Polk County news-gazette. (Benton, Tenn.) 190?-191?, 1913-10-09
PRESIDENT WILSON
SIGNS TARIFF BILL
ONE GREAT PLEDGE or DEMO
CRATIC PARTY REDEEMED
AFTER STRUGGLE.
THE MEASURE BECOMES LAW
Their Work Being Completed Support
ers of the Bill Give Sigh
of Relief.

Washington.-Th one great pledge
NJ the Democratic party has been re-
deemed. The Underwood tariff bill
is now an accomplished fact, and Is
now the law of the land.
The last official act to make this
realization was the signature OF the
president of the United States, which
was affixed to the bill. This was the
most impressive scene enacted along
the entire stormy and troublous route
of the bill from the ways and means
committee of the house to its final des-
tiuation-the white house. In the pres
ence of the vice president OF the Unit
ed States, the members OF his cabinet
Senator Simmons and the members OF
the finance committee, Mr.. Underwood
and the ways and means committee
and the members of the press, the
president signed the bill.
Those who had been the most active
in it's construction and in the fight to
preserve it from the various contend
ing interests who sought its defeat and
impairment breathed sigh of relief
when they beheld the last official act
which completed their labors.
A happy group of legislators, mem
bers of the cabinet and friends enc1r-
cled the president as he smilingly sat
down, slowly affixed his signature
with two gold pens.
He presented to Representative IN
derwood the pen that had written the
word Woodrow" and the one which
had completed his name to Senator
simmons both of whom bowed their
appreciation.
In impressive silence the president
rose and delivered in easy natural
tones an extemporaneous speech that
brought prolonged applause. The pres
ident declared that the journey OF leg
islatiye accomplishment had only been
partly completed; that great service
had been done for the rank and tile
of the country, but that the second
step in the emancipation of business
was currency reform. He earnestly
called upon his colleagues to go the
rest of the journey" with fresh i'm
pulse.
The small but distinguished audi
ence that heard the presidents speech
crowded about him, afterward with
concentrations. Leading figures OF
the Democratic party-Speaker Clark,
Secretary Bryan and Representative
Underwood stood together, sponsors
with the president of the first business
niece of legislation that had been &C
complished in the Democratic program
of reform. They gave the president
their personal congratulations, and
reiterated promises Of support
The bill, accompanied by the confer
ence report as agreed on by the sen
ate, came into the house as soon as
that body met. For over an hour the
house debated as to what action II
should take, some of the parliamentary
experts arguing that no further action
was necessary, while others insisted
the house must recede from its com
promise cotton futures tax.
Speaker Clark finally upheld the lat
ter convention, and the house quickly
voted the cotton tax out OF the tarln
bill. The last vote was reached al
1928, at 1925 the speaker had affixed
his name to the completed bill anC
within ten minutes Chief Clerk Jerry
South had carried 1t to the senate
ana it had been signed by Vice Presi
dent Marshall Clerks of the senate
then took charge of the bill, and con
yeyed it to the white house.