Kitchin, Claude

Kitchin, Claude

(1869–1923) U.S. representative; born in Scotland, N.C. Son of a representative, he was a lawyer before going to the U.S. House of Representatives (Dem., N.C.; 1901–23). A brilliant debater, his support of the Payne-Aldrich tariff won him appointment to the Ways and Means Committee. Its chairman in 1915, he initially opposed Wilson's declaration of war against Germany, but he secured passage of revenue bills to support the war effort.