The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1911-02-16
BILL
PASSES HOUSE

President Taft's reciprocity agree
ment with Canada was ratified in the
house of representatives Tuesday
night through the support of an almost
solid Democratic vote. The Mccall
bill, carrying the agreement into effect,
was passed, 221 to 92.
The majority of the Republicans
present voted against the measure, the
division being rs ayes and 81 noes.
The Democratic vote was 143 ayes and
only noes. A majority of the Re-
publican insurgents present voted for
the bill.
The Mccall bill now goes to the SEN
ate. What its fate will be in that
body is problematical. President Taft
believes, If filibuster can be avoided
and vote taken, the bill will pass.
He is insistent that the senate shall
act one way or the other, and has in
timated that he would call an extra
session of congress if it does not do so.
The passage of the bill in the house
came at the end of long debate,
which at times was as bitter as has
Der in years. The fight was confined
almost wholly to the Republican side.
Democratic members joined in from
time to time and tainted the majority
members for their lack of unity. The
Democratic leaders also put in the
claim that the reciprocity agreement
was good Democratic doctrine, and de-
clared they were glad to welcome
President Taft and many of the house
Republicans into the Democratic fold.
Closure Rule Invoked.
The final vote was reached through
the application of closure rule,
which shut off all amendments, and
even dispensed with the reading of
the BILL This procedure was decided
upon only after Mccall, in charge of
the bill, had failed to get unanimous
consent to do away with the calendar
If that had been secured,
he said, he would have been glad to
let the debate continue for another
legislative day. The Republicans op-
posed to the bill fought the rule, de-
nouncing it in caustic language. They
directed their fire especially against
the Democrats and accused them, on
the eve of going into power in the
house, of enforcing gag' rule, as
drastic as anything against which they
had so eloquently inveighed in the
past.
Under the closure rule, which was
adopted by an overwhelming vote, the
only loophole left to opponents of the
measure was a motion to recommit the
house with instructions to report GER
came to do this, half dozen members
were clamoring for recognition.
Dalzell was recognized by Speaker
Cannon. He proposed that meat and
meat products, flour, prepared cereals,
lumber and several other articles be
put on the free list. The Democrats
were not shaken by this, and the mo-
ton was lost, la to 191.
The closure rule had been agreed to
by vote of 1913 to 107.
Desertion Of Protection.
Some of the "old guard Republi-
san leaders, like Dalzell, of Pennsyl-
vania, and Fordney, of Michigan,
yelled but thinly their predictions that
he Republican party would be defeat
I'd by reason of what they character
zed a departure from the principle of
and the espousal of free
trade.
Speaker Cannon took no part in the
iebate. There was applause when, on
he first record vote that was order
ID. the speaker called Representative
ollie James, of Kentucky, one of the
eaders of the Democratic side, to the
hair. James sat there all through the
'oll call and announced the vote. This
$ said to be the only time Democrat
has been called to preside over the
house since the Republicans gained
control.