The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1911-05-11
PASS FREE LIST
The R pub|icans Try in Vain 10 smend
The New Tariff Bill
ATTEMPT FILlBUSTER

Mann Leads Desperate Nine Hour
Fight to Change Measure, but the
Democrats Vote Down Over One
Hundred Amendments as Each
Proposed and Then Pass the Bill.
Despite genuine harrying h::bis-
ter tactics, used by the Republicans
in their last ditch" fight in the
House against the Democrats Tree
list" the lrstS?,tariff measure of thc
House majority. passed the House
Monday night. without single
change, by a vote Of 236 10 109.
the Democrats voting solidly and
mastering twenty-four Republicans
with them, says the Washington cor-
respondent of The News and Courier.
This came after the Democrats had
voted down or ruled ont Of order
more than 100 amendments, and nad
shown again that the Democratic ma
.ority was a compact and smoothly
working machine for The enactment
Of legislation.
The Republican fi-ht to amend the
bill began with an attempt to make
the free admission OF merchandise
apply only to imports from countries
that in turn admitted American pro-
ducts free. This was followed by
efforts to have incorporated in the
bill provision that would force 9TH
er countries to give up their discrin-
ination against American meat, live
cattle and -four and to include plo-
visions In the bill. All of the amend
!nents were thrown out by Chairman
Alexander and Chairman Hay, the
two presiding officers of the day, as
not permissible under the rules OF
the House.
The Republican leaders, including
EX-Speaker Cannon, Mr.. Mann and
Representative Payne, former Re-
publican leader, roundly denounced
the Democrats for denying freedom
of debate and amendment Mr..
Cannon declared that never in the
history of Congress- had the tight, of
representation on the floor been so
the Democrats would be discredited
before the country for their arbI-
trary exercise Of power.
The Democrats smiled through it
all and on the motion of Mr.. Under
wood, they continued to turn down
the Republican amendments. They
ruled out amendment covering free
rice, free sugar, free iron ore, free
drugs, glass and host of other
things. Time after lime MIR. Mann
appealed from the decisions OF The
Chair, overruling his amendments,
but in each case the Democratic ma
jority sustained the Chair.
After four or five hours Of at
tempts at amendment, the RepublI-
can fight took on the complexity Of
a flibuster Once when denied vote
by the chairman, Mr.. Mann intimat-
ed that the bill would not pass in a
hurry. Following that, the Republi-
cans repeatedly demanded rising
votes, but in the end Mr.. Mann made
no attempt to delay the final vote on
the bill.
In ALL the Republican leader offer
ed S3 amendments. After every
paragraph he renewed the attempt
to have clauses put in so that the
free rates would not apply 10 conn
tries charging duties against SINH
lar American goods. The Democrats
steadfastly refused to cut off de-
bate or lay themselves open to the
charge of having passed the bill un-
der u gag rule.
Republicans declared that tho
Democrats were giving away Amer
lean goods. Mr.. Hille. Of Connecti-
cut. insisted that the bin ought to
be 50 amended that it would put
lever under other nations that are
not dealing fairly with the United
States. To none of these changes,
however, would the Democrats ar-
cede.
Minority Leader Mann declared
that the Democrats had not put eth
or rire or rice -four on the free list,
simply because they were produces
I,of the South. Chairman UnderWood,
OF the ways and means committee
replied that the reason rice had not
been made free was because the
Democrats did not kno" how much
revenue il would cost the Govern
ment.
This does not complete our tar
B., if legislation" said Mr.. Underwood.
We introduced this bill TO give the
Elements. WciBCbilloDem
farmers cheaper agricultural impls-
ments. We would not go beyond
that without endangering the reVen-
ues. We intend 10 take up all tarln
rates and 10 adjust all Of them.