The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1906-06-06
The LEXINGTON DISPATCH.
Wednesday, June s, 1906.
SENATOR LATlMER
EARNING HIS PAY.

EARNING HIS PAY.
The Junior Senator From South Caro-
lima is Not ldIe--An Enumeration OF
Some Substantial Things He Has
Accomplished in His First Term.
The State Bureau,
1417 G ST., n. w.
Washington, May 81.
South Carolina has another senator
up here. He is the junior senator and
his name is Latimer.
For many months during the present
session several of the newspapers in
South Carolina, generally in a jocular
vein, have printed little squibs, such
as, stBy the way, haven't we another
senator besides Tillman somewhere?
What's his name," and the like.
Tillman has figured in the Associ-
ated Press reports pretty extensively
this session. Little has been said
about Latimer. Tillman was dele
gate to the State convention. Latimer
was not. Tillman was endorsed by
the State convention. Latimer was
not. Things have been, said about all
this and invidious comparisons have
been made. The States correspond
emit has known all along that the junior
senator has noted them, and more
than once has the senator been asked
if he had anything to say about them.
But he always declined. At last,
however, he decided to make few
remarks appropriate to the accession.
He says he has not been prominent
in the congressional record because
the bills he has been working on have
not made so much noise as the rate
bill, for instance, though he declares
he is attending to business and has no
fears that the people of the State or
the country viii forget him. 81 am
serving my first term" he said, "and,
as is well known, it is an immemorial
custom of the senate for new senators
to refrain from general debate. How
ever, I have taken a modest part In
the debates in the senate this session.
I am sending my speech on the rate
bill to my people and am willing toilet
it speak for itself. I have no fears as
to the future endorsement of my re-
cord by the people when they are in
possession of the facts"
Concerning the things upon which
he is working. Senator Latimer says
further: 'While perhaps, I am not in
the public eye as much as some of my
friends might desire, l am fairly well
satisfied with the results of my work
for the session to date. I had not
thought it necessary at this time to
refer to my work here, but as COM
ments made by some of the newspa-
pers of the State may be misleading,
you may say that my committee as
signments are congenial and l have
accomplished some substantial results.
In the manufacturers committee l
helped frame the pure food bill. In
the immigration committee l added
an important provision to the immi-
grafton bill. On the agricultural COM
mittee succeeded in retaining the
item of S132,o for seeds and also
secured $50, 200 for roads, $4,000 for
surveys preparatory to draining swamp
lands and $4,000 for gathering agri-
cultural statistics. secured in the
senate an amendment to the postoffice
appropriation bill permitting the
patrons of rural mail routes to erect
their own mail boxes, thus putting
stop to the present practice of requir-
ing the farmer to buy patented boxes
from favored firms at fancy prices.
On the public buildings committee I
got through the $4,000 for a public
building at Anderson. I now have
pending before committee, bills for
public buildings at Aiken, Chester,
Greenwood and Sumter, also for en-
largement ofathe United States court
house at Greenville, on all of which
expect to get favorable action. I
secured the passage of the new judi
cial district bill and number of bills
for pensions and private claims"
As to the possible effect of these
criticisms on his future political course,
Senator Latimer says: II will not be
before the people for endorsement for
two years yet, and did not feel slight
ed by the action of the convention in
not including me in the resolution. I
have never yet failed to secure the
- h.