The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-04-29
North Carolina Senator Speaks Nearly -Four Hours In
 the Senate
PLEA FOR PROTECTION
 OF LUMBER INDUSTRY
stnator Simmons Explains Why He Opposed the Free Lumber Plank of the Democratic Plat
 form of 1908.

Washington, April 2s.-An exhaustive treatment of the lumber schedule of the tariff schedule by MT Simmons of North Carolina was the feature of the session Of the Senate today. MT Simmons spoke Tor three and half hours in support of the retention of the present tariff, which, he maintained, was but a revenue rate. Several times the national democratic platform of 1908, which declared for free lumber, was injected into the discussion by republican senators, and Mr Bacon of Georgia remarked that he was not bound by declarations written into platform at midnight by few interested men, MT. Burkett of Nebraska, whose home city is Lincoln, sought to state when and where the democratic platform actually was drawn, but MT. Simmons refused to yield time to prolong that diseussion MT. Brown of Nesbraka advocated a consti- tutional amendment for the collection of an income tax, thereby placing 1t beyond the power of the courts to further hold that such a tax was not constitutional
 Simmons Speaks.
 Discussing the lumber schedule. Mir. Simmons of North Carolina said that lum- Der and it's products represented the prin- cipal industry of 12 states, manufacturing for more than 1000 cities which were large ly dependent upon it. He opposed the proposed reduction on lumber principally, he said. because labor constituted a larger element in the cost of producing lumber and in the cost of producing any other manufactured product. and further that lumber was competitor with some of the articles which added to the. cost of its production.
 T submit he said. that there can be no more cruel repression of an industry than by law adding 30 per cent to the cost of It's production, and then forcing it Into competition on the one hand with the for eign product, which on account of the diff ference in labor cost, stumpage cost and the cost of transportation can be paid At 30 per cent and less, and on the other hand for forcing a competition with a product of our country. the price of which had been enhanced 30 per cent by the present tariff
 How do you square your advocacy of a tariff on lumber with the declaration of the national democratic platform of 1sJ6?" MT. Dixon of Montana inquired. MT Sim mons asserted that there was no difficulty about that That platform, he main- talned, declared for tariff for revenue, and he did not believe the Dingley rate was more than revenue rate.
 Free Lumber
 The only benefcaries of reduced free lumber. Mr Simmons declared would be the great rich box manufacturers located along the great lakes
 The democratic national platform of 1908, with relation to free lumber, again was thrust at MT. Simmons, this time by Mr. Burkett and incidentally he stirred up q hornets nest because of an Interruption by MT. Hepburn who suggested that he 20 In fhaf far iraao senators on that side. meaning the dem- ocratic side, were supporting the lumber plank of the republican platform.
 MT Raynor took violent exception to Mir. Heyburns reference to "senatofa on that side.
 What do you mean by that?" MT. Ray nor asked, at the time asserting that he held to views which would not warrant any one in including him in a general category T am in favor of a. constitutional tariff for revenue and for no other purpose" he exclaimed
 MT Hepburn replied that he simply had conformed with q parliamentary practice and that il was quite usual to refer to nstors as a whole.
 Does not the senator expect that a majority of senators on that side will vote for a lumber tarifr?' inquired Mir. Ald- rich of Mir. Raynor.
 The Maryland senator quickly retorted that he would not vote for it, and then his colleague, MT. Smith, arose and put himself on record fayoring such a proposition on the basis that the duty proposed was revenue one.
 AIdrioh's Argument.
 Gaining the floor temporarily MT. Ald- rich declared that senators were in fair way to compose their differences as to lumber. Now let us waive this ques- ton of names" he said. Tt Is the same whether you call it tariff for protection or tariff for revenue"
 MT. Bacon asked if MT. Aldrich would bring down the duties on wearing apparel 10 10 per cent.
 MT Aldrich accused MT. Bacon of dodg- ing the democratic platform by talking about revenue duty. T am a protec- tionist and have the courage to say so' Mir. Aldrieh exclaimed "I am a proteo- tionlst in Georgia as well as in New Eng land and am willing to call it protection. l am Rot trying to dodge the issue by calling it tariff for revenue" The only response MT. Bacon would make was that he believed protection to be most vicious and unjust system of taxation"
 Confronted by Mir. Beveridge with tho democratic declaration for free lumber MT. Bacon caused a ripple of laughter when he said. referring to MT Beveridge:
 He knows how a committee goes out at HhuHiSu Ut anu DAiHSe III pidtkOIfu anu nobody cares anything about it." So far he was concerned, MT Bacon said. he did not recognize any such doctrine as binding on him when a particular article was picked out and placed on the free list because of the views entertained by a few men.
 'I can tell you when the democratic plat form was written and where.'' interjected MT. Burkett, who resides in Lincoln, MT. Bryan's home city amid republican laugh ter.
 MT. Simmons then resumed his axsAa- ment. All he wanted. he concluded, was fair treatment for the lumber industry.
 The Senate then went Into executive sessh -