The Semi-weekly leader. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1905-1941, 1910-08-27
Shelton Digs Up a Speech Made BY
Champ Clarke Against the Lum-
Der TrHst

Indlip LlaEke against the Lllllls
Der Trust.
Hon. WI. A. Dickson publishes a
letter from the Democratic leader.
Hon. Champ Clark. IN defense Of
the formers vote on the lumber
question. The letter reads:
Hon. w. A. Dickson, House of
Representatives.
My dear Mr.. Dickson: Answer
ing your letter will say that | never
tried to make the vote on the lum-
her schedule party matter. I
did try to make the vote on the
general bill and on the motion to
recommit party matters. On the
motion to recommit, we only lost
two. which is more nearly unani-
nous vote than has been had on the
tariff question.
Some of our men voted against
the proposition for free lumber and
some voted against the proposition
for free hides. and some Of them
did not vote as did on some other
items and schedules. It / had it to
do over again ! would not try to
make the vote on particular sched-
ules party matter. / may be
wrong. but | am honest about it
at any rate.
Your friend.
CHAMP CLA RK."
Hon. Champ Clark, in speech
before congress May 81. 1910, uses
the following language:
The Payne-Aidrich Tariff Law
is a transparent humbug." The
correspondent from Washington
here adds: Representative Champ
Clark of Missouri, leader of the
Democratic minority, today deliv-
cred in the House what is regarded
as the Democratic keynote speech
of the coming congressional cam
paign. Mr.. Clark had prepared
his address with great care, and
spoke at length giving facts and
figures in support of his contention
that the tariff had not been honest
ly revised, and that the Republican
majority in congress had endeavor-
ed to trick the people. He said in
part:
The gentleman from New York
(Mr. Payne) seems to argue that to
lower the tariff on an article, the
higher will be the price to the con-
sumner. That. of course, is utterly
preposterous and fully answered by
the simple question:, If tariff does
not put up the price of an article,
what do the proponents of the tariff
want with it?'
TO prove his absurd theory"
continued Mr.. Clark, he cites the
fact that though the tariff on lum-
Der WassIeduced to 81. .25, the price
of lumber has gone up. It is true
that before the last Of us got out
of Washington in August, 1909,
the Lumber Trust marked up the
price Of lumber dollar a thousand,
and if the department Of justice
had done its duty, it would by this
time have filled the jails so full of
lumber trust magnates that their
arms and legs would stick out of
the windows and doors. 1t seems
to be pleasant occupation to con-
vict farmers and members of the
labor unions for violating the anti
trust law, but that law appears to
be absolutely dead letter when 1T
is violated by big criminals.
Commercial Appeal, May %, 1910.
Now the question arises, whether
Hon. Champ Clark, our Democratic
leader, who, while denouncing the
lumber tariff as trust breeder and
the lumber magnates as criminals
who ought to occupy the jaiIs, yet
flies to the relief of Hon. W. A.
Dickson. who voted five times with
Payne on the lumber schedule. has
himself kept the faith? Mr.. Clark
says he did not try to make the
vote on the lumber schedule party
matter. If he regarded the lumber
kings as big criminals. should
he not, as our leader. have made
this lumber question a party mat
ter, and should he not have used
his influence in behalf of the con-
sumers? If these magnates ought
to be in jail for creating the lum-
Der trust, how can Mr. Clark con-
done the action of Hon. W. A.
Dickson and still retain the respect
of the masses of mankind who are
robbed by the lumber trust, and
who have hitherto regarded him as
a leader who reflects their senti-
ments? No doubt our leader, Mr..
Clark, who was present during vot-
ing time. has also distinct recol-
lection that Hon. w. A. Dickson
did not vote for the amendment
which proposed to exempt the
Farmers Union and Labor Unions
from prosecution.
TOM SHELTON.
Good Move fer Clinton.