Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1911-02-15
REPUBLICANS DIVIDED IN TWO
Long and Bitter Debate Precedes the
Final Action.
AID OF CIOTURE RULE INVOKED
Unanimous Consent to Do Away with
Calendar Refused.
ALL AMENDMENTS ARE SHUT OFF
Summary Action Only Taken Because
Compromise Measures Fail--Read-
Ing of Bill DIspensed with
ne Result of Rule.


WASHINGTON, Feb. 1A-President
Taft's reciprocity agreement with Canada
was ratified in the house OF representa-
tives tonight through the support Of an
almost solid democratic vote. The Mccall
bill carrying the agreement intofect. was
passed. 22 to %.
A majority Of the republicans present
voted against the measure, the division
being IS ayes and 81 noes The democratic
vote was 14S ayes and only noes. A ma
jority Of the republican insurgents present
voted for the bill
The Mccall bill now goes to the senate
What its fate will be in that body is
problematlcsl. President Taft believes IL
a fitbuster can be avoided and a vote
taken. the bill will pass. He is insistent
that he senate shall act one way or the
other and has indicated that no would CALI
an extra session OF congress IL It does not
do So
Debate Long and Bitter.
The passage OF the bill in the house
came at the end Of a long debate which
at times was as bitter as has been heard
on the floor of that chamber In years The
fight was confined almost wholly to the
republican side. Democratic members
joined In from time to time and taunted
the majority members for the lack OF
unity.
The democratic leaders also put in the
claim that the reciprocity agreement was
good democratic doctrine and declared they
we're glad to welcome President Taft and
many of the house republicans into the
democratic fold.
final vote was reached tonight only
through the application OF a cloture rule
which shut off all amendments and even
dispensed with the reading of the bill
This procedure was decided upon only
after Mr.. Mccall, in charge of the bill,
had failed to get Unanimous consent to do
away with the calendar tomorrow.
II that had been secured he said he
would have been glad TO let the debate
continue for another Legislative day The
republicans opposed TO the hili fought the
rrle depounelpg II IN canstic language
They directed their fire especially against
the democrats and accused them on the
eve of going into power OF the house Of
enforcing a gas rule" as drastic as any
thing against which they had SO eloquently
invelghed in the last.
Clark Replies.
Champ Clark took Representative DaIzell
OF Pennsylvania sharply to task for com
planning OF the undue haste with which
the hause was acting on the reciprocity
measure.
The speaker-to-be said the democrats had
sat for years bound and gagged while the
gentleman from pennsylvania and his as
sociates had brought In rule after rule and
had rushed legislation through without Civ
ing an opportunity for amendment
Under the cloture rule which was adopted
by an overwhelming oyte the only loophole
left to the opponents OF the measure was
a motion 10 recommit the bill to the com
mittee Of the whole house. with instructions
TO report certain amendments. When the
time came to do this half dozen members
were clamoring for recognition.
Mr. Dalzell was recognized by Speaker
Cannon. lie proposed that meat and meat
products flour, prepared cereals, lumber
and several other articels be put on the
free list. The democrats were not shaken
by this and the motion was lost-i14 TO 1sl
The eolture rule had been agreed to pre-
viously by vote Of 1sS to 107. It has been
apparent for several days that the reciproc-
ity measure would have an overwhelming
majority in the house. The feeling dis
played in the house today was so intense
at times that II surprised members on both
guard" republican leaders like DaIzen of
Pennsylvania and Fordney Of Michigan
veiled but thinly their predictions that the
republican party would be defeated By rea-
son Of whae they characterized departure
from the principle OF protection and the
espousal OF free trade.
Debate on Measure.
When a quorum had ben secured Repre-
sentative Underwood OF Alabama began
debate in favor OF the measure The rect
prooiey bill, Mr.. Underwood declared, was
made necessary by the failure OF the maxi
mum and minimum provisions of the
Payne-Aldrich law. Those provisions. ne
claimed, were wrong in principle They
made the minimum rate the general scale
and provided for an Increased rate as retail
iation for high rates against this country.
The principle thus established was one OF
coercion and not calculated to bring about
good feeling.
Mr.. Underwood contended that in an ideal
bill the maximum should be the general