The searchlight. [volume] (Culbertson, Mont.) 1902-current, 1912-08-23
WOULD HAVE SUPREME COURT
ASCERTAIN n BILL CONFORMS
TREATY.
OVER THE COFFEE CUPS
President and His Cabinet Confer an
Hour on the Question and Pres
ident Still Holds to
Plan.


White House coffee cups. President
Taft and his cabinet discussed the
Panama canal bill and the question
of a possible president veto of the
measure. Every member OF Mr.. Taft's
official family, who was in town, was
present and the discussion lasted an
hour after luncheon time, but no de-
cision was reached.
The presidents inclination. II was
said last night. ia to approve the bill.
but he Ia anxious to have provision
made for . legal test of the matter Of
free tolls for American ships. The
cabinet was unable to agree with him
that there 10 basis for believing the
bill with the free tolls clause in It, IL
not In conformity with the Hay.
Paunceforte treaty.
When the conference was over the
president was still of the opinion that
the best way to test the bills agree
ment with that treaty was to have the
United States supreme court pass upol
1t. He will confer with senate and
house leaders In the next few days
and will devote most Of his own time
to bordering over this one bill
Most Of the Republican leaders In
both houses and probably some Of the
leading Democrats will be called int
consultation and the bill will be run
over with care.
The president was told yesterday
that 1t Is probably too late to mend
the bill and that any action he may
take must be In the form Of a veto
unless he can get Republican and Dem
ocratic leaders to agree on Joint res
olution to be passed later that would
show that the United States had no
intention in passing this measure, Of
abrogating the existing treaty with
Great Britain. Such a resolution
would permit foreign steamship COM
panies to test In the United States
courts the acts validity under the
Hay-Pauncefote treaty.
by next Saturday--possibly
This was the prediction OF House
Majority Leader Underwood upon the
adjournment Of congress.
Washington, ID. C.-House Demo
cratic leaders failed In their third
successive effort to overrule the presi.
dent when they sought to pass the
legislative. executive and judicial bill
over Mr.. Taft's veto, which was re-
turned to them. The 1853 to lot was
20 short Of the requisite two.thirds
Of those voting. AS result, the bill
will be taken In hand again. shorn
OF the provision to which the presi-
dent objected, that fixing a seven.year
tenure for government employees un.
der civil service. and sent on its way
again.
The other feature to which the
president objected. the abolition of
the commerce court. will be left in
the measure. but the temper OF the
senate on this program is yet to be
ascertained. 1t Is acknowledged at
both ends Of the capitol that there 10
strong sentiment against the con.
tinuance Of the court. and objection
BY the senate for this reason is not
expected.
So strong is the sentiment against
the tribunal that leaders of both the
senate and house believe IL the presi.
dent vetoes the bill az changed. II
can be passed over his objection. In
the vote In the house there were
many peculiar changes of front on the
part Of the Democrats and insurgent
Republicans. the latter's votes having
been the deciding factors in passing
the wool and steel tariff revision bills
over the presidents veto. Eighteen
Democrats deserted their party on the
roll call. while IS insurgent Republi
cans voted with the majority. The
Democrats were:
Tho Vote.
ALLEN. Sharp and Whitacre. Ohio:
Brantley. Georgia.; Curley. Murray
Peters and Thayer. Massachusetts,:
Donohue. Pennsylvania; Hammil
Kinkaid. Mccoy. New Jersey; Levy
Sulzer, Talcott, New York; Lobeck
Nebraska; O'Shaughnessy. Rhode Is
land: Riley. Connecticut.
Republicans who remained with the
Democrats on the vote and who have
voted with them throughout on the
veto roll calls were:
Anderson. Lindbergh. Davis. Mime
sofa; Good. Green. Haugen. Pickett
Kendall. Iowa: French. Idaho: Jack
son. Young. Kansas: La Toilette
Warrington: Morse. Wisconsin.
Representative johnson. a member
Of the appropriations committee. led
the night to pass the bill over the veto
He laid stress on the necessity fol
! engrafting the 7-year tenure reform