The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-08-22
SAY UNDERWOOD APPLIED GAG RULE Leader Gets Out of Embar-
 rassing Situation DEPENDS HIS ACTION In Reply to Attacks of Lenroot, un-
DEFENDS HIS ACTION
In Reply to Attacks of Lenroot, un- derwood Asserts No Party Has Ever Thrown Bills Open to
 Debate As Democrats
By WALTER HARPER.

By WALTER HARPER. | Washington, August N.-tSpecial)-os- l cal Underwod came out from what at hrst appeared to be an embarrassing position tooay with flying colors and increased fame. After offering his consent resolu- ten to limit debate on the cotton bili, and was forced to send 1t to the rules committee on the objection of Represen- tative Lenroot, insurgent republican, the
 insurgents charged MT. Underwood and the democrats with putting the House ur- der the most stringent gag rule in the history of Congress.
 Lenroot, Madison, Anderson and others made some bitter speeches to which MT Underwod did not reply until after his resolution had been sustained by vote
 ot the House, in which Mann, Payne and ether republican leaders voted present, MT Underwood had offered his resolu- ticn after agreement with Mann and | Payne. and it's eTily intention was to ex- ne dite business. Discussing the rule on tie floor of the House. MT. Underwood
 said
 MT. Speaker. l did not intend to open
 the debate on this bill but 1 want 10 say a few words to gentlemen on the
 other side of tliis house with reference to this rule. We did not debate this
 rule when It came before the House, and
 Whyc Because we had an understanding with that side ofgthe House that the rule
 was satisfactory to them.
 "lf gentlemen in this house cannot come 4
 and proper to be done, and then carry i cut thnl agreement jn g6ye faitr how are we going to legislate for the business
 CT this country? l presented this rule at his desk this morning and stated on the i olen floor of the House that 1t was sat isfactory to the gentleman from Illinois 1 (Mr. Maan), the leader of the minority. and to the gentleman from New York tMr Payne), the former chairman of the committee on ways and means In fact,
 changed and amended the rule and ex-
 tended the time for debate in order to sat- isfy the gentlemen whom I supposed rep
 resented that side of the House. and had
 a right to speak for the republican party.
 Of course, as to the gentleman from
 k Kansas (Nr Madison) and the gentleman
 from Wisconsin (Mr. LenrooD, l did not
 know what they wanted. When l stated this morning that this rule was satisfac- tory to the leader of the minority, neither of them rose in his seat to say that he
 protested
 Made No Objections
 "They allowed us to present this rule,
 to consent 10 their controlling all of the time believing that we had come to a.1 honest and satisfactory understand ;,,r. ,,.;t an nf
 the House. I recognize we cannot agree with every man in the House. l under stand the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Anderson) was opposed to the rule. but we cannot do business with an understanding which embraces every man in Congress. when l came to an understanding with the, leader of the minority and the lead Ing republican on the committee on ways
 and means. from which this bill was re- ror ted, as to the time of debate and the lanner in which it should be voted on, and then consented to yield time, l say
 that that side of the House has not dealt
 fairly with us in criticising us on the adoption of the rule
 Why has it been adopted? It has been offered on our side of the House to pre- sent to the President bill that reduces the taxes for the people of the United States. We have no way of bringing it. tefore this House other than we have done. The gentleman from Wisconsin (AIr. I.enrooD says that this bill raises the taxes on certain articles in the chemical schedule. The gentleman from Wiscon- sin has not read the bin or he would have made no such statement
 MT. Lenroot: The gentleman from Wis Consn has read it."
 MT. underwod Well. then, he has not lead it understandipgly. because in that chemical schedule the senator from Mis- sour (NIr Reed) attached a rider to the bill that provided that anywhere in the
 chemical schedule or in the cotton sched-
 ule where the duties had not been re-
 Cuoed 90 per cent by the rates fixed. that
 they should automatically be reduced 90
 uer cent below the present law by the Sec
 rciary of the Treasury. Yet the gentle ran from Wisconsin (Mr. LenrooD said we are raising rates, when there Is an au tomatic provision in the bill that lowers t lem 30 per cent at least below the rates If the present law, both as to the cotton schedule and as to the chemical schedule. Now, all I have got to say is, if there | has ever been a party in the United | States that has kept the faith, the democ- ,acv on this side of the House have kept faith in throwing wide to debate and wide | 10 amendments every bill that we have of- | fered
 This morning when we agreed with | your leaders that the resolution we pre- sented was satisfactory to them in order to expedite business and bring this ses- sjen to close, we had a right to depend cn their plighted faith. When I sent to the desk for unanimous consent the res- clntion that the committee on rules had It ported. I stated that the gentleman from Illinois tMr. Mann, and the gen tleman from New York CAIr. Payne) were willing to give unanimous consent. Now " hat does that mean, if it does not mean that you were willing that we should pass | this resolution?
 | Mir. Underwod was interrupted with
 frequent applause from the democratic side
 | Needed Rain Falls | Kansas City August 21.-Nearly two ! inches of rain fell over nothern Oklahoma