The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-08-09
Declares Democrats of
Ninth Will EscheW
Free Lumber.
WICKHAM CLAIMS
PLATFORM BINDING
Campaign for Congress Closes in
East End - Captain Lamb
Says if He Is Criticized,
Senator Martin Must Be-
Also-Big Crowd
Present.

-~andIng squarely upon his vote for
tariff on lumber, Congressman John
Lanlb closed his campaign last night
In probably the pest speech he mas maue
during the contest. He engaged in
joint debate with his opponent. judge
r. Ashby Wickhan, beore fthe East
End Citizens Association OF Marshali
Ward, and was thoroughly aroused. Hs
announced that he would cheerfuily
have voted for a tariff o sfl.5O or $40
thousand feet on lumber. and told
his hearers they could put that in
their pipes and smoke IT.
ObjectIng to the statement that his
speeches were being used TO aid in
the defeat Of Henry G. stuart by the
Republicans OF the Ninth District,
Captain Lamb declared that Mr. Stuart
could not win on platform of free
lumber and approximate free trade,
and had too much sense TO try II. He
said ne knew the people OF that dis
trict, and that free trade campaign
would oYerwhelm the Democrats there.
Was With Martin.
Captain Lamb further announced that
there WAS no lumber trust Ha assert
ed that Il he was to be blamed for vot-
Ing for a lumber tarin, the same blame
ghould DC attached TO Senator Martin
for recollection next year.
Judge Wickham. on the other hand.
was cool and torceful as usual. As
suriing that IL was not necessary. be-
fore Democratic audience, 10 argue
FOR lower tarift duties, he asserted that
he would stand on his party's platform.
and II he could not agree wlth IL. ne
would resign his commission He in
quired which class II was the most inn
portant 10 help. the possible $40 people
OF the Third Diltrict engaged in the
lumber business, or the 100000 eonsum-
ers2
AS 10 Captain Lambs explanation
OF his failure TO vote for Villa m
Jennings Bryan in 1905, because he
had forgotten TO transfer, Judge Wick
ham declared that II a street sweepe-
in Richmond should make such an ex-
cuse he would lose his job.
Large Crowd Attends.
a big crowd attended the meeting,
which was held IN the tool house at
Chimborazo Park All the benches
were filed, and many persons stood.
The audience was pretty nearly equally
divided. the partisans being anxious
to do the best for their fayorites Cap
tain Lambs friends. especially, gave
him liberal applause when he closed.
President J. Matt Davis occupied the
chair. Captain Lamb opened and closed
in thirty and fifteen minutes re-
spectively, Judge Wickham occupying
forty minutes
Captain Lamb referred especially
to the Endorsement given him by the
kigners of the paper published in the
newspapers. He said that but one
vote In Congress in fourteen years
had been challenged by his opponent
and asked those of his hearers who
had made but one mistake In fourteen
years to vote for him.
Addressing himself to h.s vote for
tariff on lumber. Captain Lamb
again contended that there was no
ad yalorem tax on rough lumber, the
rate having been reduced from So to
Sl.25 by the present Congress. He
could not have voted otherwise, he
said, in Justice to the farmers who
own tracts of timber lying between
Richmond and Florida. He was not
responsible for the tariff bill, for the
Republicans had allowed the Demo-
Gratis OF the House to vote on only
three chedules-lumber, coal and
iron.
Helped by yirginlnns
In this matter, repeated Captain
Lamb. he had had the help OF ma,
jority of his colleagues from vir-
ginia. Iney were equally responsible.
If 1t was political sin, he asked,
for him to vote in this way, what was
it in Senator Martin? The Senator
had agreed with him, he said, to vote
for q tax of $1.75.s
If he had not now. he said, made
the matter so plain that wayfarins
man, though fool, could unders tand
1t, he did not know what the English
language meant
The statement mat his speeches
f1,vr Ch mt
publicans of the Ninth District was,
he said, preposterous. Mr.. Stuart, he
argued, would be Obliged to make his
campaign on tariff for revenue basis.
If he spoke for free lumber and ap-
proXimate free trade. he would be
overwhelmed. He can't win on that
he said, in his district, and he has
too much sense to try 1t. I know that
district and It's people,"
AS to Judge Wickham making
speeches for Mr.. Stuart, Captain Lamb
said he himself was the man to do it,
with the same remarks he is making
now. Mr.. Stuart would say that the
high cost Of living was not due
entirely to the tariff He would have
70 tell his people that 1t was partly
due to the producers flock.ng to the
cities. Then the increase in the vol
ume Of money was another cause.
No Lumber Trust.
He contended that the lumber tarint
had injured no one in this section
because no lumber comes here from
Canada. There was. he said, no lum-
ber trust, for he had heard the state
ment that there was one denied a
hundred times in Congress.
He had often. he admitted, differed
from his Virginia colleagues. but had
always voted honestly and consclen-
tiously One vote which he deeply re-
gretted was that in authorizing the
Spanish-American War. Had he known
that the sovereignty Of the Philippines
would be vested In the United States
ms a result he would have been cruel
1Contlnued on Third PaGe.1