Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1910-08-05
Pr. ST. Clair ON
THE TRUNK ISSUE

BtlStol, Va, August 1.-The dis
trict press is beginning TO warm up |
over the congressional campaign,
and the editors are getting in line on !
matters which they propose to bring
forward during the capmaign. Ill
now seems probable that the Repub-
licAns will endeavor TO make much
oQthe trunk issue. They will not
seek TO show that Mr.. Stuart did
any wrong in his course with the
officers of the New York customs
port, but will endeavor to prejudice
the minds OF the people with the al
leagtion that Mr.. Stuart as a means
of saving customs dues TO himself,
registered his family as foreigners.
The tip for this was given by Wal
ter Dickinson, the permanent chair
man of the Republican convention
at Abingdon, who said that rather
than have registered his wife and
daughter as from anywhere othe' than
Russell county, Virginia, he would
have willingly paid $40, 600 tariff
tolls, had he been as wealthy as Mr..
Stuart.
Thus far this appears TO be the on
ly feature which the republicans
have developed that might have any
tendency to prejudice the people of
the district against MIR. Stuart, and
leading Democrats believe that when
they have explained this incident i'm
accordance with the facts, any feel
ing of prejudice that might have
been created by remarks made by
Mr.. Dickinson i'm his Abingdon
speech will vanish as the vapors of
morning before the rising sun.
When shown the above dispatch
PeytonSSt. Clair, chairman OF the
Democratic district committee Of the
Ninth district, who was here Sun
day and yesterday, said at first
he did not think the Republicans
would be as silly as TO try to make
the people believe there was any,
thing unpatriotic in Mr.. Stuart's
action, as the full facts have been
published widely. Later, he remark
ed that the publication had appeared
before the matter had attracted gen
been made TO give it politicaI impor-
lance and that it might be well to
refresh the public mind. He dictated
the following:
The facts in this matter, incIud-
ing the rulings OF the treasury depart
ment, the published interview Civ
Ell out by customs house officials and
Mr.. Stuart's own statement having
been widely published, it seems in
credible that Mr.. Dickinson should
be ignorant OF the facts or that he
could hope to find anybody else so
Ignorant OF them rs 60 Ice deceived by
his statement and the inference to be
drawn from il.
1.-The following facts have been es-
tabllshed clearly, namely: Mr..
Stuart acted according to the provis-
ions OF ruling of the treasury de-
pa tment contained in pamphlet
which was furnished him i'm Paris
by the American Express Company,
as the latest. This ruling was pub
lished by the treasury Departments in
Washington under date OF August
l3, 1909, and was promulgated and
distributed by the American consul
late at Paris, and was headed NO
tice TO Passengers. This publica-
ton was confined 10y the officers of
the consulate. a copy of the same
ruling was also given To Mr.. Stuart
by the purser of the Mauritania on
the homeward voyage. The printed
foim for declarations issued bV the
custom house ana Distributed TO the
passengers early in the voyage, d.
rected them TO get copy OF the ruI-
Ing from the purser; in this ruling
the following appears:
Passengers should observe that
there are two forms of declaration.
one for residents and the other for
non residents. - 1.-The division of
passengers into non residents and
residents in no wise affects citizen
ship"
mon residents are:
a-Actual residents of other coun-
tries.
b-Persons who have bsen abroad
continuously for two years or more
who elect to declare as non residents.
Residents are all persons who
have been abroad less than two
years.
'Frsm the above 1t will be seen
that the ruling expressly provides
that the division of passengers into
non residents and residents in no
wise affects citizenship.
Now, Mr.. Dickinson says Mr..
Stuart registered his family as for |
eignerS. Let us see what class thew
belong to according to the above mi
ing.
clearly, they were not in the
first class namely - Actuol ras;lo.