Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1909-05-28
TILLMAN AND THE TARIFF.
Senior Senator Maintains a vaccillat-
ina Attitude.

Senior Senator Maintains a vaecillat'
ing Attitude.
Another Democratic landslide ir
which Senator Tillman took part was
responsible for the defeat Of the Nc.
Cumber amendment putting rough ano
finished lumber of the ordinary grades
on the free list, says w. Sinkler Man
ming, in his Washington correspondence
of the Columbia Record. Seventeen
Democrats voted with the Republican
organization for the retention Of the
duty, so that in spite Of the fifteen in
surgent Republican votes cast for the
free listing Of lumber, Senator Aldricf
was as successful as ever.
To me Mr.. Tillman explained thai
his vote came from displeasure at the
maneuvering of Senator McCumber
and not from any change in regard tc
the duty itself. Shortly before the
McCumber amendment was voted on
Mr.. Tillman had supported the John
ston amendment putting all building
materials on the free list, and as lone
as Mr.. McCumber left his amendment
removing from the dutiable list al
kinds of lumber, Mr.. Tillman said to.
day that he had intended to vote with
him. At the last moment, however
in an attempt to strengthen his cause
Mr.. McCumber modified his amend.
ment leaving certain cheaper grades
of lumber under a duty Of so cents.
81 just got disgusted with that kint
Of monkey business" said Mr.. Tillman
''and decided to vote against the whole
thing. If the lumber schedule ha6
come up today I intended to offer ar
amendment putting the whole para
graph on the free list, and I may dc
nf
there Is no chance Of passing such ar
amendment; half the Democrats are
voting the other way. was very tirec
at the time, but If I had been thinking
more clearly perhaps l would have
contented myself with getting what
could and voted for the McCumbel
half hearted proposition. But l was
too disgusted just then"
Though it was known all along tha1
the Democratic party in the senate
would go to pieces over lumber anC
several other items Of local interest
Senator Tillman's vote with the Aid.
rich followers came as surprise. Ht
has openly declared fNr free lumber
before this, and only week or so age
declared his intention Of voting agains
a duty on lumber as a tax that woulc
impede the building Of homes In the
section Of South Carolina having the
largest white population. In the dis
cussion on the McCumber amendment
however, Mr.. Tillman said nothing thai
would explain his change Of heart.
While Senator Smith did not actu.
ally vote, on account Of his pair witt
Senator Warren, in announcing nj:
pair he made it clear that he accept
ed the McCumber amendment. He de.
clared that If Mr.. Warren were present
he would himself vote for the amend
ment carrying lumber to the free list
When the vote was announced Senator
Tillman went over and spoke briefly
with his junior colleague, but the sub
stance Of their colloquy was not d.
vulged.
An interesting phase Of the divided
South Carolina vote Is the way ir
which both senators have seemingly
reversed their original positions. Sen
ator Tillman has always declared fol
free lumber, as an encouragement tc
home building and a protection to the
American forests. On the other hand
Senator Smith, who before he had
been in Office long enough to familiar
ize himself with the Democratic plat
form, declared on general principles fol
a revenue tariff on lumber, has now
come out for free lumber. without res
ervation.
In Mr.. Tillman's vote, it can be
stated generally that Mr.. Lever sees
justification for the action Of himself
and those Of his colleagues who voted
for protected lumber in the house
though Mr. Tillman's explanation will
probably disappoint him. perhaps ne
finds additional Justification In the fact
that Senator Bailey not only voted fol
protected lumber-on the grounds OF
revenue, to be sure-but spoke for 1t
But in speaking for it, he attacked the
memory of Grover Cleveland and In
spite of his wordy declaration OF res
pect for the last Democratic president
in the abstract, he left the defense OF
his political integrity to Senator Aid
rich. Besides Senator Bailey has been
playing so close to Senator Aldrich
through all this fight that his support
must be graded below par, from a
Democratic viewpoint.
The Republican revisionists mean
while are getting more and more dis
gusted with the Democrats, and they
realize now, If they ever doubted IT
that if the tariff is to be reduced II
will be reduced without real Demo-
cratic aid and often in the face of DEM
ocratic opposition. That Mr.. Bailey
should be criticised Is natural; he en-
tered this arena a marked man. But
the criticism against Senator Tillman
one hears among the insurgents is made
bitter by the surprise with which his
votes have been received.
Mr.. Tillman's vote for duty OF 25
cents on iron ore was the first notice
the insurgents had that he was not
with them throughout, though his
scornful remarks about their speeches
for home consumption" had made them
fearful. Those two signs taken to-
gether, however, occasioned some bit
ter comment among the revisionists
from the Middle West which has been
further sharpened by his Mondays vote
for lumber duty, which they took
simply as a protective vote on local
industry.
The end Is that now, where formerly
they had considered his position on
tea and his support of duty of lC
cents pound on it as merely a joke
they now feel inclined to believe it an
other move for the protection of a To-
cal industry. That was indeed the ex-
planation Mr.. Tillman gave Of his pro-
posed tax when he first mentioned II
on the fioor-incidental protection and
much revenue