy is in most
favorable condition today. This con-
dition Is creditable entirely to the
splendid record Of the party in the
House of Representatives In the last
Congress. We were minority party
IN that Congress-, Of course, but,
thanks to the wise, able and patriotic
leadership of Champ Clark, our party
was able to make such favorable
showing of its purposes in the way of
correcting abuses and bringing about
reduction of the oppressive taxation
and discountenacing the wasteful ex-
penditures Of the public money by
the Republican party that the people
in Congressional elections last fall
gave the Democrats an overwrelming
victory, changing Republican ma
iority of forty-fve in the 61st Con-
eress 10 a Democratic majority of
sixty-ire in the 62nd Congress.
"The Democrats in the House were
not slow to recognize the potential
leadership of Mr.. Clark, and when
Congress met on the 4th of last April
he was unanimously nominated by
the Democrats and elected Speaker
of the House of Representatives. The
Speakership is "a great offce-unques-
tionably the second greatest office In
the country. Speaker Clark has more
than fulfilled the expectations of his
friends.
"Whatever hope the Democracy
has for 1912 is necessarily based on
the welldoing Of its Representatives
in the House in the last Congress and
what they have done and will do in
the present Congress. Under the lead
ership of Mr.. Clark the Democrats
have put through the Canadian re-
ciprocity bill, which will enlarge the
markets of Canada to American pro-
ducts. We have also put through the
House the farmers free list bill, plac-
ing thereon something like one hum
dred articles, used almost entirely by
farmers. Following this the House
bill will reduce the oppressive wool
len schedule of the Payne-Aldricr
tariff law more than SO per cent,
meaning an annual saving also Of
millions of dollars to the American
people. The Democratic programme
includes a general revision of the
tariff.