The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1911-08-31
CLARK RAPS TAFT
Speaker Opens Fire on
Presidents Keynote"
ASSAlS VETO OF WOOL BILL
Champ Clark Declares the President
Lcst His Temper Seeing De-
feat Staring Him in
the Face.

TIC IuNCs
Quincy, III, Aug. S0.-Champ Clark
SD, .kcr of the national house OF repre-
sentltiyes. before leaving here, replied
emphasically 10 President Tafts key
note tariff Speech. delivered at Ham
ilt.n. Mass. last Saturday.
In q signed interview the speaker
accused The president of not stating
fact. llc sid he did not reply for
the l.sarlcat Republicans, who mo
dolO. MI take up the cudgels in their
own behalf" He declared. among
other things, that ii the tariff board is
to be used as pretext for delaying
tarin revision downward, the Demo
Gratis will cut of its supplies.
President Taft's speech at Hamilton,
Mass, last Saturday" said Speaker
Clark, can only be described as re-
markSble when the history of the re-
cent session is taken into considera-
ton. He essayed the rather large stunt
of running amuck on both the Demo
cratic and the insurgent Republicans
in congress, singing out Chairman
Underwood and myself particularly as
Democratic targets.
q accept his onslaught as a badge
OF honor. The president and are per
sonal friends He has done me many
kindresses and | have tried TO repay
them as far as opportunity has served.
He is as a rule most amlable gentle
man; but at the time he seemed to
have been in bad temper because he
saw defeat staring him in the face. |
would say nothing unkind about him,
but | cannot and will not permit his
personal structures and his bald
miss atement of historical facts to go
unchallenged.
Insurgents VIII Take Up cudgeIs.
My observation and experience
prove to my mind that Senator LaFol-
e;;e and the insurgents are able to
take care OF themselves. SO | leave
them ont OF this interview. They will
no doubt take up the cudgels in their
own behalf
The presidents criticism of Mr.
Underwood and myself, which is es-
sen'ially a criticism of all Democrats
in the house and senate. because all
Democrats stood together, is absolute
/ Is uncalled for and Is as ungrateful a
performance as | can remember for IL
It had not been for the action OF the
Democrats in the house In both the
! Sixty-lrst and Sixty-secOnd congresses
in lining up almost unanimously in
/ favor OF reciprocity with Canada, he
would have been the most thoroughly
discredited and Inundated president
since the days Of Andrew Johnson
with all the influence and patron
age of his great Office. he could not
muster a majority of house Republi-
cans for reciprocity in either the
Sixty-frst or the Sixty-second con-
gress. After we pulled aim out Of the
hole in the Sixty-irst congress he
wrote letter of thanks TO Mr.. Nc
/ Call. of Massachusetts, and the Re
publicans and not a word of thanks to
| the Democrats.
when we repeated the performance
Of pulling him out Of the hole in the
| Sixty-secOnd congress he did divide
| the thanks between Democrats AMI
Republicans. That was after and 9th
or Democrats had expressed our opin'
ions with considerable force and blunt
ness about his letter Of thanks to Mr..
Mccall
THE president says that we did not
play politics about reciprocity, but
that we did play politics about the
tariff rhe only politics we played was
to keep faith with promises we made
in order to win the election In 1910,
which is the best and noblest sort OF
politics. II any politics was played on
reciprocity. the president himself
played it-personal at that.
Raps Wool Veto.
HE had said the rates Of the wool
schedule in the Payne-Aldrich tariff
bill were too high and ought to be re-
duced. We reduced them. In the teeth
Of his Winona speech, and his other
declarations to the effect that said
rates were too high, and ought to be
reduced, he vetoed our wool bill which
largely reduced the rates and would
have greatly relieved the people by
giving them much cheaper clothing
and blankets. He vetoed 1t. thereby
going over boots and breeches to the
stand-patters.
I'VE cheerfully meet him on that Is
sue. We stand for the best interests
OF the masses: he stands for hand
full of protected tariff barons, and by
his veto enables them TO continue T.
levy unjust and exorbitant tribute on
the consumers Of the land He appears
to hope that the consumers will kiss
his hand, which is the hand that smote
them sorely
"The president endeavors to convey
the impression that Mr.. Underwooi
and advocated his tariff commission.
We did no such thing. What Under
wood and I did advocate and vote for
was a board Of tariff experts to be gov
erned by and made responsive to the
house In general and to the committee
on ways and means In particular.
1--WE were never In favor Of tariff
board OF commission under the con
troll Of the president alone and respon-
sive TO him only. The Congressional
Record will fully and clearly prove
my contention herein stated"
MAY CALL EXTRA S5.GoY
Governor Favors Having Legislature