The Winslow mail., 1911-05-13
FREE LIST BILL
PASSES HOUSE
VOTE STOOD 236 TO 1oe-DEMo.
81 Gratis VOTE SoLIDLY
ON QUESTION.
AMENDMENTS KILLED
BILL PLACES ON FREE LIST I'M.
PIGMENTS, MEATS AND
OTHER ARTICLES.

5Washington.-Nine hours of contin-
uous pounding at the hands of the
Republican minority of the House of
Representative failed to make a
change in the first Democratic tariff
bill-that placing on the free list ag-
ricultural implements, meats and
many other articles.
The bill passed the House by vote
of 236 to 100, the Democrats voting
solidly and mastering twenty-four Re-
| publicans with them.
This came after the Democrats had
voted down or ruled out of order more
than 100 amendments and had demon
strated again that the Democratic
majority was a compact and smooth
| ly working machine for the enact
ment of legislation.
Minority Leader Mann threw
amendment after amendment in the
debate, ranging all the way from free
rice to free lead and pig iron; but
those that were not ruled tout of or
der were cheerfully voted down by
an almost solid Democratic vote.
An attempt by Mr.. Mann to recon-
nit the bill to the committee on ways
and means was tabled by the House.
The Republican fight to amend be-
gan with an attempt to make the free
admission of merchandise apply only
to imports from countries that in turn
admitted American products free.
This was followed by efforts to have
incorporated provisions that would
force other countries to give up their
discrimination against American
meats, live cattle and flour and
to include provisions aimed at coun-
tries that impose restrictions on the
export of potash and pulpwood.
All these amendments were thrown
out by Chairman Alexander anG
Chairman Hay, the two presiding Off
GERS of the day. as not permissible
under the House rules. The progress
of the bill demonstrated the efficacy
of the new Democratic rules, one Of
which restricts all amendments to
revenue measures to those germane to
the particular item under considera.
ton.
The Republican leaders roundly de-
nounced the Democrats for denying
freedom of debate and amendments
Former Speaker Cannon said thar
never in the history of Congress had
the right of representation on the
floor of the House been so limited.
Former Republican Leader Payne
said the Democrats would be discred-
| tied before the country for their ar
bitrary exercise Of majority power.
After four or five hours the Repub-
lican fight took on the complexion Of
filibuster. Once, denied vote by
the chairman, Mr. Mann intimated the
bill would not pass in a hurry.
Following that Republicans repeat
edly demanded rising votes; but in
the end Mr.. Mann made no attempS
to delay the final vote on the bill. In
all the Republican leader offered
eighty-three amendments.
The Democrats steadfastly refused
to cut off debate or lay themselves
open to the charge of having passed
the bill under a gag rule.
Mr.. Mann said the Democrats had
not put either rice or rice flour on
the free list because they were pro-
ducts of the Southern states.
By vote of 18 to the New York
caucus indorsed the fight of Francis
Burton Harrison, the New York Dem
ocrat member of the ways and means
committee, for free raw wool, whose
sharp cutting off of $21.000000 OF
revenue is not favored by Speaker
Clark, Chairman Underwood and
other leading Democrats.
President Taft INDUCED in some
plain talk in explaining to twenty
five members of the National Grange
that he does not intend to play poll
tics with the Canadian reciprocity
agreement even if the enactment OF
that measure of Congress costs him
the farmers votes.
The President told his visitors
bluntIy that he was sorry to hear that
Republican farmers would desert the
party if the agreement goes through
but fear of such desertiOn would not
change his conviction as to the Wis
dom of such legislation.