The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1911-02-18
CAN'T SEE: joke K. E.
Champ Clark Stirred Up Most l]nezpeet-
ed r,opb'e.
BY JOCULAR REMARK

to Issue Denial of the Reported
octapus Designs Of the United
States and Canada.
The semi -jocular remarks which
Champ Clark, the Democratic speak
er-to-be, made in the house during
the debate on, the Canadian reci-.
procity to the effect that he believed.
the Stars and Stripes would one day
float over the entire Western hemi-
sphere, stirred up most unexpected
trouble on Wednesday.
President Taft took occasion to
write to Representative Mccall, in
troducer of the reciprocity bill, a
letter disclaiming and deprecating
the annexation talk, and to follow 1t
up with personal remarks, even
more emphatic to his visitors. The
letter Of President Taft to Mr.. Nc
Call says in part:
"This agreement, If it becomes a
law, has no political significance. No
thought of future political annexa-
tion or union was in the mind Of the
negotiators on either side. Canada
is now and will remain political
unit. Is
+ The president has made 1t known
| that he would like to have 1t under
stood throughout the world that his
administration had no thought what
ever of annexation when the resi-.
procity agreement was arranged.
The news that Mr.. Clark's allu-
ssons had created excitement in Can.
ada and in England occasioned
great surprise and considerable
: amusement at the capitol. The man
most surprised Of all was Mr.. Clark
himself.
He declared Wednesday that he
expressed his own individual opinion,
and declared that he stands pat on
! his speech. Mr.. Clark's entire speech
en- reciprocity was delivered In a
.|talf-humorous, half-taunting vein.
The house was in gale of laughter
most of the time.
In return for the laughs he was
creating at their expense, some 'of
the Republicans tried to turn the
tables on Mr.. Clark by chiding him
with the fact that he might have
President Taft as an opponent for
the Democratic nomination.
This humorous exchange reflected
the spirit of the debate during the
entire time Mr. Clark was on his
feet, and no one gave serious con-
sideration to his remarks regard
ing the possible annexation Of Can
ada at some distant time.
There was further touch OF
facetiousness to the debate when
one of the Republicans asked Mr..
Clark If he would like to be the
first president of the magnificent
Union he was creating and he re-
piled, amid bursts Of laughter, that
he certainly would.
Friends of the reciprocity meas
ure were inclined to take the view
that opponents of the agreement hid
simply seized on what was regarded
here as an entirely personal and
harmless statement to make capital
against the ratification of the agree
ment.
Ottawa is Annoyed.
A dispatch from Ottawa, Ontario,
says there was considerable interest
and some irritation there Wednes-
day over Champ Clarks speech, In
which he said that the reciprocity
agreement was the first step toward
annexation.
At the opening Of session of the
house, Col. Sam Hughes read a
newspaper abstract Of the speech and
asked If it was fair statement OF
the American attitude and If so In
quired if the Canadian government
leaders were prepared to withdraw
from the reciprocity agreement.
Sir Wilfred Laurier's reply was
noncommital. He said that the gov
ernment had no information on The
subject; that the Canadian govern