The weekly chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Craig County, Okla.) 1905-1913, 1911-02-10
SHERMAN SAVES
SHIP SUBSIDY BILL
First Time in History of Government
Was the Vote of Vice President
Used to Decide Tie.

Washington, D. c., Feb. 3.--For the
first time in the history of the United
States government the vice-president
Thursday exercised his constitutional
prerogative of casting vote to break
ties in connection with three success
siye roll calls.
By the first he saved from impend-
ing defeat the ship subsidy bill, and
by the third he forced the adjourn
ment of the senate on a vote having
direct bearing on a resolution looking
to the election of senators by direct
primary vote. The vote on the sub
sidy bill in the committee and in the
senate proper, stood 80 yeas and 80
noes, and on adjournment 81 ayes and
81 noes. On all three occasions the
vice president voted in the affirma-
tive
Another notable occurrence in con-
nection with the vote on the subsidy
bill was the absence of the new demo
cratic senator from West Virginia,
Clarence w. Watson, who had taken
his seat in the day as successor to
Elkins. Watson was in the senate
chamber only few moments in the
session and voted on only one roll
call.
This vote, on an amendment to the
subsidy bill, was negative, indicating
that he would be against the bill Had
he voted on the final ballot it is be-
lieved that the bill would have been
defeated. He was the only democrat
present at roll call whose vote was
not cast against the measure.
The final vote came after three hours
of determined conflict over the amend
lments.
The quasi bill authorizes the pay
ment by the postoffice department for
carrying the mails of 81 a mile on the
outward voyage to the second class
American built vessels plying between
American ports and ports in the Philip
lpines, Japan, China and Australia, and
between American ports and ports in
South America. south of the equator,
and a payment of 81 as similarly en-
gagged.
Stops at ports in the South Atlantic
are provided for. 1t is explicitly de-
clared that no contract shall be award
ed to any person or corporation en-
gagged in any competitive transporta-
tion by rail or who is employed in ex,
porting merchandise in his own be-
half. There is also a provision limiting
the expenditures in any one year to
four millions, or the surplus earnings
of the ocean mail carrying business.
The two votes on the subsidy bill
are as follows:
Ayes: Bradley. Brandagee, Briggs,
! (Burkett. Burnham, Burrows. Carter.
Clark of Wyoming, Crane, Cullom,
Curtis, Dick, Dillingham;, Dixon, Du-
pont Flint, Frye, Gallinger, Guggen-
helm, Hale, Hepburn, Jones, Kean,
| Lodge, Lorimer Nelson, Nixon. Oliver.
Page, Penrose, Perkins, Piles, Root,
Scott, Smott, Stephenson. Warner,
Warren. and Wetmore, all republicans.
Total So
Nays: Beyeridge, Borah, Bourne,
Bristow, Brown, Burton. Crawford,
Cummins, Gamble, Gronna, La Fol
lette, McCumber and Smith, of Michi-
gan, republicans; Bacon, Bankhead,
Chamberlain Clarke, of Arkansas, Cul-
berson. Fletcher, Foster, Frazier John
ston. Martin, Newlands. Overman,
owen, Paynter, Percy. Shecely, Sim
mons, Smith. of Maryland, Smith, of
South Carolina, Stone. Swanson, Tall
ferro, Taylor, Terrell. Thornton and
Tillman, all democrats. Total 80.
Eight senators paired; Money with
Young; Bailey with Bulkeley; Gore
with Depew; Rayner with Richardson.
Five senators. Aldrich. Clapp, Davis,
Sutherland and Watson, did not vote
and were not paired.
Asserting that the unanimous con-
sent under which the senate, was pro-
ceeding had been obtained when only
fifteen or sixteen senators were pres
ct, and therefore that it should not
be recognized. Owen, of Oklahoma,
passed to a general declaration against
the conduct of any business by the
present congress.
He gave as his reason that the men |
at present in public life had been re-
pudiated at the polls last November.