The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-03-25
n Q w S a tbs fl ed That
Country Really Is
Democratic.
HAS NO FEARS
/ OR THE FUTURE
He Expects Republicans to Be
Sadly Disappointed When They
Discover There Is No Lack
Of Harmony in Majority
Party-Many Investiga-
tons in Sight.


Clark got back TO town last night
from the Middle West. where he has
been making two-weeks lecturing
and speaking tour. Ono week from
next Tuesday it will he proper to refer
10 him as Speaker Champ Clark-and
II sounds good to HIM Indeed he Is
already being addressed as "Nir.
Speaker By those who do not dron
ali prefixcs and call him Champ"
Mr.. Clark comes back TO Washing
ton after his little trip of feeling tho
pulse of the plain people convinced
that the whole country has gone Dem.
ocratic. plumb. lie thinks that the
man in the street looks forward with
satiafa ction TO Democratic control, and
that the man behind tho money bags
is not alarmed. lie found that the
fearsoncly proclaimed menace OF
Democratic victory was Republican,
bugaboo which doesn't scare anybody.
Mr. Clark doesn't have to give any
worry to the organiza ton of the
House In the olden days this period
In advance of the assembling Of Con-
sress would nave been busy time for
the eaker-Drospective
The last time the Democrats came
into power in tho House there was a
rafting contest for the speakership
going on between MIR. Crisp. Of
Georgia. and field of active candi
dates Mr. Clark's title to the sneak
ership has already been assured.
Neither VIII he have to worry over the
appointment of committees as ali Of
his predecessors have done
Committees Selected
All that Mr.. Clark will have to do
on assembling day vii! be TO sec that
he has q newly starched white lawn
tie and accept the gavcl which Chief
Clerk Mcdowell will hand him after
he has been formally elected Speaker.
Then he will draw from his inside
coat pocket Il paper which Oscar TN
derwood has slipped to him, being the
list of committee assignments prepared
for him by the COMMITTEES on Commit
tees. and say: The chair announces
the appointment of the following
committees" From that time on Mr..
Clark will look bcnignantly down IN
on the House, receive and put motions
and see that that foxy old man. IN
Gle Joo Cannon doesn't try to start
something"
A brand-ncw set of rules, framed
10 meet the demands of the new
though in parliamentary procedure, and
to be as different as possible from thca
tyrannical rules of the czars. his prede-
ccssors. Will be handed to him to en-
force--after he studies them In that
respect he will have the advantage
over the last Democratic Speaker, for
Judge Crisp had to work under set
of rules which embodied the essential
features under which the Republicans
had worked By a coincidence the son
Of the late Speaker Crisp is 10 be the
parliamentary coach of Speaker Clark
Mr.. Clark expresses the opinion that
Congress is likely 10 he in session
we'll into the summer. He recalls the
fact that twice before Congress has
been summoned in extraordinary scs-
CT .1na IL r,.;s
found itself still at work in the dog
days" .
No Lack Of Harmony.
One thing MI, Clark is certain or.
and hat is that the Republicans Will
be sadly disappointed In their expcc-
tation OF lack OF Democratic harmony.
He does not share the complaccnt ego
tism OF the Republicans that they alone
arc competent to frame n tariff law
lIcs quite sure that all of the knowl-
edge of tariff conditions is not the
exclusive property of one political
marty
Mr.. Clark is also confident that the
Democrats will be able to revise the
wool schedule in n way to meet with
the approval of the consumers OF the
country, and yet not to destroy any
American industry. He feels sure that
tho masses of the people are back OF
the Democratic program in this re-
spcct
Mr. Clark hopes to sec the Demo-
cratic House direct some sweeping in
ycstigations into the government de-
partmcnts. Ollie James, of Kentucky.
has promised, to introduce resolutions
providing for nine investigations ana
Mr.. Clark will urge that these invcs-
tigating committees shall be COM
posed OF the ablcst men III the House.
intent upon making q fine tooth inquiry
into all the departments.
Departmental Investigation has all.
ways beeu d long suit with the Demo
Gratis Another distinguished Mssou-
rian, VIII" was "a colleague OF Mr.
Clark, Mr.. Dockery made a rcputa-
ton for himself rs an investigator of
departmental affairs that had much t.
do with landing him in the Governors
chair. it was aftcrward said.
Will Revise Wool Schedule
Oscar Underwood, of Alabama chair
man OF the new Way. and Means Som
mittce and Committee on Committees,
and who is to he tho militant leader.
Of the Tonsc, is authority for the dl-.
rect statement that the Democ, ats: will
undertake the revision Of he wool
schedule. lilo says that-.hara Is q
little discrepancy in the schedule
which tho Democrats intend TO rect fy.
Mr.. Underwood has found that tho
average protection In the wool sched-
nle given tho manufactures Is 80 pcr
cent. while the average labor cost i.
% per cent. lie thinks that even Che
Republican platform demand for a pro-
tectiye tariff based on tho difference In
cost between this country and abroad
could hardly Justify that difference.
Mr.. Underwood and his Democrat Ia
colleagues contend that tho difference
between n these figures represents a