The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1911-08-31
THURSDAY. AUGUST 81. 1911.
Champ Clark Calls
President Taft.

Seeming to realize that defeat stares
him and his party in the face, Presi-
dent Taft made a statement just after
congress adjourned in which he at
tempted to discredit the Democrats be-
fore the American public He charged
that the Democrats were playing poll
tics when they tried to lower the tariff
bv passing bills which he vetoed.
with the dignity that Ia character
iBtic OF his every act. but yet none the
less vigorous. Champ Clark loses no
time in telling the public wherein
President Taft grossly migepresents
che situation and conciusiveiy proves
that It is the president, himself, who
Is playing politics, and that the only
way the Democrats played politics was
IN keeping faith with the people to
whom they are responsible
i Speaker Clark. In telling how Pres
ident Taft said the Payne-Aldrich
tarir was too high. although he signed
At. and. when the wool tariff BIN. which
lowered 1t, was sent to him for his
signature received his veto. said:
HE had said the rates Of the wool
schedule IN tho Payne Aidrich tariff
bill were too high and ought to be re-
duced. We reduced them. In the
teeth OF his other declaration that said
rates were too high, he vetoed our
wool bill, thereby going over, boots and
.breeches, to the standpatters.
THE president endeavors to convey
the impression that Mr.. Underwood
and advocated his tariff commission.
We did no such a thing. We were
never in favor of tariff board or
- -
president alone, responsive to him
only. The Congressional Record will
fully and clearly prove my contention
herein stated.
- Several members Of the house, both
Republicans and Democrats. including
Mr.. Underwood and myself, have spent
= half a lifetime studying and debating
the tariff. The service Of some house
and senate members even goes back to
the Mckinley bill. the Springer bills,
the Mills bill and the Morrison bills.
Then why should we wait for the YER
dict of the presidents board Of tarin
non-experts?
TT will be noted that while the
presidents consistency would not per-
NIT him to sign a bill revising even
one schedule, he promptly signed the
outrageous Payne-Aldrfch- Smoot tariff
bin without the counsel, advice or
tuition OF any tariff board whatsoever.
THE president himself Is a man of
large general information as we'll as a
man of great ability, but certainly he
is not enough of a tariff expert to
justify him in vetoing tariff bills which
passed the house by majorities Of
more than two to one.
THE president implies that he re-
fused to sign the wool bill because 1t
was introduced and rushed through
without due consideration. Let's see
The caucus of Democratic members
elected to the sixty-second congress
met January 10 and selected the Dem
ocratic members of the ways and
means committee. making Mr.. Under
wood chairman. They personally and
assemble information on the wool
schedule. The bill was reported to the
house about the middle OF April, a
period Of three months, on the prepa-
ration OF one schedule out of fourteen,
whereas the hearing on the Payne bill
with fourteen schedules began Ncvem-
Der IL and the bill was reported to the
house March IS, q period OF q little
over four months. devoted to fourteen
schedules. Nevertheless and notwith-
standing. the president signed the
Payre-Aldrich- Smoot bin and vetoed
ours.
Instead Of being slapped together
hastily without due consideration, the
Democratic wool bill was one OF the
most thoroughly and carefully consid-
cred tariff bills ever presented to any
president for his signature.
Mr.. Clark and the other leading
Democrats viii not have any trouble
in meeting the charges against the
party which has made such a good
record In such a short time, The
strange part Of the situation is why
the president has tried to misrepresent
the facts. He submitted to the COM
mands of the standpatters in his party
and he should be willing to make his
race on a standpat platform.
The tariff is the leading issue with
the Democrats and because they
= worked to this end at the first oppor.
: tunity presented he attempts to make
the public believe they were playing
I politics. If the Democrats had gone t
congress in the extra session to hell
> Him pass the reciprocity bill with Can.