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SECTION OF rV"" THE BAMBERG HERALD ! BAMBERG, S. C., JULY 4, 1912 ' i/mk Congressman Byrnes Replies to Criticism of u n p?iu Aim j nan y u. uaiiiuusi. Shows, In Bamberg Speech, the Absurdity of Contention that Bristow Amendment, for which he voted, Is Inimical to the Interests of the South. } The House of Representatives having adjourned for several days in order that the members might attend the Baltimore convention, Con . ? T 17 o/h-onton'o /\[ l1"W* gl CSSrilUIl JtilllCb 1\ Uyi IIC5 LUUiv ctu v auicij^v^ v/j h.v, recess to attend the first campaign meeting, which was held at Bamberg on Saturday, June 29. Before a crowd that tilled the court room, Mr. Byrnes replied to the criticisms of his opponent, stating in substance, as follows: When Mr. Calhoun announced his candi lacy in the newspapers he was quoted as saying he had decided to make the race because 1 voted for the proposed amendment to the constitution providing for the election of Senators by the people instead of the Legislature, which amendment, according to him, provided for "Federal supervision, military aid and troops at the polls.' Two years ago when I first went to Washington I instructed my secretary to send Mr. Calhoun in response to his request the Congressional WmKp T knew even then that he was going to be a candidate against me this year, lie lias received the record regularly ever since, and now, my friends, after two years, and after 1 have cast hundreds of votes on different matters coming up in Congress, I consider it a high comh piiment that he can criticise only one of my voles. Because of the absurdity of his criticism of this one vote and my desire to avoid any controversy, I decided to overlook his criticism, but since that time he has distributed through the newspapers of the District a circular reiterating .this statement and creating the impression that for some measure inimical to the interests of the South I voted, deserting my Democratic colleagues. As this is a misrepresentation of the facts, I think you will agree that as your rcpre. sentative I owe it to you not to remain silent. Let me say at the outset that before 1 would vote for any measure providing for Federal supervision, military aid and troops at the polls in South Carolina, I would pray that "my tongue would cleave to the roof of my mouth and my right hand lose its cunning/' - - ' ' ?i-.j ! a ? ?r Now let me read you tnc resoiuuon ui wmui he complains: JOINT RESOLUTION Proposing an amendment to the Constitution providing that Senators shall be elected by the people of the several States. Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled (two-thirds of each House concurring therein), That in lieu of the'first paragraph of section three o*f Article I of the Constitution of the United States, and in lieu of so ? much of paragraph two of the same section as relates to the filling of vacancies, the following be proposed as an amendment to the Constitution, which shall be valid to all intents and purposes as part of the Constitution when ratified by the legislatures of three-fourths of the States: "The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from each State, elected by the people thereof, for six years; and each Senator shall have one vote. The electors in each State shall issue writs of election to fill such vacancies: Provided, That the legislature of any mav emnower the executive thereof to make temporary appointments until the people fill the vacancies by election as the legislature may direct. "This amendment shall net be so construed as to affect the election or term of any Senator chosen before it becomes valid as part of the Constitution." CHAMP CLARK, Speaker of the House of Representatives. J. S. SHERMAX, Vice-President of the United States and , President of the Senate. x I certify that this Joint Resolution originated in the House of Representatives. SOUTH TRIMBLE, > ' Clerk. As you readily see, it provides for none of the dreadful calamities reterreci 10 uy nuu. 1 nt w.u; difference in this and the Constitution as it now exists is the substitution of the words "by the people for the words "by the Legislature' of each State. We did not make this law; to become law it must be ratified by three-fourths of the States. If thirteen States disapprove of it, it will be defeated. If it becomes law it will simply have the j Senators elected as the Congressmen now are. at ?t- - -1 \ nTTotnKar incfr?n-1 nf 1}V th.O Lc^iS thc cicctluli 111 ?