The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1911-09-02
THE PRESIDENT CHALLENGED.
CHAMP CLARK ANSWERS PRES.
IDENT'S STRUCTURES ON
DEMOCRATS.
Can't See How Executive Has Had
Nerve to Defend Payne Bill and
Veto Revision.

| Quincy. Mass, Aug. 29.-Champ
! Clark. speaker Of the national house
OF representatives, before leaving
here early today, replied emphatical-
ly to President Tafts speech, deliver
ed at Hamilton, Mass, last Saturday.
In a signed interview. the speaker
accused the president of not sating
facts.
| Mr.. Clark declared, among other
things. that if the tariff board ia to
be used as a preteXt for delayed tar
if revision downward. the Demo-
Gratis would cut off it's supplies.
| "The president essayed the rather
large stun; Of running amuck on both
the Democrats and the insurgent Re-
publcans in congress- singing out
! Chairman Underwood and myself
particularly as Democratic targets, 3"
said Mr.. Clark.
| Il accept his onslaught as a badge
Of honor.
/
| friends. He is an amiable gentleman,
| but at the same time he seems to
nave been in bad temper, because
he sees defeat staring him in the face.
| would say nothing unkind about
| him but / can not and VII not per-
| NIT his personal structures and his
m a Qtavpn nnr,f 90 ;-tO
| to go unchallenged.
The presidents criticism of Mr..
Underwood and myself, which is es-
sentially a criticism Of all Democrats
| in the house and senate, because all
Democrats stood together, is abso-
| lutely uncalled for and is an ungrate-
full a performance as 1 can remem-
ber. for il it had not been for the
| action OF the Democrats in the house
in both the Sixty-frst and Sixty-sec-
ond congresses in lining up almost
| unanimously in favor Of reciprocity
with Canada, he would have been the
most thoroughly discreditei and hu-
inflated 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 Repub-
| licans for reciprocity in either the
SiNty-frst or the Sixty-sac0nd con-
Rress.
THE president says that he did not
play politics about eciprocity, but
that we did play politics about the
| tariff. The only politics we played
was to keep faith with the people. If
any politics was played on reciprocity
he president himself played it-per-
sonal at that.
He seems to think that we ought
to have adjourned as soon as reci-
rrocity was disposed of-that is, he
seems to think that congress is COM
posed OF a lot Of school boys to be
ordered about by him rs head teacher
but he was forewarned by both Mr..
Underwood and myself that II he
called the extraordinary session we
would pass tariff bills and such other
hills as the Democrats deemed advis-
able. He will not deny that state
ment.
IF we had done less than we did
we would not have been worthy Of
80 great portion Of public confidence
as We now enjoy. We made the best
record Of constructive statesmanship
made by any congress in the same
'cng.h Of time in a generation and
hat fact is precisely what caused the
presiden: to assault the Democrats in
congress.
"He had said the rates Of the wool
schedule in the Payne -Aldrich bill
we're too high and ought to be re-
iuced. We reduced them. In the
teeth OF his other declarations that
said ~ates were too high, he vetoed
'uv wool bill, thereby going over
BOOTS and breeches to the stand pat
ters.
TIE president endeavors to convey
he Impression that Mr.. Underwood
and | advocated his tariff commits
'ior. We did no such thing.
We were never in favor Of a tariff
hoard or commission under the con-
troll Of ;he president alone, responsible
to him only. The Congressional Rec
ord will fully and clearly prove my
| contention herein stated
Several members Of the house,
both Republicans and Democrats in
| cluding Mr.. Underwood and myself.
have spent half a lifetime studying
and debating the tariff.