The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1910-01-28
Want Fordney for Senator.
Continued from paRa IL

| HIS StfuSBie LOT the TeteutlOu Oh
duty on lumber there were just six
men in the house of representatives
who would pledge themselvs to
stand for lumber against all odds.
But when the final test came In the
house Fordney had made such
Roadway that he carried his point
and retained the duty.
He "Had His Nerve"
Perhaps no other member Of the
| house would have had the extreme
courage exhibited by Fordney In
| this instance. The entire country
expected free lumber. The house
| members generally conceded that 1t
was inevitable. The first time the
question was voted on by the ways
and means committee free lumber
won by big majority. Fordney at
once began to offer motions to make
all sorts of timber products free.
also. One after another of these
were(voted until presently he offered
particular preposrereus motion
for which even none of the revision
Chairman Payne, of the committee,
said: 4
"why, Fordney, you do not mean
that, do your?
Eyes. sir, do" replied Fordney;
81 propose to make this bill so -
ridiculous that even you will not
stand for it,"
Thereupon, at Payne's motion,
the committee agreed TO set aside
the lumber schedule until some 9TH
err time, exactly what Fordney
wanted. When the matter was vot-
ed on the second time the vote was
tie, and fighting from that tiny
vantage point Fordney finally drew
victory out of defeat 1t was by all
odds the most desperate contest
made on any schedule of the bill,
and proved that, right or wrong,
Fordney was force to be reckoned
with in national legislation.
ELOQUENT for the Tariff.
Fordney's speech in the house on
the day he won the tariff on lumber
was one Of the events of the tariff
debate. He came into the chamber
with a bundle OF manuscript, evil
IDENTITY prepared to make a set ora
ton. But he hardly referred to it.
In the very opening of his speech he
was assaulted from all sides, and So,
casting aside his manuscript, he
waded into the opposition, and made
one Of the most eloquent talks OF
the entire tariff session. So Wig
orous was he that men had to be
held by their colleagues to keep
them from assaulting Fordney on
the floor, yetSso forceful was his
address and so cleverly did he meet
the arguments Of the other side that
he beat down all opposition and won
by a close margin. Afaer it was
over Speaker Cannon said Fordney
had made one Of the best speeches
he had ever listened to.
But then" added the speaker,
'no man can make good speech
unless he understands his subject,
and Fordney certainly understands
the lumber business.
Fordney also, won the admiration
of the high protectionists in the
second biggest fight during the tar
iff legislation. This was the fight on
the wool schedule. This schedule
was turned over to a subcommittee
composed of Fordney and Hill of
Connecticut, and the two could not
agree at all. 1t was a long, hard
contest, Fordney fighting for the re-
tention of the old schedule and Hill
for sundry innovations. Fordney
contended that the tariff on wool
was the result Of years of expert
ence and that if changes in any
part of it were to be made 1t would
necessitate overhauling the entire
schedule, in order to avoid doing in
Justice to some of the industries
connected with the wooden business.
Thus he held that If the tariff on
any of the products Of wool were to
be lowered or raised a correspond
ing change would have to be made
in raw wool, to give the wool grow
er a square deal. He won in the
house committee, but the house it.
self upset some Of his calculations.
In conference, however, Fordney
went into the combat with all his
strength, and huns to 1t until final
ly he was given permission to write
the wooden schedule as he pleased.
He did it, and that ended the war
with Fordney, as any war with him
can always be ended.