Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-08-30
WRATHY CHAMP.
Continued from Page one.l

THE President 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-
mteiy uncalled for and is as migrate
fnl performance as | can remember;
for II 1t had not been for the action
of the Democrats in the House i'll
both the 6lst and ed Congresses IN
lining up almost unanimously in IA
vor of reciprocity with Canada, he
would have been the most thoroughly
diseredted and Inundated President
since the days of Andrew jackson.
with all the influence and patron
| age of his great office, he could not
muster majority of House Repuel-
cans for reciprocity in eithE the oist
or the 62d Congresses. After we pulled
him out of the hole in the 6lst Con-
gress he wrote a letter of thanks 10
Mr. Mccall of Massachusetts, and the
Republicans, and not a word of thanks
to the Democrats.
When we repeated the performance
of pulling him out of tire hole in the
62nd Congress, he did divide the
thanks between Democrats and Re
publicans. That was after ] and other
Democrats had expressed our opinions
with considerable force and bluntness
about his letter of THINKS TO Mr.. Nc
Call.
THE President says that We did not
play politics about reciprocity, but
that we did play politics about the
tariff. The only politics we played
was TO keep faith with the people and
to religiously redeem the promises we
made in order to win the election in
1910, which is the hest and noblest sort
of politics. If any politics was PLAYED
for reciprocity the President himself
played it-personal at that time.
He seems to think that we ought
to have adjourned as soon as rec1-
prooity was disposed of-that is he
seems to think that Congress is com
posed of a lot II school boys to be
ordered about by him as head teach
Ter: but he was foreWarned both by
Mr.. Underwood q nd myself that if he
called an extrao rdinary session, we
would pass tariff bills and such otfser
bills as the Democrats deemed adVis-
able. He will not deny that state
ment.
IF we had done less than we did
do, we would not have been worthy
of SO great a. portion of public con-
fidence as wa now enjoy. We maRa
the hest record of constructive states
manship made by any Congress in
the same length of time in q gener-
alton and that feet is precisely what
caused the President to assault the
Democrats in Congress.
n Of he
schedule in the Payne-Aldrich tariff
bin were too high and ought 10 be
reduced We reduced them. In the
teetn Of his Winona speech, and his
other declarations TO the effect that
the sasi rates We're too high, ano
fought tn be reduced, he vetoed oul
wool bill, which largely reduced the
rates and would have greatly relieved
the people by giving them much cheap
Ter clothing and blankets. He vetoed
lit. thereby going over boots and
lbreeches to the stand pattelS.
we cheerfully meet him on that
issue. We stand for the pest inter
tests or the masses, he stands for a
handful of protected tariff barons and
by his veto enables them to continue
10 levy unjust and exorbitant tribute
upon the consumers of the land He
. lappears to hope that the consumers
viii kiss his hand, which is the hand
that smote them
. THE President endeavorsi TO convey
the impression that Mr. Underwood
. and | advocated his tariff commission
We did no such thing. w hat Under
wood and ! al advocate and vote
for, was board of tariff experts t.
be governed by and made responsiv,
10 the House III general and to tn.
committee on ways and means in par
hcular because the House is charged
by the constitution with the duty q
originating revenue bills.
! We were never In favor of a tariff
board or committee undeh the contro
OF the President apne nd RESPONSIVE
10 him only. The CONGRESSIONAL Rec