The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1909-05-12
The POTASH TAX
CONTROVERSY BETWEEN LEVER
AND THE DAILY NAIL
About the Matter--Mr. Lever Does
Not Claim That He Killed the
Proposed Tax Alone.

Proposed Tax Alone.
The Anderson Mail printed tn.
following in its editorial column O
April 20:
The glory that Representative Le
Yer has gotten out of the remova
by the house ways and means com
mittee Of the duty on potash salts
is amusing to those who know some.
thing of the facts.
Mr. Lever is member of the agri.
| cultural committee, and he has
doubtless availed himself Of whatever
advantage this may have offered to
urge that fertilizer ingredients be
placed on the free list, but it may
be positively stated that he was not
the only congressman from South
Carolina who urged the committee
not to tax potash salts, and it is
very doubtful if he was the first
to do SO.
1t is also very doubtful if the
tax on the raw material will be worth
a cent to the farmer. It is certain
that the manufacturers and not the
farmers poured in kilograms to the
congressman to have the tax re-
moved. We doubt if Mr.. Lever can
show single telegram or letter
from single farmer in regard to
it.
Mr.. Lever, with the Democratic
party, is voting for free products
of leather on the ground that free
hides with a duty on the products
of hides, would help only the manu-
facturers. This may not be good
reasoning, but it is good Democratic
doctrine, and if it is applicable to
the shoe manufacturers it is also
applicable to the fertilizer manu-
facturers.
The practice with some national
statesmen seems to be to grab every
thing in sight. While their right to
foist themselves upon the people is
not questioned, some little regard
should be shown their associates who
may be affected thereby. The friends
of these public servants should not
take press comments touching their
favorites too seriously. For instance
this from the Newberry Herald and
News:
Congressman Lever won the fight
for the farmers. not only of South
Carolina, but wherever commercial
fertilizer is used. BY the way. who
can tell who the other members of
congress from South Carolina are?
We are proud of Lever. He is lit
tie Newberry college boy"
Perhaps other congressman need
to inject more energy into their press
agents, or to do a little more press
agenting themselves.
But the claim made for Mr.. Lever
is amusing the sensible people
Fancy Messrs. Payne. Dalzell and all
the other Republican bosses. fall
ing into line when Mr.. Lever cracks
his whip. Fancy their having heard
that Lever was opposed to taxing
potash salts. and then breathlessly
waiting to find out if the report was
true. Congressman from the North.
West. East and South. equally in
terested. were asked to stand aside
until Mr.. Lever had his way. Lever
spoke. and then the Objectionable
tax was removed. Hurrah! a,so
Banzai!
The Herald and News may claim
as much as it pleases for Mr.. Lever,
but it should not attempt to dispar-
age other congressman equally as
earnest and equally as faithful IN
the discharge of duty. The Herald
and News fling comes with mighty
poor grace from a city which has
recently been given $4,000 public
building solely through the work OF
one other member of congress. The
Newberry paper displays rank in
gratitude, to say the least OF 1t.