f- I S ' f-f . T If . J jv
FEBRUART IT, Mil
The Commoner.
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house siring the speaker autocratic power, and
will give his support to tho progressive plan of
letting the house select its own committees.
Tho democratic party is in a favorable posi
tion to win a victory in 1912 and secure com
plete control of the federal government, but
such a victory 'would be barren of results if
the candidate elected president is a man under
control of the special interests. From his long
and honorable career, we have reason to believe
that Champ Clark would not be controlled in
the least by th Interests, but would represent
the people. We nominate him for president of
-'the United State in 1912. Fairbury (Neb.)
Journal.
CHAMP CLARK ANSWERS NINETEEN
QUESTIONS
Ollson Gardner, Washington correspondent for
the Omaha (Neb.) Daily News, sends to his
newspaper this dispatch:
Washington, D. C, February 6. What is tho
duty of the democratic party in the next
congress? -
What of democracy in the presidential cam
paign of 1J912?
Listen!
For hero follow- nineteen answers by the
.Hon. Champ Clark, leader of the democrats in
congress and speaker of the next house of rep-'
resentatives, to nineteen questions on these most
important subjects:
"Now that the democratic caucus has chosen
the ways and' means committee of the next
house,, what will it do?"- -
"The; selection of the democratic cdntingent
of the ways and means- committee. on January
19, more than pine months in advance of the
beginning of the first regular session of the
Sixty-second congress, is e long step In expedit
ing the remodeling or revision or reduction o&
the tariff to .which we stand pledged. There
fore the members of the ways and means, com
mittee will at once go to work to accumulate
information on which to baBe the bill or bills
which they will introduce. Those papers which
have been charging that I want to delay tariff
revision are misrepresenting mo. The caucus
of January 19'was the first' step toward hasten
ing tariff revision, and that caucus was called
on my suggestion. There can be no doubt that
the members of the ways and means cdmmittee
will do all in their power to get into action as
soon as possible and thereby hasten, the redemp
tion of democratic promises on the subject of
tho tariff."
"What.kind of a tariff revision does the char
acter of this committee spell?"
"The character of the committee is a guar
antee that -democratic promises of. revision
downward will be redeemed so far as the com
mittee can redeem them."
"Would you like to see President Taft call
an extra session?"
"Personally, I would like to see an extra ses
sion of congress earjy In March; but President
Taft is the only person who can call one." -So
far he has given no intimation ot doing so,"
''What would be the advantages or disadvan
tages of having an extra session?"- '
"The advantage of an extra session would be
that we would get at tariff revision and other
remedies at tho earliest possible date; the dis
advantage is that we would not be so well pre
pared at the earlier date."
"Why do you not favor a tariff commission?"
."I am opposed to .a tariff commission which
undertakes to fix rates, because the constitu
tion .expressly provides that revenue bills must
originate In the house and that power cannot
be delegated - but I am not opposed to a tariff
board or agency tOiCollect facts and report them
to the house. Democrats do not object to ob
taining information from any source, on any
subject, through any channel, just so it is
reliable."'
"Will the ways and means committee have
sufficient data to warrant immediate action on
any schedule of the Payne-Aldrich bill?"
"The ways and means commitee'has informa
tion enough, or could secure it in a few days,
to frame bills on one or two schedules."
"Do you prefer the schedule-by-schedule in
stead of the entire-bill revision? Briefly, why?"
"I prefer the schedule-by-schedule system be
cause it reduces the chances of log-rolling and
BwappJngJ;othe:mInimura' . . .
''What will be the measure ot the tariff
recommended" by the democrats?".
,.,, "Better . ask the. members, of.. the cQmmittee
n ways and meamV ,
"About what would the tariffrfor-revenue
plan do to th woolen schedule; to the cotton
schedule; to the steel schedule?"
"Better ask the, members of tho committee
on ways and means."
"Is there any roason to believe, that a com
bination of the progressives and the democrats
in the" senate would not insure tho passago of
a genuine tariff revision bill?"
"It is to bo hoped that a combination of dem
ocrats and progressive republicans in tho jsenato
may be formed to pass the house tariff bills."
"Are you a candidate for president?"
"I am n6t a candidate for "president; but X
am not fool enough to decline a nomination
that has not been offered mo. At present I am
putting in my time preparing to dischargo the
onerous and important dutleB of the high posi
tion for which I have been unanimously nominat
ed. My own future, and to a largo extent the
future of the democratic party, depends upon
the manner In which tho house of tho Slxty
jecond congress acquits itself."
'Why should Taft not bo continued in the
office?"
"Neither President Taft nor any other repub
lican should be elected in 1912, because repub
lican policies are bad."
"What is the fundamental difference between
the" democratic and tho republican party?" '
. "The fundamental difference botween repub
licans and democrats Is that the democrats rep
resent and believe in the masses, while the re
publicans represent and believe in the classes."
' "What kind of a man ought tho democrats
nominate for president?!'
"The democrats should nominate a democratic
democrat."
"Do you believe in the Initiative, tho referen
dum, the recall, corrupt practices act, the Oro-
gon plan of choosing senatorial candidates, the
Oregon plan for a presidential preference
primary?"
"I am In favor of primary, elections and of
the election of United States senators by popu
lar vote; failing -that, I would be. in. favor of
the Oregon pjan."
"Should a president take part in legislation?"
"A president should take part in legislation
in all constitutional ways'."
"If you were president would you deal in any
different way with the trust problem than the
way President Taft has dealt with it? What
would you do?V-
"The anti-trust . laws, including criminal
clauses, should -be strictly enforced."
