The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1911-03-17

laflH, alone, mas 1ncr 1t, In some
instances, as much as 1872 LIZ per
cent, and on certain small items even
more than that
"On blankets, nine feet long, cost
ing not over forty cents a pound, a
kind of blankets which the masses Of
the people use. the tariff, in actual
practice, amounts to 1872 1-2 per cent
which not only is an outrage but a
cruelty. This enormous rate on an
article of prime necessity Is so nearly
prohibitive that in 1907 there were
imported only 142 pounds of that kind
Of blankets, of the value Of forty dol
lars and twenty cents. The Govern
ment collected only sixty dollars and
thirteen cents duty on them. There
were millions of dollars worth Of
that kind of blankets used in the
United States, all of them, except this
of domestic manufacture. They were
purchased at high. prices. In the
case of every one of them which was
sold to those who had to have them,
the high tariff was, of course, added
to the purchase price That is a
gross and objectionable outrage.
And it is simply sample of the
working of the Payne-Aldrich- Smoou
Tariff Bill. l always include Sena-
tor Shoots name when I mention
the authors of that tariff BILL on the
principle that one should give the
devil his due. He had more to, do
with making it than anybody else had,
except Senator Aldrich.''
1t was difficult to tell from Con-
gresham Clark's face, just then,
whether he was more righteously in
dignant at what he thinks the out
thought of linking Payne and Aldrich
up with Smoot. But when he went
on there could be no doubt about the
fact that he was honestly indignant
at thought Of the existing tariff law.
Il could name hundreds of other
outrages which that bill perpetrates,"
he declared. Some of them might be
worse and some of them not as bad
as the blanket matter. But the best
of them is bad enough, and that is
included tariff on rubber. and rub
Der goods, and rubber goods have
gone up so per cent. since it became
a law. Yet they have gall enough
to deny that the tariff increases the
cost of living."
reduced?'
Congress can remedy the whole
existing evil to a large extent, by
cutting the tariff down to a reason
able or revenue basis, and while do
ing that it would also be giving the
trusts body-blow, because the trusts
have been fostered by, if not entirely
created by, the tariff. There is law
enough on the statute-books now to
put every trust out of business with
in twelve months. in less than twelve
months, if the Department of Justice
would do it's duty
Several prosecutions have, already
-" i began to suggest.
He shock his head, almost angrily.
The trust magnates care nothing
whatever for any fines which have
been, or will be, imposed. They can
ri o. a a nd Er
from their own shoulders to the
shoulders of the consumers by a little
raise in prices Nothing will ever
teach them any lesson of Importance
except to put the guilty into prison"
He shut his lips together tightly,
and, while they are not especially
thin lips, he can shut them tight
enough to make them seem extreme
ly thin. At such times Champ Clark's
mouth seems very stern-almost i'm
and a, sweetness in his smile, amount
ing, on most occasions almost to be-
nevolence, which indicate, at once
that he can be very faithful friend.
But when he shuts his lips together,
as he did now, one cannot doubt a
moment that he could be very Bit
ter enemy. But he mentioned no
specific trust-ma gnate whom he es-
pecially wished to see behind the
bars.
Mr.. Clark said no more about the
tariff and the cost Of living for the
moment, although. as will be found
later on, he returned to the subject.
This, however, is as good place as
any to interrupt his quoted utterances
in order that something may be said
about the man himself, for we were
very freely interrupted at this mo-
ment by a small boy galloping in, i'm
ltating cavalry. He was the son of
Champ Clarl1's able secretary, Bass
ford. The boy evidently thinks the
office of the man who will be Speak
dent in the Capitol of the United
States fine playground for he is a
caller there, and is never
mis- father or his mother, also often
be less vociferous in his sports.
Now he dashed in with a fine tin
sword with which he stabbed every
hing inanimate in sight. 1t was the
kind of episode which would have /
-asped the nerves of most business
Or professional men in their offices, !
he sort of episode which was quite |
new, l fancy, to the office of the |
Chairman of the Ways and Means |
Committee of the House of Represen-
.atives But it did not rasp Champ |
Clark's nerves. He loves children |
With a devotion which is absolutely |
touching, and his face took upon it
;elf such an expression of complete |
and understanding as he.
watched the child at play as I have |
never seen surpassed.