The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1911-02-03
SHERMAN
BREAKS TIE
And Saves the Ship Subsidy
Measure
OF SENATOR GALLlNGER
yiee-president Also Breaks Ice on Motion
to Adjourn That Had Bearing on
Resolution for Direct Election
Of Senators.
OF SENATOR GALLINGER

Washington, Feb. 3.--Eor the hrst
time in the history Of the government
the vice president of the United States
yesterday exercised his constitutional
prerogatiye OF casting vote to break
ties in connection with three success.
sivc roll calls in the Senate
Bv the first Of these votes he saved
from impending defeat the ocean mail
or ship subsidy bill, and by the third
forced an adjournment of the Senate
on vote having direct bearing on the
resolution looking to the election OF
senators by direct vote of the people,
The vote on the passage OF the sub
sidy bill, both IN committee OF the
whole and in the Senate proper, stood
80 ayes and 80 noes, and on adjourn
ment, 81 ayes to 81 noes. On all three
occasions the vice president voted in
the affirmative.
Another notable occurrence in CON
nection with the vote on the subsidy
bill was the absence OF the new Demo
cratic senator from West Virginia, Clar-
ence Wayland Watson, who had just
taken his seat as successor TO Senator
Elkins. Mr. Watson voted on only one
roll call. that an affirmative on an
amendment offered by Mr.. Shiyerely of
Indiana, regulating the aggregate eX-
penditures which may be made under
the terms of the bill which indicated
his opposition to the measure.
Then he disappeared, and when next
ballot was taken Mr., Scott, his Repub-
lican colleague, announced Mr.. Wat
sons absence, saying he was away ION
important business"
After the final result became known
the opponents of the bill, including all
of the Democrats, realized that Mr.. Wat
sons absence had prevented the defeat
of the bill. He was the only Democrat
present during any of the roll calls
whose vote was not cast against the
measure.
The final vote on the bill came after
three hours Of determined conflict over
amendments. Apparently there was no
general appreciation of the sharp divis-
ion which afterward developed, and as
the body of the Senate was unprepared
for the votes.
When the subsidy bill was laid be-
fore the Senate at O'Clock Senator
Gallinger presented a substitute for the
entire original measure, which granted
bounty only to American built ves-
sells plying from American ports TO the
southern half of South America. The
substitute extended the subsidy to the
Philippines, Japan, China and Aus
tralia.
Senator Simmons delivered a set
speech directed against subsidies in gen
eral, and in especial opposition to the
Gallinger bill.
Senator Shiveley followed with a fight
by means both Of amendment and argu
ment. He presented a provision nclud
ing the land expense incurred in connec-
tion with ocean going mail in the total
expenditure on that account as a basis
for computing the surplus of ocean mail
earnings over expenses, which, it is pro-
vded in the bill, shall not be exceeded
by the total bounty.
The amendment was lost 35 to 40.
Mr. Stones amendment to extend the
provisions Of the bill to all American
owned vessels was lost 81 to 80 and
amendments by Senators Newlands of
Nevada and Jones of Washington, the
former providing for an auxiliary navy
of 80 vessels, and the latter combining
the proposed bounty to ships to be built
hereafter, also We're rejected
Before the final ballot on the bill
was reached. there were two mild SEN
sations. One caused by Senator Owen
of Oklahoma and the other by Senator
Gallinger, author Of and sponsor for the
bill
Asserting that the unanimous con
sent agreement under which the SEN
ate was proceeding had been obtained
when only 10 or 10 senators were present
and therefore should not be recognized,
the Oklahoma senator passed speedily
to a general declaration against the
conduct of any business by the present
Congress He gave as his reason for
this position that men at present in
public life had been repudiated at the
polls last November
@'fhe only proper and becoming course
which this Senate and this Congress
could pursue under The circumstances
he said, is to adjourn sine die on the
broad ground that they no longer have
the moral or ethical right TO exercise
the legislative powers Of the people Of
tho United States"
When Senator William Alden Smith
r. Michigan announced his intention TO
or Il his vote in opposition 20 the bill,
and nj the same time stated that he be-
heved in discriminating duties in favor
Df American vessels, Mr. Gallinger re-
Piled sharply a cannot understand"
he said, how any senator can square
his conscience SO as to favor discriminat-
ing duties as against direct aid when
one policy takes the money from the
treasury before it is paid in, and the
other afterward; ] do not see the diff
ference in principle
As passed the bill authorizes the