The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1914-06-17
M'llUaIn ANSWERS 1|lLMlM.
WOULD-BE GOVERNOR TELLS
OF COAT TAILS AND TOLLS
REPEAL.
HSdScules TIllman's Position ON the
Panama Tolls Repeal Bill, which
q, He Claims Ii Passed In Interests Of
Lord Cowdray's Railroad.
To the Editor Of The State:


my name figuring I'm Senator Tillman's
speech explaining his change Of posi-
ton on the repeal Of the canal tolls.
He draws an analogy with my atti-
tude on the Paris Treaty. II would
es very unhappy" says the senator.
IL McLaurin could justly charge mo
with prescribing physic for hin.
which I myself am unwilling to take.
Should fail to stand by the party
platform and vote for the repeal. nc
could Justly say that / am incon-
sistent." The senator then proceeds
to tell why he Is going to do Just
that thing. 1t Ia this inconsistency
which constitutes his most valid claim
20 greatness. No truly great man ever
bothers his head about being con-
sistent. What's the use? The SEN
ator 10 not much more of q success
a = coat-toil swinger than I am.
did not know. however that 1t was
a. popular In Washington as In South
Carolina.
He seems to find II as difficult to
explain about Wilson's coat tails as
! do about Blease's and his reasons
are just about az dish genuous as
mine were when PASSED that "prec-
ious emblem Of peace and fraternity"
to another. After clearly demonstrat-
Ing that President Wilson is wrong.
he justifies his own change Of vote
BY showing what a fool the late la
mented State convention made Of it
self. The convention lacked the lead
srship Of our senator's and congress-
men. most Of whom were elected
delegates but found urgent business
elsewhere.
While heartily concurring In this
proposition shout the folly Of the con-
vsntion. II does seem to me that the
real question Is whether the repeal
Of the tolls II right or wrong. not
whether the platform or Wilson Is
to bs obeyed. 1t Is a great ques-
tion OF national policy. which should
outweigh either president or plat
form. Personally. admire the stand
OF Ragsdale and Wyatt Aiken. not
only because II takes moral courage
to oppose the hand that apportions
the public pie. but because on the
merits u 10 to the country's best In
terest. The people OF the United
States have paid for the canal and
should get some return for their
money. Foreigners should not have
the same rights and privileges us our
own people. unless they had con-
tributed towards the construction of
the canal.
The statement that the tolls would
be . subsidy to shipping trust" Is
not within q mile Of the actual facts.
We have no American merchant ships
to use II. because the subsidized ves-
sells Of foreign nations have driven
our flag from the high seas We have
retained a coast shipping because of
port determinations In It's favor. Fol-
low the present policy and our coast
trade will soon be In foreign hands.
The United States Is an export na-
ton and to be entirely dependent OH
our commercial rivals to curry our
products abroad Is unwise, I do not
care What President Wilson or any.
body else says to the contrary.
The facts are that the repeal of the
tolls will continue the most heartless
subsidy to Lord Cowdray's railroad
tina exists on this earth. 1t is q COM
plet surrender Of American interests
70 reat Britain. We build tho canal
at 'normous cost In life and money
and present II to the English capital
Int now exploiting Mexico and other
countries. Lord Cowdray is the
Rockefeller OF England, In fact, he is
combination OF Rockefeller and
Morgan. because of his political and
financial power. aside from being an
oil king. He owns the Tampico and
Tehuantepec oil fields. lie has tho
unqualified backing OF the British gov
eminent In all OF his undertakings.
and IL any one will take the trouble
to read the testimony taken by the
Davidson committee and other public
documents easily accessible they can
not but conclude that much OF the
trouble In Mexico comes from the
night between British and American
oil interests.
This may explain why England
recognized Huerta when tho United
States refused TO do 30. know that
the biggest obstacle In getting the
canal bill pas ed was the opposition
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