"Next to the tariff, what do you regard as
the four most important bills which congress
ought to pass?"
"Regulation of common carriers, conservation
of natural resources, restoration of tho Ameri-"can-
merchant marine, 'establishing genuine reci
procity with all nations, especially with Canada
and Central and South America'. We ought
to have the lion's share of that trade."
KANSAS CITY IN 1012
--Washington, 'dispatch to the Kansas City
' Times: Ever since the Baltimore dinner there
has been an active campaign afoot to land the
democratic national convention for the Maryland
city. The activity, however, has been wholly on"
the part of Baltimore and thus far the only
response the efforts haye met has been from
Marylanders who have answered their own ques
tion, "Is not Baltimore a good city for the con
vention?" by admitting it,
Tho repetition of this -question and Its answer
has got on the nerves of western democrats, who
are demanding to know what is back of this
beating of the cymbals for Baltimore at this early
stfige of the game. Is this another Harmon plot,
hey? Is the convention to be roped and corraled
in the east, where the reactionary wing of" the
party can control it and smother the voice of the
people? Do the "interests" think they can cor
rupt the western democracy with terrapin and
canvasback, Lynnhaven 'oysters .and Smithfield
ham as was plainly attempted at the so-called
love feast last month?
The answer to these questions, it is needless
to say, is "No." Absolutely, No. Certainly not.
It is not necessarily true that democrats are
more suspicious of each other than are republi
cans, but with at least three avowed candidates
for the presidential nomination in tho field, rep
' resenting different sections and perhaps different
, .interests, their followers do not feel that . they
can t&ke any chances. The Baltimore dinner
was looked upon with suspicion, and the charge
.was, openly made that it was to bo a Harmon
.. affair. The clash of rival booms was only avert
ed at that time by good luck and champagno.
When the conversation water began to circulate
frooly, it was soon 'tho competition was too great
for tho advortlBed speakors, and if any of them
had brought any "first guns" for anybody with
them thoy took thorn away again undischarged.
The noisy campaign to make Baltimoro tho
convention cltyhas awakened tho samo suspi
cions again, and in tho same quarters. But
this time tho western democrats have a remedy,
and it came out today what that romedy is.
"Take the convention west," is tho word that
has gone out.
.'Sure; take it to Kansas City' responded
tho Missouri delegation cheerfully! And that's
tho answer to what had- come to- bo known as
tho "Baltimoro Plot."
"Tho nominco of tho democratic convontion
will be a western democrat," said a member of
the Missouri delegation today. "Champ CI I
mean this western democrat will have tho solid
support of tho south and west. Ho will run op a
platform made by southern and westorn deino
- crata, and the sinister Influences that are trying
to dictate a reactionary nomination and a reac
tionary platform can best be defeated by taking
tho convention where it will bo in the house of
its friends.
"Kansas City not only Is tho most central
point, geographically, but It is central In a dem
ocratic sense. Every state that touches Missouri
Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Ken
tucky, Illinois, will bo good democratic territory
next year. Take tho convention to Kansas City
and thorq will bo no question about nominating
Ch I mean about nominating a western demo
crat, and that is tho plan that is meeting with
the approval of all good democrats In Washing
ton who aro determined tho next president shall
not be an assistant republican, such as tho Balti
moro conspirators would liko to see."
NEW YORK POLITICS
Tho'Buffalo (N. Y.) Courier wired Mr. Bryan
and asked his opinion as to Norman E. Mack's
endorsement of Mr, Sheehan for senator. -In
replyMr. Bryan sent the following dispatch:
-Galveston, Texas, January 31. Editor
Courier, Buffalo, Now York: Do not care to
discuss any person's position. Am a believer in
the election of senators by direct vote of tho
people, and regret that the system is not now in
operation. In its absence I trust that tho demo
crats will, as nearJy as possible, reflect tho
wishes of tho votors. Each state has tho right
to such representatives as it desires, but in every
state' tho representatives should voice tho senti
ment of tho whole people, and not tho senti
ments of the special interests which have too
often succeeded in forcing their special agents
upon tho public through their ability to control
, legislatures, W. J. BRYAN. '
ON GUARD!
In his message to the Alabama legislature
Governor B. B. Comer, retiring, said: "Both
. in congress and before the federal courts in
Washington, .there is npw a gigantic struggle
to -wrest from the government and tho people
the grasp of the strongest combination of allied
interests ever formed ,and against which every
party platform, whether republican or demo
cratic, gives the fullest condemnation."
, A FRIEND IN NEED
The favor seeking corporations have found
Vice President Sherman a friend in need. Ho
.cast ,the deciding yote which passed the ship
subsidy bill, but it is likely to be defeated In
thehouse. He used his vote to prevent the
taking up of the resolution submitting the direct
election of senators amendment, but he can't
prevent Its passage next year.
WALL STREET ACTIVE
. Wall Street seems to be paying especial atten
tion to tho United States senate, If we can judgo
by tho men who were pushed by the inter
ests In New York, New Jersey .and West
Virginia. Why should Belmont and? Ryan havo
a senator from New York, or the interests ono
from New Jersey, or the Baltimore and Ohio
railroad one from West Virginia?
The Lorlmer committee seems to think that
'a little corruption now and then is relished by
the best of senators.
The American Homestead, a monthly farm
journal of national scope, will be sent to all
Commoner subscribers, without additional cost
who renew their subscriptions during tho month
of February when this notice is mentioned.
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