Omaha daily bee., 1911-05-10
FREE LIST BILL PASSES HOUSE
Republicans, Led by Mann, Make Long
Fight Against Measure.
SO AMENDMENTS ARE OFFERED
Debate of Each Section and Repub-
Iicans Protest vigorously
aa Result.
Iron q staff Correspondent.l

gram by a vote Of 23s to 100 the house
last night passed farmers free list bill
This bill places on the free list agricultural
implements. cotton bagging, cotton ties
leather. boots and shoes fence wire meats
cereals, flour, bread, timber. sewing ma
chins and salt.
The session was a tumultous one
throughout. beginning at II this morning
and 1t was not until $40 tonight that the
final vote was reached The session was
marked by scenes and Incidents not wit
messed in many years. nor upon many
occasions. and It was with the utmost
difficulty that even the sembance of order
was preserved. The republicans, under the
leadership of Representative Mann. riddled
the bill. but failed to deliver an amendment
Of sufficient strength to penetrate the solid
front put up by the hard-bound caucus
majority. Representative Mann submitted
nearly a hundred amendments during the
session, but none were carried.
Representatives Sloan and Kinkaid voted
against the bill. while Judge Norris voted
for It. OF course. Representatives Lobeck
and Mcguire stood soldly by their party,
and Representative Latta was absent,
being home on sick leave During the day
Representatives Norris and Sloan vainly
endeavored to get in amendments to knock
out the paragraphs relating to free listing
Of cereals and beef and meat products.
Representative Rucker OF Colorado was
the only democrat to vote with the repub-
licans upon the amendments to defeat the
free listing of beef and meat products.
Attempt TO RecOmmIt Fails.
Representative Mann, at the conclusion
Of the time limit TO submit amendments,
off cd eoH % he
with certain amendments In regard to
cereals and meats. This was defeated by
q tumultous viva voce vote, and Mann re-
quested the yeas and nays. which was
promptly Kissed down by both Sides as all
were growing tired.
The republicans who voted for the meas
ure were: Representatives Anderson.
Davis, IAndburs, Miller. Volstead and
Stevenson of Minnesota Anthony, Jack
son, Madison and Murdoch OF Kansas;
Hanna and Helgeson OF North Dakota;
Lenroot, Kopp, Morse and Nelson Of Wis
oonsin; La Toilette and warburton OF Wash
ington; I.afferty OF oregon, Kemp of Cali
fornia. Hubbard of Iowa, Morgan OF Okla
homa Norris of Nebraska and Roberts of
Nevada
The republican fight to amend began
with an attempt to make the free admis-
sion Of merchandise apply only to imports
from countries that in turn admitted Amer
lean products free
This was followed by efforts to have in
corporated a provision that would force
other countries TO give up their discrimina-
tons against American meats. live cattle
and flour and to include provisions aimed at
countries that impose restrictions on the
expectation of potash and pulp wood.
by Chairman Alexander and Chairman Hay,
the two presiding officers of the day,
as not permissible under the house rules.
The progress Of the bill demonstrated the
efficacy of the the democratic rules one
Of which carefully restricts all amendments
to, revenue measures to those germane to
the particular item under consideration.
The republican leaders roundly denounced
the democrats for denying freedom Of de-
bate and amendment. Former Speaker Cam
non said that never in the history of con-
gress had the right OF representation on
the floor of the house been so limited, and
former Republican Leader Payne assert, d
the democrats would be discredited before
the country for their arbitrary exercise of
majority power.
After four or five hours the republican
fight took on the complexion of a fill
buster. Once, denied q vote by the chair
man. Mr.. Mann intimated the bill would
not pass in a hurry. Following that repub-
licans repeatedly demanded rising votes,
but IL the end Mr.. Mann made no attenpt
to delay the final vote on the bill. In all
the republican leader offered eighty three
amendments.
| The democrats steadtastly refused to cut
off debate or lay themselves open to the
charge Of having passed the bill under a
( gag rule. The nearest approach was early
| tonight, when Mr. Underwood began 10
limit the time given to the debate of each
section. The republicans raised a cry but
the democrats shouted stick to It" TO Mr..
Underwood. Mr.. Mann said the democrats
had not put either rice OF rice flour on the
free list because they we're the products
Of southern states. Democratic Leader I'm.
derwood replied It was because the demo-
Gratis did not know how much revenue Il
would cost the government.
This does not complete our tariff leRts-
lation," said Mr.. Underwood. I'VE intro
duced this bill TO give the farmers cheaper
| agricultural implements and the city dwell
| ers cheaper meats and bread. We could
not go beyond that without endangering
the revenues We intend to take up, In
proper order. all tariff rates and 10 ad-
just all of them"