The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-10-19
FIRST DISTRICT CONGRESSMAN
NOW ADMITS HE ATTENDED, THE
WEST HOTEL MEETING
NOT As Al ASTRAL BODY
BOWS TO THE PROOFS OF HIS PRES
ENCE, AND TELLS WHY HE
ATTENDED
EARLE YoUMAN's SENSATION
Former Partner of F. Weyerhaeuser
= and Constituent of Tawney,
Condemns the Lumber Tar
In as Unnecessary.

WINONA, Oct. 1S-(Special)-C
gresham James A. Tawney, of this
city, has at length admitted that he at
tended that West hotel conference Of
lumber barons, and not as an astral
BODY, but in hody and spirit But he
went there to meet his constituents"
that was all, and not at all TO partic,-
pate in fixing the lumber tariff
: This Is the statement which he has
made publicly at Fremont, Wabasha and
oeeWartVllle in his meetings this week
lie and congressman Fletcher and Morris
were there only to see their constituents.
The only constituents of Mr. Tawney's
at that conference was a Winona gentle
man whom Mr.. TaWney would have been
aple TO meet, 1T is generally presumed,
in the city of Winona, without travelling
III miles north to Minneapolis.
The sensation of today in this CITY is
an article which appeared this morning
In the Wtnona Independent, the morning
daily with Republican leanings, from one
Of Mr. Tawney's lumberman "constit-
uents," Earle 8. Youmans, a former
partner of Frederick Weyerhauser. Mr..
Youmans has now retired from active
manufacturing by reason of the fact
that he has no pine stumpage with which.
to contine his mill, and feels disposed
to talk out in meeting.
CONDEMNS THE TARIFF.
The signed communication of Mr.. YOU
mans, who is a retired gentleman Of
wealth and high social standing, and a
Republican in his political affiliations,
condemns the lumber tariff in toto as un-
necessary, tax upon the consumer to
the full extent of the 81 duty, and a
source of unlawful wealth to the manu-
facturer and holder of pine stumpage.
He charges that this has been brought
about by employing the machinery of thu
government for private ends and that the
congressman from this district, James A.
Tawney, is the congressman chiefly re-
sponsible for the lumber tariff robbery,
and the politician upon the lumbermen
ana pine Stumpage people principally re-
lied for their political work in Washins-
ton. Heavy assessments were made upon
the lumbermen from Atlantic to Pacific,
to maintain the costly paid lobby which
railroaded the Dingley lumber schedule
j through congress.
The Gil was told today that the
lnmbermen of Winora privately, expire g
ed views much In line with the state-
ment. of Mr. YoumanS. The G lob e rep
iresentative called upon Mr.. Charles Hor-
ton, another eminent Republican and the
active head of the welI-known Empire
! Lumber company, who said:
1 would prefer not be interviewed,
or mix up in this discussion. read Mr..
and L do not know that [ have anything
special to say in regard to it by way of
criticism or otherwise
50 DUTY UNNECESSARY.
Did you consider the 81 duty on lum-
Der necessary to the protection of the
Minnesota lumberman, Mr. Horton?
AS to that, no, 1 did not. L never fav-
ored 1t myself ] thought the 81 duty
in the Wilson. and Mckinley bills enough
All we needed was tariff enough to off
set the difference in cost of labor be-
tween here and Canada and 81 I thought
was enough.
! ''Is it true, Mr.. Horton, as charged by
Mr.. Youmans, that Mr.. ,Tawrey was the
congress sman to whom the Iurnbernaen of
the country chiefly looked to put through
the 81 duty?"
well, do not know that 1 could say
that Mr.. Tawney was more influential
and active for the lumber interest han
some other congressman. For example,
there. is members from Dubuque, who
was active in behalf of the down river
lumber interests
But as to Minnesota, who was the ac.
tive representative of the lumber inter-
ests?''
"Oh. naturally Mr.. Tawney. He was
the man of course that the Minnesota
lumber interests looked to take care of
them in Washington"
Do you recall whether Senator Knute
Nelson when a member of the lower
house introduced a free lumber bill on
the ground that the lumbermen were in
need of no tariff protection?"
That may be, but 1 could state posi-
lively in regard 20 Mr.. Nelson"
COUNTRY DOSEN'T NEED 1T.
Speaking of Of the necessity of a high
tariff in general, Mr.. Horton expressed
himself as follows:
! 1.-The time is undoubtedly past when
this country needs the high tariff 1t
used to require We are an exporting ma
ton, and do not need to fear foreign
competition. I do not mean to say that
1 am a free trader, but that a high tariff
is not needed. This is true of lumber and
all products. On lumber half the pres
ent duty would be about right, it seems
to me-