Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1913-02-21

d lie anu nave Oeen IN the past very IN
genious and clever in manufacturing thei
CHARGES. | doubt not that my presen
statement of facts will be taken up, dis
torted, half quoted and half not quoted il
an attempt to make these charges stick
But they will not stick, because they art
not true and because those who make then
know they are not true.
ANSWERS SPECIFICALLY AND In DETAIL
CRITICISM Or VorE On LUMBER.
Now l want to be absolutely specific and
frank about my lumber votes. 1t has been
charged that voted against free lumber
That is manifestly not true. because nc
bona fide proposition for free lumber has
come before the Senate in my time that
know of except in the two cases cited above
when voted for it.
An amendment was offered by Senator
Davis to the Payne-Aldrich bill. That was
not free lumber amendment. 1t let in
the manufactured product free, but left
the tariff on the raw material, the exact
reverse of the accepted Democratic policy,
Gong. Record, p 3949, June 20. 1909
An amendment to the same bill was
offered by Senator Johnston, of Alabama,
and was not seriously taken in the Senate.
1t was to put in the free list lumber. lime,
nails, brick, glass etc, and intended to in
clude every article that went into the
making of house. (Cong. Record, p. PASS,
May "a, 1909
1t has also been specifically charged
that voted for a higher tariff on lumber
that likewise is false. never voted for a
higher duty on anything
Here are the facts When went to the
Senate the tariff on lumber was 81 per
1000 feet; when the Payne-Aldrich bill
was sent to the Senate the rate on lumber
was fixed at So in the bill.
Senator McCumber, Republican, from
Dakota, treeless State, offered the most
ultra amendment, making the rate rs cents
per 1000 feet. reduction of $l75, and
the nearest approach to free lumber pro-
position as such offered.
Senator Aldrich, n Republican from
Rhode Island. offered an amendment on
behalf of the Finance Committee, making
the rate SL25. reduction of rs cents.
Senator McCumber's amendment was lost,
a number of Republicans and eleven Demo-
Gratis voting for it and a number of Re-
publicans and ten Democrats, including
Senator Money. the Democratic floor leader,
and myself, voting against it, with eight
Democrats not voting. Gong. Record, p.
37l7, June %, 1909
Senator Aldrich's amendment was i'm
mediately put. A number of Republicans
and IL Democrats, including myself, voted
for it. A number of Republicans and IL
Democrats voted against 1t. Eight Demo-
Gratis, including Senator Money, the &C
credited Democratic leader. failed to vote.
The Democrats voting as did on the
Aldrich amendment were Bacon, of Geor-
gia, now President pro TEN, of the Senate
Bailey, of Texas Chamberlain, of Oregon
Daniels, of Virginia; Fletcher, of Florida
Foster. Tof louisiana McEnery. of Loui-
siana; Martin, of Virginia; Taliaferro. of
Florida Taylor of Tennessee, and Sim
mons, of North Carolina. Eight Democrats
failed to vote, Gong. Record, p. 37l8.
June %. 1909 The Aldrich amendment
was carried and the tariff on lumber thus
reduced from 81 fixed in the bill to about
the equivalent Of 8 per cent. a rate the
most ultra tariff revisionst cannot call
protective
Now that is the nearest ! came to voting
against free lumber. What voted for was
a reduction in the tariff on lumber, not an
increase.
My REASONS For DONG So
The reasons why voted for the Aldrch
amendment instead of the McCumber
amendment were these:
% No party lines were drawn on the
lumber schedule and both parties divided
on these amendments.
(2) To my mind, the whole bill was
framed along sectional lines and was cru
ely unjust and unfair to the South. It
was framed in the interests Of New England
and my course on the bill from the start
was dictated by the consistent desire to
force concessions from the Republican ma
jority as to Southern products, which would
in measure compensate the South for
the enormous duties unfairly levied on
almost every article purchased by her
people.
| N nT a.
North wins, tails the South loses. That
was the attitude and view Of il taken by
practically every Southern Democratic
Senator. 1t was a protection bill Free
lumber or free anything else was virtually
an impossibility
(4) Lumber Is one Of the biggest pro-
ducts Of the South, and my vote against
the McCumber amendment was a vote in
the interests Of justice TO the South Other
Southern Senators, whose Democracy has
never been questioned took the same view
and voted with me. If we made a mis-
take, it was an honest mistake.
TARIFF ON LUMBER Or No PERSONAL AD-
VANTAGE.
Anyone who chooses to think that
voted on this schedule because am en-
Gagged in the lumber business is welcome
to think so. As matter Of fact. the bulk
of my company's product is sold at neutral
markets and in Europe where we meet
the competitionOf the world on equal terms.
The removal Of the tariff on lumber would
not now and could not then have affected
my company in the least. So far as my
business is concerned, II is immaterial TO
me whether the tariff on lumber is So.
SIPS or nothing. In fact. the presi-
dent of my company, Gen. Frances +.
Waters, was strongly in favor Of free lum-
Der at the time and advised me to vote
that way.
perfectly well understood this at the
! time and in NV uota nm lunnhar aa mr.,