The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1909-04-01
THURSDAY. APRIL l. 1909.

patiently IOI itul 10 SAPiAlh HtN
reasons for voting in favor of the
SO called subsidy bill recently
passed by the House of Repre-
sentatives.
Some of the state papers have
criticized his actions in 4 very
stringent manner. All these de-
nunciations appear to be very I'M
just in the light of the clear ex-
PLANTATION given in his letter 10 the
Tmnes-Dispatch, to which We are
gladly surrendering space this
week.
Editor of the Times Dispatch:
Sir,-On my return the city on
yesterday from my home in Viz
giuia, where l had been since the
adjournment of the last Congress
my attention was directed 10 an
editorial in recent issue of your
paper under the caption, Where
VIII Democrats Draw the Line"
in which the following language
occurs:
Where is the point at which
Virginia Democrats draw the line
of principal nowadays We seek
information, In the ship subsidy
declaration of convictions, Con-
gresham Jones. of Virginia. Dem
ocrat. voted with Congressman
.Slemp, of Virginia, Republican.
The Newport News T5mes-Herald
and The Newport News Press,
whose home city contains a ship
yard. warmly commend MIR. Jones
for his vote. Why 1t is not :
fact that, in the days when his
district did BOT include Newport
News. MIR. Jones regarded SHY
subsidy as an internal fraud, and
so, in effect. frequently stated on
The stump"
This article as a whole. permit
me to say, exhibits a Woetul lack
OF information as to the true char
acter of the bill which is supposed
to serve as its subject; and that
portion which ] have quoted as.
cribes to me motives which, tc
say the least. are by no mean.
creditable. as we'll as misstates
in a most important particular
my attitude in regard to ship sub
sidy in general.
1t is perfectly true that / de
nounced ship subsidy before New
port News. witk It's shipbuildinl
interests, became a part of the
First District, but it is equal,
true that | have denounced j
even more publicly and more en-
phatically since that time than
ever did previous hereto. Soor
after that city Was placed in ths
First District | had my arst aRC
only contest for a denomination
and in that spirited izteTpartJ
contest the bill then Conmonl,
known as the ship subsidy bill
was made distinct issue III New
port News and elsewhere. Ii
that campaign / stated IN a pub
lie address ia Newport News. aaC
over and over again thTOughOE
the district, that ! would not sup
port either that or ANY other bill
of its character. ] did not be
lieve in the principle embodied
in that measure. and I did not
and do not now, believe that, haC
il been enacted iRto law. it wOGlC
have accomplished the purpose
claimed for it by its advocates.
The bill which ] voted for, anC
which has been characterized a:
a ship subsidy bill by many news.
paper writer's who have never
taken the pains tos-Iead.it was
strictly an ocean mali service bill.
lis title WAS An act TO amend
the act of March tAard, eighteen
hundred and ninety-one, entitled
An act to provide for ocean mail
service between the United States
aud foreign ports and to promote
commerce.
1t was merely an extension of
the provisions OF and an amend
ment to the ocean mail bill passed