The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-04-16
MR. KITCHEN FLAYS THE REPUBLICANS
  Made Masterful Reciproci-
 ty Speech IS LOUDLY CHEERED Republicans Are Grouchy and They Writhed and Squirmed Under Scorching Oratory of Dem-
 ocratic Spellbinder
IS LOUDLY CHEEREI

Washington, April -(Special.)-Rep
 resentative Claude Kitchen of North Car olina a member of the ways and meani
 committee, who made the first tarif speech of the session today, being recog nized to open debate on the Underwood Canadian reciprocity bill, is master l full orator.
 | With the encouragement of cheers an'
 prolonged applause on the democratic side, the great tariff debate of this ex
 traordnary session of Congress com meneed. With a full membership at at tention on the right, with the republican, sitting moodily in a sullen group on the 1 left. and with the galleries packed t( | overflowing with visiting Easter excur sionists-"the people," in fact-the jubi lant democratic party today began the work of real revision, to be prefaced bS little talk.
 Representative Sherley of Kentucky was called to the chair to preside over the committee of the whole, which will hrs' consider the Canadian reciprocity bill. He was greeted with applause Then Kitchen of North Carolina, one of the spellbinders of the democrats, was recognized to open the debate. As the eloquent North Carolinan took the floor his colleagues applauded. and, as if real izing that they had come into their own at last, broke into cheers.
 And the first thing MT. Kitchen did was to cast a harpoon into the republicans and twist it. He thanked the President for calling, the extraordinary session, and giving the democrats an opportunity to begin at once the work of revising the tariff and relieving the people of the bur dens of taxation.
 John Dalzel and the other standpatters looked daggers at the speaker, and some grouchy reactionary in the rear rank growled out, That's right, rub it in on us"
 The fact is, the standpatters are far from happy, not alone over the reciproci- ty bill. for in fact, the worst is yet to come" The free list bill is due next week, and the prospect is appalling to the high protectionists
 ii is q fac. that the republicans are in bad shape over their tariff policy. With forty-odd progressives and many who are thought to be near progressives" in their depleted ranks, they have no de1- nite plans for resisting the democratic onslaughts on the schedules The re- publican opposition will be guerilla war fare, every man for himself, talking to please his own constituents as he sees the light and voting for the interests of his own district.
 There is no enthusiasm among the high protectionists They profess. to be dis couraged because the President is not with them. They have never forgiven him for putting forward reciprocity and for calling the extra session. They in- sist that the progressives are drifting away from protection as they under stand 1t.
 The democrats, for their part, are full of enthusiasm and vigor. Reciprocity, they claim, is their meat, and the free list is at least the republicans poison. They will not let an opportunity pass to tack onto the Presidents reciprocity plan and expect to rub out his trade mark and brand it made by democrats" "
 MT. Kitchens speech made hit with his party associates. There are few men in the House who combine the oratorical powers Of the North Carolinian with an expert knowledge of the tariff. He hardly has an equal in debate and, backed by a fund of information. he badly worsted every repu ublican member who interrupt ed him.
 The democratic party is indebted to MT. Kitchen.
 He made two years ago, against the Payne tariff bill, speech which was generally circulated in the last campaign and his effort of today will be given high rank In the debate upon the tariff legislation proposed by the democratic House