The Semi-weekly leader. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1905-1941, 1910-08-03
Al Big DAY AT FAIR RIVER.
The Three Congressional Candidates
and Chas. v. Thatcher the
Speakers


and Vim. A. Dickson, candidates
for Congress, engaged in their
first joint discussion in Lincoln
County at the picnic given for the
Fair River School Improvement AS
sociation at Fair River last Friday.
speaking in the order named. The
much discussed tariff question. one
about as old as the government. was
the chief bone of contention.
With considerable detail. Hon.
Tom Shelton explained how the
tariff operates. and under the Re-
publican protective policy, is a
heavy tax on consumers, and made
a vigorous attack on the record of
Congressman Dickson for his alleg-
ed violation Of the National Demo-
cratic platform plank which de.
manded that print paper. wood
pulp, out of which paper is manu-
factured, lumber, hewed timbers
and logs be placed upon the free or
non-taxable list; charging that
when the Republican tariff bill was
before Congress last year, Mr..
Dickson voted against the free
lumber plank Of his party and with
Chairman Payne. one Of the high
priests of the Republican protec-
tive policy, Mr.. Shelton explained
that the effect of Mr.. Dickson's s
violating his party platform in this
particular, was equiyolant to voting
for a 81 tax on every / 900 feet for.
rough lumber and of $3.75 per
1000 if the lumber were manufac-
Jured into a finished state. which
tax, all consumers of lumber pay
for the benefit of the manufacturer
and which he alleged goes into the
Golfers of the great lumber corpora
tions of the country like the Kirby
Lumber Co., Of Texas, the Good
year Syndicate Of Mississippi and
Louisiana and various Northern
lumber and timber kings.
He charged Mr.. Dickson with
being false to the party platform
and party pledges and in effect,
turning Republican and supporting
the Republican protection policy in
behalf of the lumber interests,
characterizing him and all other
congressman voting with the Re-
publicans as he did, as spotted"
Democrats.
Hon. Percy E. Quin read to the
audience his platform. which was
published in last Saturday IS Leader
and ampIified on its several planks.
He laid emphasis on his opposition
to the entertainments of trusts and
combines organized to oppress the
masses Of the people and vigorous
ly advocated the repeal of the 18th
amendment and modification of
the 14th amendment: denounced
the late secret ballot caucus at
jackson and warmly advocated an
amendment to the constitution pros
viding for the election of Senators
in all the States by direct
vote Of the people. He charged his
opponents with having lodged these
issues in their campaign; repudiat-
ed the report that he had come out
as a candidate in the interest OF
either of his opponents, as had been
charged in some quarters. and de-
fed either to furnish the proof.
Like Mr.. Shelton, he vigorously
assailed Congressman Dickson s
vote and position on the lumber
tariff and declared that ne was
urged to become candidate BY
prominent men all over the dis
triet, because of the position as
sumed by Dickson on this question
and because it was believed that
Shelton was no match for Dickson
on the stump and that the fight
would be lost in favor Of the Re
publican protective policy if these
were the only candidates in the
field.
Mr.. Dickson coolly and unfinch-
ingly met the assaults that had
been made upon his official record.
He said that when the Democratic
party was defeated at the polls in
1908, and the platform that they
had presented to the country had
been rejected by the people Of the
country and Republicans gwen am
other lease of power, that there
was then no chance for the Demo-
Gratis to formulate and pass d
tariff bill; that they were not
permitted even to amend the Payne
tariff bill and that then, the ques-
tion Of dealing with the tariff, was
no longer a political. but an econ-
omic one upon which individual
Democrats had I'd exercise their
best judgment.
He defended bis vote on the
Tawney amendments BY alleging
that the free lumber provision was
tacke4 Oh to the free paper and
free pulp clause Of the platform
after d three day 5 struggle before
the Democratic platform committee
at Denver. BIZ only one majority
charging that II was iii the inter
est of d bio Canadian timber svndi,