The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1899-09-09


Lambs constituents, and | am not
prepared to believe, knowing how
zeslously my colleague is wont to
guard their interests, that he would
vote for tariff duty of either 81 or
- on white pine lumber. To do so
would be to add at least that much to
the cost Of every thousand feet of
white pine lumber used by his con
sti,utents, and | cannot imagine how
it would benefit one Of them single
dollar.
| assume, therefore, that when
Captain Lamb says be is prepared to
defend Senator Martins lumber votes
he Is under the impression that those
votes related to all kinds of pine lum-
Der grown and manufactured in VIr
giuis, and not merely to white nil Q
lumber. That there may be no POS
slble misunderstanding on this sub
ject, | will state just what Senator
Martins votes were. The Dlugley
bill, as reported to tue Senate, pro-
vided for tariff tax of 81 psr-thou
sand feet on sawed lumber. Senator
Vest moved to amend this paragraph
by adding the words except white
pine There WAS yea'and nay
vote, and Senator Martin voted with
the Republicans in the negative
Some weeks later the subject came
up again on s.squsre proposition to
reduce the tariff tax from s. to 81
per thousand feet on white pine lum
Der. Senator Martin voted no, ouly
two Democrats voting with him.
Senator Mantle, with whom Senator
Martin has general pair, was about
the only Republican voting with the
Democrats. He said, in explanation
of his vote, " sm a protectlonist.
| believe very firmly in protection for
this country, and if the Senator from
Wisconsin can show me how we can
by protection foster the white.pine
business by levying this duty, | shall
be glad to vote for it," The vote
was yeas 32 to nays $50 that if
Senator Martin had voted with the
Democrats the proposition would
have been carried.
Ii may not be amiss to state that
under the Wilson bill white pine
lumber was not taxed at all, and that
even the Mckinley bill only taxed it
81 per thousand.
And now that have explained so
minutely just what Senator Martins
votes were upon pine lumb Der, which
/ criticised in my Manchester speech,
| feel sure it will be apparent to
Captain Lamb that he misunderstood
my criticisms, and | shall not expec
to see him, or any other good Demot
crat, defending them. My friend,
Captain Lamb, also says that Senator
Martin offered bill for the coinage
of the silver seigniorage in the Trea-
sury.
This is true, of course, if Captain
Lamb says so, but he knows that
there were many such bills intro
dueed in both houses of Congress,
and that it was q very simple affair
for the Senator to copy one of them.
write his name on the back, and
drop it in the legislative mill. He
never, so far as | knew, called it up
for consideration. Besides, upon
the question of the coinage OF the
silver seigniorage the record is
against Senator Martin again. Un-
fortunately for the claim that Captain
Lamb would seem to be making TOR
Senator Martin, with a view to
Strengthening out his silver record, he
is upon record as having voted upon
an amendment offered by Senator
Morrill,, of Vermont, providing that
a seigniorsge upon all coinage Of
silver under this act shall be retained
by the United S ates equal in amount
to the difference between the coinage
value and the commercial value OF
silver bullion when presented at the
mint He voted, Of course, with
the Republicans, whilst his colleague,
Senator Daniel, voted just the other
way. Everybody who is acquainted
with Captain Lambs views upon the
currency question well knows that
be would never approve OF such
monstrosity as Senator MorrllPs prop
osition, and Senator Martins intro
duction Of a bill to coin silver
seigniorage is no Offset to this vote,
aod should not be offered even in
extenuation thereof.
THE MANCHESTER SPEECH.
| cannot but regret that my friend,
Captain Lamb, does not approve OF
nv having spoken before the good
Democrats of Manchester / value his
opinion very highly, and / am always
erstified when my course meets the
approval of so sterling a Democrat,
so courageous a man, and 80 true
friend as himself, aud it is therefore
q source Of regret to me that he should
have said of my course in going there
10 response to repeated and most
urgeut invitations from his warm
personal aud political friends, that he
desired that the voters of Man chester
should express their choice for Uni-
ted states Senator 'uninhnenced Dy
49, onfa;da nraeaura and without