The French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1896-1912, 1911-05-11
UP TO THE SENATE NOW.


House Passes The Free List Bill By
A Vote OF 236 To 109. Republicans
Fight Hard.
Washington, May 8.-Nine hours of
continuous pounding at the hands Of
the Republican minority Of the House
of Representatives failed to make
single change in the first Democratic
tariff bill, that placing on the free
list agricultural implements, meats
and many other articles. The bill
passed the House tonight by a vote of
236 to 109. the Democrats voting sol
idly and mastering "a Republicans
with them.
This came out after the Democrats
more than one hundred amendments
and had demonstrated again that the
Democratic majority was a compact
and smoothly working machine for
the enactment of Legislation. Min
ority Leader Mann threw amendment
after amendment into the debate
ranging all the way from free rice to
free lead and pig iron; but those that
were not ruled out of order We're
cheer fully voted down by almost
solid DemQcratic 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 the
bill began with an attempt TO make
the free admission of merchandise ap-s
ply only to imports from countries
nat in turno admitted American pl
ducts free. This was followed by eff
forts to have incorporated in the bill
provisions that would force other
countries to give UP their discrlml-
nations against American meatsS live
cattle and -four; and to include pro-
visions aimed at countries that i'm.
pose restrictions on the export OF
potash and pulp wood.
All of these amendments we're
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
Speaker Cannon, Mr.. Mann and Rep
resentative Payne, former Republican
leader, roundly denounced the Demo-
Hcrats for denying freedom OF. debate
and Amendment. Mr. Cannon de-
cIared tnat never in the history of.
Congress had the right of representa-
ton on the floor of the House been.
SO limited; and Mr.. Payne asserted
that the Democrats would be dis
credited before the country for their
arbitrary exercise of majority power.
s The Democrats smiled through it
all: and on the motion of Mr.. Under
wood they continued to turn down the
Republican amendments covering
free rice, free sugar, free iron ore.
paints, drugs, glass and host of
other things. Time after time Mr..
Mann appealed from the decisions of
the chair over-ruling his amendments;
but in each case the Democratic ma
iority cheerfully sustained the chair.
After four or five hours of attempts
at amendment, the Republican fight
took on the complexion of a flibuster
Once when denied a vote by the Chair
man, Mr.. Mann intimated that the
bill would not pass in hurry. Fol-
lowing that the Republicans repeated
ly 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 offered
eigL Ay-three amendments. After
every paragraph, he renewed the
attempt to have a countervailing
clause put in so that the free rates
would not apply to countries charging
duties against similar American
goods.
The Democrats steadfast1y refused
to cut OF debate. or lay themselves
open to the charge of having passed
the bill under a gag rule.
Republicans declared j the Demo.
Gratis were giving away American
markets and getting nothing in return.
Mr. Hill of Connecticut insisted that
the bill ought to be so amended that
it would put lever under other na-l
tons that are not dealing fairly with
the United States. To none of these
changes however, would the Demo
Gratis accede.
Minority Leader Mann declared that
the Democrats had not put either rice
or rice -four on the free list, simply
because they were products of South
ern States. Chairman Underwood