The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1906-06-29
LEVER Lew AND THE MEAT BILL.
REPORTS as to His Position do Him Tn
Justly There Was No Partis- 4
anship- He Was Not the On #.
ly Democrat With Re- S5t$
publicans. % 81 !,


!. the press Of South Carolina concern
ing the matter Of Representative Le-
YER having been named as one Of the
conferees on the meat inspection bill
few days ago, by the speaker Of the
house, over the heads Of the two
ranking Democrats, he was seen to-
! day and asked for q statement. He
said: "The report does me an in
justice, in that it proceeds upon the
assumption thatI was the only Demo-
crat on the committee who voted with
the Republicans to have the govern
ment pay the cost of meat inspection.
The truth of the matter is that there
was absolutely no partisan lines
drawn in the committee on this pro-
position. Three Democrats voted with
four Republicans against the PROPOSE
ton, and three Democrats voted with
eight Republicans for the proposition:
thus it is seen, that the Democrats
on the committee were equally divid-
ed, three voting one way and three
the tother, while the Republicans,
though not equally divided, were bad
ly divided. AS between the Demo-
Gratis, there was no disagreement ex-
cept upon the! proposition as to who
should pay the cost of inspection. AS
for myself, I joined with Mr.. Bowie,
Of Alabama, in leading the. fight in
the committee against both the court
review clause and the civil service
clause, and announced in the COM
mittee, according to the custom, that
reserved the right to vote O. ainst
these propositions in the open Il ,;ise,
and every statement have made can
be verified by the records Of the
committee. To put me ii the attitude
of being the lone Democrat who join
ed with the Republicans, and presum-
able all the Republicans on this pro-
position, is not only glaring mis-
statement of facts, but gross in
justice to me, though I impute no i'll
tention to the press to do me an in
justice. -
"The announcement Of the speaker
of my appointment on the conference
committee came to me as great sur
prise. 1 did not anticipate it, and my
first impulse was to rise from my
seat and announce from the floor
my refusal to serve upon it under the
circumstances. I thought it due the
chairman of the committee, however,
as a matter of courtesy that should
notify him of my intention to refuse
to accept the appointment, and re-
garded it as matter of right that
I should also consult with the Demo-
I Gratis who were supporting me on this
proposition, before announcing my in
tentions. And besides, did not care
to play the grand stand act and ap-
peal for the applause Of the galleries.
As soon as had discharged my duty
to the chairman of the committee, and
to. my Democratic colleagues, I went
to the speaker and told him that 1
serve on the conference committee. I
told him that Mr.. Lamb was the
ranking Democrat on the committee
and that he was III sympathy with the
bill, with the exception as to who
should pay the cost of inspection, and
as matter of precedent he should
have the appointment on the COM
mittee Captain Lamb is an old Con-
federate soldier, a knightly gentleman,
a patriotic legislator, and a warm
personal friend of mine. I told the
speaker this, and assured him that I
would not be the medium through
which. my friend was, to be slapped
in the face. The speaker congratu-
lated me upon the magnanimity of
my position, and later in the day on
page 9011 of the record, said, the
chair announces as conferees on the
agricultural appropriation bill Mr..
Wadsworth, Mr.. Scott, and Mr. Lamb,
The chair will state that the gentle
man from South Carolina (Mr. Lever)
came to the chair and requested to
be excused from service on the con-
ference committee" T not only re-
quested to be excused, but told the
speaker that absolutely refused to
serve on the conference committee
under the circumstances.
GAS to my vote upon the PROPOSE
ton Of the government paying the
cost Of inspection, I have no apology
r do MT helieve that If is tho province