\vvviiii;li iiwk.u'1 v.. ~ . lature. It is practically the same resolution that has passed the House time after time, in the l'iftv-fifth and Fifty-seventh Congresses, when some men who voted against it this time voted for it. It was then supported by every Democrat in the House. l?ut it always failed in the Senate because the corporations have controlled the Scutate and they opposed it because they could control the Legislature easier than they could con-troS the people. Thirty-eight States, including 'South Carolina, demanded this resolution for which I voted, and this year it passed the House fc ;3nd came to a vote in the Senate. Some mem- j Congressman Byrnes Spt est to the CONGRESSMAN JA Mr. Byrnes was asked by a representa- | tive ot the Journal and Review about legislation pending in Congress in which he was interested and stated that many matters of importance had been considered by the House; that lie had voted for and supported the Farmers Free List Rill, the effect of which would have been to reduce the cost of farmers' implements and also many of the necessities of life, but this Rill after being passed was vetoed by the President. That he had worked for the passage of the Rill removing the tax from sugar so as to reduce its cost, which Rill was now pending in the Senate and was of interest to every household. 1 le was especially interested in the success of the Road Rill now pending in the Senate, which passed tlve House as a result of the movement started by him. Though the Road Bills have been advocated for years, this Rill if passed will be the first recognition by the Government of the principle of Federal aid in the maintenance of roads, lie had worked for the continuance of the appropriation for the surveying of drainage districts wherever the people ask for such assis tance, and recently at tlic request ot innabitants of a Drainage District in Hampton county, had induced the department to assist by surveying the District, saving several thousand ' dollars to the people. For several years there had been on hie a request from Barnwell county for a Soil Survey, and this year he had induced the department to undertake this important work, the surveyors having spent the past winter iij that county He was promised that next year they would make a similar survey of Bamberg and he would endeavor to have similar work done in every county as it would be of great value to the farmers. When it was proposed to sell the government's property at Port Royal, thus closing the Disciplinary School there, he had succeeded in defeating the movement. He had also securecf an appro i 11*_ 1 bers ot Longress, wno are ameu wiui mc railroads and banking corporations of the country, oposed it, but not daring to base their opposition on the ground that they did not trust the people, professed to see danger to State rights. They succeeded in fooling some honest men who voted against the measure 011 this ground, but out oi* a membership of 228 Democrats in the House, only 39 voted against it; and in the Senate onl> 8 Democrats voted against it; and if truth must be told, four of those Senators voted for Lorimer last year, and few people believe that they favor allowing the people to elect their Senators. Every man in this country knows that in the seventies the Republicans passed laws supervising elections, but perhaps they do not know that the same provision in the Constitution which empowered Congress to do this then, is still in the Constitution. It has never been changed, and if they had enough votes and wanted to they could have supervised the general election two years ago. So it is seen that this contention is an absurdity and the proposed amendment if it becomes law will give Congress no more power to supervise elections than it now has. The amendment specifically says that the voters shall have the qualifications required for voters who vote for members of the House of Representatives in each State, and, therefore, it would not allow any man to vote other than those who now vote in this State. Recause I believe in granting to the States all possible power. 