The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1911-04-20
KITCHIN in A FIERY
SPEECH ON TARIFF
ATTACKS SIMMONS.
Put Forward by Democratic Leaders to Open the Debate on
The Chief Question Before the Extra Session,
He ADULTS Himself Handsomely.

orally. Although he took national
aspect of the tariff, he did not over
look the position to the reciprocal
in North Carolina. He hoped on
Senator Simmons for the position he
has taken with reference to this
question, as well as Mr.. Webb and
the House Democrats from North
Carolina who are opposing the Cana
dian treaty. While his challenge OF
the position taken by Senator Sim
mons on the Canadian reciprocity
was only an incident Of his speech,
Mr.. Kitchin made the most of it.
That it will attract much attention
in North Carolina goes without
saying.
A summary of Mr.. Kitchin's re-
marks is impossible. He was inter-
rupted by a great number Of Repub-
licans and he bowled them over with
an ease and facility that attracted
general admiration. Most of his
would-be adversaries subsided in
short order. Claude Kitchin is a
remarkably quick thinker on his
feet, and it takes very quick-witted
citizen to cope with him. Toward
the last of his speech Democratic
members were hollering Next"
FLooRED 'EM AS FAST AS THEY CAME.
That was an invitation to some
| Republican Congressman to tackle
the honorable Claude and be fioored.
Mr.. Kitchin ridiculed the idea of
protecting farm products. He quot
ed Zeb Vance on this subject, to-wit:
"It is a delusion and snare for the
farmer for the Republicans to keep
on putting on the tariff books tariff
on his wheat, his corn, his rye, and
his agricultural products.
"Vance denounced Republicans for
this fraud" continued Mr.. Kitchin,
Id yet wc have Democrats in
North Carolina now that want to &C
to the State and tell the people that
old Zeb Vance was lying to them
when he said that it was snare anC
a delusion." (Applause.) "And YET
some of the Democrats of NORTH
Carolina are going about saying the
tariff on corn and agricultural pro
ducts is a protection, and to remove
it will injure the farmer. and tha
ne cannot vote for reciprocity.
ABOUT ERRING DEMOCRATS.
"Let me make statement-tha
} whenever you see a good Democra
working against this reciprocity yol
must scratch a little deeper thai
Grain, wheat and rye, and then yo1
will find that it is some lumber re
duction." Laughter and applause.
"You will find that it is some WOO
pulp reduction in that tariff, and tn
biggest wood pulp manufactor
Isouth of the Potomac river is i
North Carolina. Scratch littl
S deeper and you will find that ther
q is mica in that reduction, and yo
> will find that there is some mica
n North Carolina, where there is prt
n lection.
;. REPUBLICANS FOOLED PEOPLE FO
s FIFTY YEARS.
{ "Now, when the Republicans hel
{ concede that they fooled the peop
for over fifty years, we Democra
come along and say, Don't you al
n nit that, because we want to TO
the farmer and get protection II
wood pulp, lumber and mica in OF
n districts. ,"
! Il can stand here and read all da
and l expect to put in the record tt
= statements of Vance, Peck, al
: oretty nearly all the leading Dem
Gratis to show that this is a frau
4 Now, | tell you that it is unjust
II the Democratic record, it is unju
{ to the great Democrats now de;
those who are alive to hear us in o
Democratic fight. Now they S
these old Democrats were fooli1
the people themselves in saying tn
the Republican tariff was delusi
and a snare. l am going to quo
one gentleman in North Carolir
who lives to-day, and who has t
conidende of thousands of go
Democrats in the State, and who
oppinion and whose word upon tt
question of the tariff on the far
ers' products will be taken as E
thority almost over North Caroli1
and no Democrat in this House "
dare dispute, and that gentleman,
Sit is not unparliamentary to state
is the senior Senator from MOI
ICarolina, Senator Simmons. q
plause.)
THE MONs-PRITCHARD CONTES
Senator Simmons has been Sci