The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1909-05-25
MR. LEVERS letter
MAKES QUITE A LENGTHY RE-
PLY TO HERALD
Of OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES Extracts
From Many Letters Received From
Fellow Congressman.

has prevented my answering tne let
,er of your Washington correspon-
lent, Mr.. T. H. Daniel, anent the eff
forts of myself and others to place
potash salts and basic Stag on the
free list in the Payne tariff bill. l
should not feel called upon to answer
his contention at all, except for the
fact that l am sure he has, been
misled in making state
ments which are without foundation
in fact. l know Mr.. Daniel person.
ally and he is too high type OF
gentleman to knowingly misrepre-
sent facts. l have no doubt that
his information has come from
sources which do not look with any
favor upon my work.
First, your correspondent main
tains that no efforts were necessary
to induce the Ways and Means Com
mittee to bring in its amendment
to place these fertilizer ingredients
on the free list. Mr.. Daniel may
know more about this than l, but
l am sure I thought that strong ef-
forts were needed to get the results
obtained and l am sure that these
gentlemen here agree with me upon
that point. 1t was more than a week
after l had called attention to the
fact that these ingn@dients were
made dutiable under the maximum
and minimum provision-more than
a week of hard work and constant
ttention-before the committee
brought in it's amendment. l am
doubtful in my own mind if the
members of the Ways and Means
Committee were aware of the fact
that potash salts and basic Stag were
important ingredients Of fertilizers.
l am sure that some members OF
the committee did not know that,
but am sure that at least one mem
ber of the committee with whom l
talked, second in Importance to the
chairman of the committee, knew
this provision was in the bill and he
stated to me that it was in the bill
for the purpose of forcing trade con-
cessions from Germany. But it is
not vital how it happened that it
was in the bill, the fact is that it
was in the bill, and if it had been
allowed to remain in it, burden
of S230,OOO annually would have
been imposed upon the farmers of
South Carolina. Somebody is respon-
sible for having induced the COM
mittee to see the light and to bring
in the amendment to rid our people
of this possible burden. Somebody
is due credit for activity. l con-
fess that the matter was called to my
attention by a telegram from Com
missioner of Agriculture E. j.. Wat
SON, and | do not hesitate to say
and the records of the committee Will
prove it, that was the first and
only member of congress, Democrat
ic or Republican, to enter a formal
written protest, setting out the facts
to the Ways and Means Committee.
I do not know that any great credit
attaches for my having done this,
but l conceived it to be my duty to
care for the people of my State and
! went after the committee with
such ability and vigor as | have.
This is about all that I have ever
.dlaimed for myself. It may not
have been a fight, but in the week OF
anxiety that was mine, I certainly
did not consider it picnic. So much
for that.
Mr.. Daniel says that Elton j. Bow
ers. a representative from Missis-
sippi and others, first called atten-
ton to it This statement is not
true and | am sure that Mr.. Daniel
is only quoting some one else and
is not giving this statement upon
information which he himself got
frst-hand. What are the facts? 1t
: necessary for me to burden you
with some letters, but l want to set
tle this matter once for all. l wrote
to those members of the committee
and other members Of congress ami
asked them to give me statements
as to their recollections about TINS
matter. Then l received Watson S
letter. l Immediately called upol.
Champ Clark, leader of the Demo-
Gratis in the house and ranking mem-
ber of the Ways and Means commit
tee, explaining the situation to hlm
and asked him tc advise Lie as 10 tn-
best policy to pursue. He gave no
to me, i'll fact, he
gave me to understand that had
no chance to win. In proof o. 'nls
and to prove further tha'
I was the first man to call his at
tention to the matter, ask you to
print this copy of letter from him:
April 80, 1909.
Hon. A. F. Lever, House Of Repre-
sentatives.
my Dear Lever: Replying to
YOUR letter, will say that my men,
ory is very clear on the proposition
that you are the first person who
called my attention to the fact that
the duty should be taken from pot
ash salts and basic Stag. remem-
Der very distinctly that you came
to me on the floor Of the house and
called my attention to the fact that
those substances were carried in the
and minimum provisions