1 supported several * ? <111 i 1 1 il.!. amendments wJncli would nave accompnsneu mis, but when tliev were all defeated, tire question before us was the passage of the plain resolution already quoted, providing for elections by the people. Senator Smith had voted for it in the Senate. Senator Tillman, being absent, did not vote, but was paired against it. Four-fifths of the Democratic Senators had voted for it, and in the House three-fourths of the Democrats, in" . . - - ? .1 ' r- ' - ;aks of Matters of InterDistrict. MES F. BYRNES. priation of $25,000.00 to deepen Archer's creek in order that the truck farmers on adjacent islands could take their produce to market. Having been honored by the House by being appointed one of the committee to investigate the alleged Money Trust, he has faithfully devoted his time to it. As a result of this, the most important investigation ever undertaken by Congress, constructive legislation would doubtless be enacted at the next Congress remedying existing evils. He has co-operated with the representatives of the Farmers' Union, in Washington, to enact laws in which they are interested. In the Treasury there is a fund of $10,000,000, the proceeds of property taken under the Captured and Abandoned Property Acts during the war. On file, th?re is a list of the persons to whom it belongs, with amounts due each one, but these people have not under the law to-day a right to sue to recover it. The Committee has recommended for passage the Bill of Mr. Byrnes granting the rightful'owners the right to recover and this Bill is now on the calendar. In the Omnibus Claims Bill he has succeeded in having included appropriation of thousands of dollars to pay judgments secured by Churches in th'e Second District during the past ten years for the occupancy of their buildings by Federal troops during the war. For a number of Confederate veterans, who before Jun'e 25th, 1912, filed their claims for horses taken from them after they had surrendered, he has secured payment. Mr. Byrnes stated he has assisted in securing many new R. F. I). routes in the District, and was now working 011 several petitions in which he was interested. Believing that economy like charity should begin at home he voted to cut down the expenses of the House, which resulted in a saving of $180,000 a year, and had voted, with his party as~r? ?u MJClcllCS, CtUlIUUJH.3 III ail LliU \jjji laLiyjn bills, as a result of which, when the session ended it would be shown that the appropriations w"ere millions less than the last Congress. eluding every member from South Carolina, who was presented, voted for it. I voted for it. I did so, because I believe Senators should be elected by the people instead of the Legislatures, so they will be responsible to the people instead of to the corporations; because last year the people of South Carolina, through their Genexal Assembly, sent to Washington a special resolution which appears elsewhere asking us to allow them to vote on this question; because the Democratic platform of 1908 demanded, the election of Senators by the people, and this week the Democrats in session at Baltimore indorse our action, reiterate as a principle of the party the direct election, of Senators by the people and commend the action of the Democratic House of Representatives. lie fore a man can run for Congress in the Democratic Primary in this State he must sign a pledge as follows: "I also pledge myself to support the political principles and pol'ciesof the party during the term of office for which 1 may be elected, and work in accord with my Democratic associates in Congress on all party questions." This being in the platform, it was a party question, and as the overwhelming majority of mv Democratic associates voted for it, under my party pledge I had to vote for it. Mr. Calhoun by implication tells you he would not trust you to vote 011 such a matter: that he prefers that the Legislatures and not the people shall say who the Senators shall be: that he would desert the Demorrn 11V nbit form, violate the solemn pledge he has signed within the past few weeks, and disregard and disobey the instructions of the people of his State sent to him through the General Assembly of South Carolina. And now as to whether Mr. Calhoun was f h to me, to you or to himself in this circular he has issued. At the top of the second column, first page of his circular he has this heading: "Prominent Democrats who opposed the BristowAmend4 ' V" ' - J ' | Loyalty to Party Prompt* JB | ed His Vote on flB Amendment. Wk Byrnes Explains Why He Voted With Overwhelming Majority of Demo- " crats Over Republicans.?Let- 9 ters from Tillman, Adamson and Others 3 Commend Him. I ment. Representatives and Senators who Voted 1 Against the Adoption Bristow Amendment." ' LU |1 Under this head he correctly enumerates the" fl names of 39 Democrats in the House who voted against the other 130 Democrats in this matter, which action these 39 Democrats will have to explain to their constituents,?and then he has among the Senators, first the name of Tillman, who as a matter of fact did not vote. Then fol- % 1 lowing, on the next line, he has the nam'e of Lodge, of Massachusetts. Think of it, classing I I Lodge as a Democrat! Lodge, the man who troduced the Force Bill, the greatest menace the SWja ? j