The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-08-31
CHAMP CLARK'S "ANSWER. -

| CHAMP CLARk'S "ANSWER.
True to his announced purpose,
Speaker Champ Clark has come out in
his reply to President Taft s speech de-
livered on Saturday last at Hamilton,
| Massachusetts. In this reply Mr..
Clark does not show to as good ad
vantage rs he might have done. His
interview is full of taunts, personal
illusions, and contemptuous references
TO the Tariff Board Before the sort
of audience that commonly rallies
around stump speaker in the back
woods, the reply OF Speaker Clark
would be received with wild en-
thusasm, but as an answer TO put be-
fore the American people, IL is singu-
larly lacking in dignity, and also in
force.
First of all. Mr.. Clark seems to
think that the President, through sheer
gratitude for the Democratic action in
supporting the reciprocity bill, should
have signed the tariff bills which his
mind and conscience did not approve
! This is sort of dickering' propo-
| sition which can hardly commend itself
to any thoughtful person; and it sug-
gests the query whether the Democrats
supported reciprocity in order to win
the President S support for their
tariff propositions. President Taft
is obliged to deal with every ques-
tion coming before him, on the
mnrijo of +bai ouosfion alono Ha 10
not supposed to logroll or to trade in
matters of approving or vetoing
legislation. II the President is ex-
pccted to sign bill through gratitude,
or as a recompense TO the majority
of Congress for their support in some
thing else, then manifestly legislation
simply becomes matter of "dcals'
between the President and Congress.
We are surprised that Speaker Clark
should propose basis OF this kind in
the mutual relations between Congress
and the President as TO legislative ac-
| tion. That he does propose it shows
him TO be man in whose custody the
interests Of the people would never be
safe
lu the next point Of reply, Mr.. Clark
was decidedly more happy, where he
| claimed that President Taft was not
| fair to the Democratic party in assum.
ing for the Republicans the credit for
| whatever was done during the extra
session of Congress. This was the
disastrously weak part IN President
Taft s speech, and its weakness was
emphasized in the fact that he himself
came out after the passage of the
reciprocity bill in warm thanks to the
Democratic members Of Congress for
their support of that measure. Presi-
dent Taft's foot certainly slipped in
! his Hamilton speech on this point.
In the succeeding point Mr.. Clark
went lame again. He urged in a little
different way the point brought for
ward, first by Representative Under.
wood in his attack upon President
Taft for his veto of the tariff bills,
where Mr.. Underwood said that it was
curious state of affairs when the
President insists that Congress shall
not legisate until it shall have re.
eciycd information culled by clerks
and officials appointed by the Prcsi-
dent Mr.. Underwood declared that
this was departure from the const-
! tutional prcrogatIvcs of the House
in originating financial legislation that
could in no wise be put up with;
he insisted that Congress is not. and
cannot be. bound by any such rcstric-
,ions Mr.. Clark emphasized this
proposition. and declared that If Presi.
den, Taft persisted in that course, the
House would shut of tho supplies and
the pay Of the Tariff Board Both
Mr.. Underwood and Mr.. Clark. how.
ever. fail TO treat this matter with
| candor. II was not. As they say. n
proposition TO withhold legislation un-
I'll board or committee appointed by
the President should give Congress
leave 10 act. The situation was this:
/ The Tariff Board was appointed: il WAS
instructed by Congressional resolution
20 report on various schedules next De
cember The board went faithfully 10
work under that instruction. and pro.
| cceded 20 collect lts data IN order 10
formulate the report a. directed. In
the meantime the extra session ot Con.
gress was called, and the House. while
waiting for the Senate TO act on the
reciprocity agreement. aud having
nothing else to do. proceeded 20 get
busy with tariff bills without refer.
enee 10 the Tariff Board 8 report,
which had been called for IN December