Fort Mill times. [volume] (Fort Mill, S.C.) 1892-current, 1909-07-01
FREE LUMBER
Ssnator TIlIman Explains His
Lumber Votes
DON'T WANT IT TAxe[

Which Has bought Up All the
Timber Lands In the State, and
Robs tho Farmers and Others.
We present below Senator Till.
mans remarks in the United States
Senate on last Monday on the lum-
Der schedule. in which he explains
his position on that question. There
has been a great deal said about the
Senator voting against free lumber
Read what he says below and YOU
will see that the Senator has always
been In favor OF free lumber as we
have claimed:
Mr.. 4tllman-Mr. President. be-
fore the lumber schedule passes from
the attention OF the Senate, l want
to make brief statement. When
II was IN the Senate before. two or
three weeks ago. voted for the
amendment proposed by the Senator
from Alabama tMr. Johnson) TO put
lumber and all building materials
on the free list. In the discussion !
remarked that l was In favor of
free lumber. When the Senator from
North Dakota (Mr. McCumber) Of
fered an amendment, which did not
give us free lumber. leaving the duty
on whitewood, sycamore and bass
wood at 80 cents a thousand. / voted
against II. because it did not give
us free lumber. The Senate adjourn
ed Immediately afterwards, givint
me no opportunity TO vote for fire,
lumber. There has been no oppor.
tunity TO vote for free Himber. Their,
has been no amendment proposed 10,
free lumber today.
Mr.. McCumber-The Senator will
recall that some time ago intro.
dueed an amendment for free lum-
Der. and IL was defeated.
Mr.. Tillman-I was not present
Mr.. McCumber-Oh yes; il wa,
argued here for days and then de
feated by d very decisive vote.
Mr.. Tillman-If the Senator will
look at the Record. he will see tina
ne did not offer any amendment TO
free lumber, but only one for "sa we.
lumber not specially provided for.
aud SO forth. leaving in the bill 90
cents a thousand on bass wood. syca
mole. and SO forth.
Mr. McCumber-I did not change
that. ii Is true.
MIR. Tillman-I voted against tn,
AcCumber amendment 1t was de
feated by a very decisive vote. 55.
think. or something like that. &c
30. or around there. still think We
ought TO have free lumber, and / will.
give my experience and my reason.
for that belief. know, of course
we can not get il.
Twelve years ago. when the Ding
ley bill was on its passage. / voted
for a So tariff on lumber, and re-
marked. very much to the disgust OF
some people and the edifcation o,
others. ''if there was TO be stealing
| want my share" have found
out that can not get my share; tina,
the conditions OF the South are such
that the articles and products OF
the region which are capable of be
Ing protected are SO few in number
that If We were TO throw around
everything down there a high pro-
tective tariff, we would not get any.
thing like propc-tionate benefit
with the New England and manufac
turing States Of this Union.
In regard TO this matter of lum-
her I have watched the result OF tn,
duty. Immediately afterwards oui
timber lands. which had previousl,
been neglected so there were com
paratively small numbering industrie.
down there. began to be In demand
Men from Wisconsin and Michigan
and other northern States wher,
numbering had practically denude,
the forests of timber, or were abou
to finish them up. came into the Stat
and bought up very large tracts o
timber at very small price. The,
did this all over the South. Lars
mills were established and the lum
berlng industry began to pick ur
showing investment OF capital an
large export. At the same tim
the price began to rise, a little fas,
er. apparently. than the industry |.
self
Now. consider for a moment tina
the people of South Carolina ar
in ABOUT this shape: the State bein
a triangle. the upper part cutting n
like the letter "a" is largely tb
white section OF tho State. Neari
tNo-'hi-ds OF the peple, althong
II is only one-tbIrd Of the area, Nv
therc. They are consumers OF !lg,
her and 'hey have no yellow pir
; o. very little. They have been IN
> .'IrI;nc that lumber from the lows
half of counties next to the sea. an
that region is occupied almost who
ly by the negores; that is. the n
groes outnumber the whites in Bea-
fort county. for instance. 10 negro,
to I. Colleton I. Georgetown I. Wi
D liamsburg 4. Sumter s. and so o
I In this coast region the lumber &
( dustry has taken root and is NO
= very extensively carried on.
= notice after three or four yea