South has ever suffered, providing for the worst of the reconstruction laws, including the placing i of only Republicans on juries. Mr. Calhoun calls f| him a Democrat, and tellsyou h'ewould have voted 1 with him. The following Republicans he in-. J eludes as Democrats: Richardson, of Ddeware; |l|| |j a State owned and controlled by the corporations; f| r\<llinfrVi?nn rv-f A/armAnf urVtn WAtllrl HlA tAnifl4lf '4 \j i v w muni, ?ynw tt vuiu uiv kviug?k . if he thought a man assuming to run for Congress .1 in this country called him a Democrat; Brande- SdBSH gee, of Connecticut; Bonham, of New Hamp- f. I shire; Penrose, the Republican Boss of Pennsyl- :jjgm 1 vania; Crane, the Republican Boss of Massa- .'.Yg | chusetts, who, as soon as he knew that Senators- . tp | would be elected by the people of his State here- m after, gave notice he would not ask for re-elec- 1 tion; Gallinger, of New Hampshire; Lippitt, of m Rhode Island, and Oliver, of Pennsylvania, att/?Jg| J Republicans, Had he stopped here it would have jjm | been bad enough, but he has included as Demo- J crats the Mormon Smoot, of Utah; Wetmore, of ~||i | Rhode Island; Lorimer, the notorious Boss of ;1 Illinois; who in all probability will be expelled '5^ I from the Senate next week because his election If was purchased by the Lumber Trust, the greatest -ffM outrage ever perpetrated upon a people. Then following him, he included Heyburn. Heyburn, | whose name is known and despised in every ham- ' | 1 let in the South because of his tirades against our \ ||8 J people; the man who fought the placing of^ Lee's statue in the Hall of Fame, which would be ^ i incomplete without it. Think of him as a Demo- ^ crat. Mr: Calhoun says he would have voted with these men if he had been in Congress. I : ' }:$|B preferred to vote with the Democratic party and 1 against these enemies of the South a id these ene- T mies of the people. If this amendment was cal- [ f culated to injure the South, don't you know these enemies of the South would have been found vot- ' ing for it, instead of voting against it. :M Whether Mr. Calhoun included these names Tl for the purpose of making larger the list of those ' who voted against our party and this resolution, |j or did it in ignorance of whether these men were t Democrats or Republicans, I do not know. I do .11 know, though, that he has sent this circular. throughout the District and has created the false ^fi9 impression upon those who do not happen to know these names that a large number of Democratic Senators voted against this measure, when in fact but eight did so. It has reached the eyes and the poison has entered the breasts of some J men who doubtless will never see a correction; . and I have been harmed. The truth will never overtake it, but it is for you to say whether it was fair to me. You notice that the ; name of Senator Smith was not included by him as among those voting against it, because Senator \2||9 Smith voted for it; and yet Mr. Calhoun has published a letter purporting to be from Senator Smith stating he votdd against it. Mr. Calhoun knew when he published Senator Smith's letter that Senator Smith voted for the Bill as I did on its final passage, and yet by the publication of that r- ' letter he has created the impression that Mr. Smith had not voted for it. Undoubtedly Mr. Smith in his note was referring to his vote against the amendment when it was first offered, 'llf when we all voted against it, preferring the lan- -|S guage in our amendment which first passed the But that is not all. Announcing his candidacy, Mr. Calhoun stated in the Augusta Chronicle that he received a number of letters from leaders in Congress and without exception tney agreed the amendment is a menace to white supremacy. Of course he only wrote to those who voted *||B| against it and who wanted to do the best they could in explanation of their votes; but yet, did he produce one letter making any such statement? Xo. How many letters did he produce from members of the House? One, from Judge Adamson, of Georgia. You know that 'tis said the devil can quote part of a passage of Scripture and prove anything he wants to, and he does do it pretty often. In like manner you can repeat part of a conversation and do one injustice. Do you not think that when Mr. Calhoun published that letter of Mr. Adamson's, if he had in his pocket another letter from Adamson received jn explanation of and in furtherance j of [ ': letter, that in justice to Adamson, to ' he ought to have published it? Weil he <'id not do it, and I am forced to. Unlike him, I shall read you both letters sent to me -:JJ i by Mr. Adamson; . - ^>r >>^ ^