The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-06-15
WENDENBURC ISSUES
REPLY TO MONTAGUE
Quotes From Highland Park Speech
Oh General Dams
Act.
SAYS GOULDs ARE FIGHTING HIM
Claims MOntague's Position Was
VERY Different" From the Time
He Brought Out This Issue of
Campaign.

state Senator l.. o. Wendenburg is
sued last night the following statement
III reply TO Congressman Montague's
speech in South Richmond on Saturday
night:
Richmond, Va. June IA, 1914
To Tho Times Dispatch:
In your report OF Mr.. Mon,agues
speech in South Richmond last night
on the general dam bill. he is quoted
as follows: And / also know, If Mr.
w cndenburE is correctly reported. that
he either ignorantly or wilfullv mis-
states my position on this bill" IT
favor the bill: have never said or in
minated that II was unconstitutional"
Until | exposed to tho public. within
the last few days. the fact that tho
Gould interests" were lighting me and
aidinS Mr.. Montague in the present
congressional campaign. his position
WAS very different from the stand taken
above. / wish To say here that all
know OF his position on this most i'm
generations got from the stenoGraphic
report OF his first campaign speech
Whdo on May 1t. 1914, at Highland
Park. In which he said:
There Is "A bin pending. II may
state IL, before our committee. known
as the general dams actin other
words. there can't be bridge built
across stream nayigable in America
unless YOU get permit from Congress-
If you want TO build one for a railroad
going from here across To King vii
liam, you have got to get a hermit
from Congress. because you cant OBJ
struct navigablc waters. The United
states has Jurisdiction. not In the sense
that II owns the stream; II has no
jurisdiction over Chesapeake Bay or
\ ork River In tho sense of ownership.
put only the power to prevent the OBJ
struction OF navigation. But we lind
out there are many rivers in this coun-
try. ana they are stretching the Con-
stitution on that. Thee say we not
only can prevent it's obstruction for
navigation, but you haven't a right to
go TO springs at hcadwaters and dam
them IN so as TO interfere with navi-
cation down here. The Constitution is
being stretched, my friends. and don't
misunderstood me. am not doing any
stretching Of it If can help it. When
it doesn't meet the demands, | Will
vote TO change it. but as long as the
Constitution is upon us, let us live up
to II as honest men live up to their
contracts"
He who runs may read" and there
fore, without comment, leave II 10 the
public to say whether his position has
been ''ignorantly or wilfully misstatcd."
Although he told his audience that
the bill was then tMay Is, 1910 be-
fore his committee, the records dis
close the following:
CONSTRUCTION OF Dams Across Navi-
gable Waters-April IS. 1914, referred
to the House Calendar and ordered to
be printed.
MIR Adamson. from the Committee on
Interstate and Foreign Commerce sub
united the following report:
The Committee on Interstate and For
clSn Commerce. to whom was referred
the bill TO amend al act entitled An
act TO regulate tho construction of
dams across navigable streams
report thereon, with a recommendation
that it pass
on May 1G, when he told his audience
this bill was pending before his com
mittcc. this gave a reason why he
should be returned TO Congress, so he
might keep the committee from stretch
Ing the Constitution before the bill
reached the House; but the report of
the committee shows that the bill was
not then pending before his committee
and it would. therefore, appear as If
he had "ignorantly or wilfuny mis-
stated" this fact.
Yours truly,
l.. o. WENDENBURG