The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1898-10-28

to place white pine lumber on the free
list, or at as low a rate as possible. But
we were vigilant, and secured the CO.
operation of all 'the lumber interests,
some from the South, some form the
North, and some from the Pacific coast
states. The senate took UP the bill sched-
ule by schedule, and when the wood
schedule was reached. by securing the CO.
operation Of all these interests and thus
ern and Pacific coast senator's we sue
ceeded against very active and severe
opposition in retaining the rate as it had
gone from the house. After this schedule
fight had been won. The people of this
district will not wonder that I was
subsequently Surprised
to find that my predecessor from
this district and my opponent at
the coming election, who had
remained in Washington, was working
the morning Of the 1st Of July, Senator
Teller, just as the consideration of the
bill was being completed for final action
by the senate, moved to go back to the
wood schedule, SO that he might offer an
OF course the courtesy and
the rules Of the senate, or rather the
absence Of rules in that body, permitted
this, and he offered his amendment. That
was that rough lumber man
fractured from white pine should be
that amendment in a speech which. If
you will read it, you will find must have
been inspired by someone from this dis
trict. Indeed, the arguments therein
contained were exactly in line with what
Gently written and published by my OPP
ponent It was also supported by Mr..
Mantle, another free silver senator and
intimate friend of my opponent, in a
speech Of the same character. The vote
was taken on it and it came within one
vote of being passed. Failing in having
white pine lumber thus put upon the free
list, Mr.. Teller then moved to reduce the
rate ITO $1.00 per 1000, and by majority
OF one vote this amendment was adopted,
and that would have been the rate, in
stead of 81, If the members of the confer
ence committee from the house had not
stood by me, being persuaded as they
were that the rate was fair, and knowing
the methods by which and the persons by
whom the rate as fixed in the house had
been changed. My opponent says that
he was in favor Of the 81 rate. May I
not then ask the question why he did not
better post and train his friends. Teller
and Mantle, and his other silver friends?
ae says that the 81 rate is prohibitive.
Does he not know that nearly 1853, OOO, 900
feet of boards, planks, etc., have been
imported into the United States from
British North America in the last fiscal
year, 235,O00,0O0 Of which were imported
after the lst of August, or after the
law went into operation. The
rate was fixed so as to restrain and large
ly prevent the large importation Of Can
adam lumber, especially of the lower
grades, which had been going on, and
which was Gripping our own lumber in
dustry, and the lumbermen rejoice, and
everybody else in this. district ought to
and does rejoice, that it has largely ac-
compl1shed its purpose, reducing those
importations from about SS4, 00OO 900 to
about $780, 100000. Does my opponent now
believe in :.
Tariff for Revenue only:
permit these large and injurious importa-
tons? He says the effect will he and has
been to cause our pine forests to be rapidly
cut off, and he hints that these forests
o o9gho to be preserved and a policy
being thus rapidly cut. If the forests
which are being cut down belonged to the
government, as they DO in Canada, that
might be we'll. But the forests in this
country which are being cut are owned
OF fire and wind, who pay taxes on them.
and who are cutting them not only to
avoid these risks. but also to realize upon
their investments, and in so doing are
conducting great industries and giving
employment to thousands of men. Would
ne have these industries stopped or large
~ curtalled, and thus throw large num-
bers of our people. out of employment?
And does he not know that these very
Michigan men with whom he was CO.
operating never thought of preserving
their forests, but on the contrary have
cut them down and now come forward
with this idea of closing up our mills and
keeping our Minnesota and Wisconsin
forests only after they have acquired
enormous holdings of pine in Canada?
Does he not further know that while they
were cutting their Michigan lumber they
favored the old 81 rate and protested and
worked against the placing Of the 81 rate
in the Mckinley bill, and that they have
only changed their views since the great
lumber industry has been largely trans
ferred to Minnesota and Wisconsin? He
seems to be concerned about what shall
say to my constituents in the agricul-
tural sections about this lumber tariff.
Let me say that come back to my con-
the same kind of a Republican
that T was when they elected me, holding
the same views and representing the
same principles. I do not stand for one
thing in this part of the district and for
the last campaign I would strive for
the 81 rate, and have done 1t and the
rate has been obtained. The people of
this district in every part Of it, know
that the farm and the mill must develop
and grow side by side; that when the
the agricultural interests are injured,
and they are too broad and too patriotic
and too wise to vote for any policy which
would injure the manufacturing interests.
The people of this district, too will not
fail to notice that Senator Teller's mo-
ton referred only to white pine: that it
did not include any other lumber: that
it was an attempt to take away the sup
port we were receiving from those inter-
ested in other kinds Of lumber, such as
spruce, yellow pine and fir, and that It
was intended as blow at me as the
representative Of this district, and
through me at the greatest industry in
the district, one which gives employment
to thousands of men and in which thou
sands Of people are directly or Indirectly
interested. And they will be the more sur
prised at the course of our former repre-
sentative when they remember that he
was elected as strong protectionist and
they must be convinced that I'M this mat
ter he was entirely forgetful of the in
terests of the people who had honored
and preferred him.
Republican Pledge Kept.
The first great pledge, then, of the Re-
publican party has been kept, and kept
to the letter. Their promise to give the
a right settlement of this great
question, and the rest resulting from
such settlement, has been absolutely full
filled. That the settlement is right, and
that the country can count upon rest
from this particular agitation is shown by