Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1912-08-15
Oldest Member of House Fails to
Recall Like Action on Tar
if Measure.
MARGIN OF ONLY FIVE VOTES
Detection of 81 Republicans Made
Action Possible-Minority
Leaders Protest Speak
er's Ruling.

WASHINGTON, Aug. 13--By the narrow
margin of five votes. the House to-day
passed the wool tariff revision bill over
President Taft's veto. The vote OF ia
TO so was made possible only by the
detection of Il republicans who voted with
the democrats The announcement of
democratic success created wild scene
in the House and amid great confusion
the republican leaders protested that
Speaker Clark must count as voting 10
members who answered present to their
names, ruling which would have de-
feated the democratic program by over
coming the fve-vote margin and making
impossible the recording of the necessary
two-thirds vote Of the House. This the
speaker declined TO do.
Half an hour after the wool bill had
been passed In the House, the conferees
on the sugar tariff bill met and disagreed.
They determined to report to the House
and Senate that It had been found Inn
possible to reach a compromise between
the Underwood and Lodge Bristow bills.
This action Is expected to mark the end
Of sugar tariff consideration in the pres
ent session and the excise tax bill. which
was framed to make up revenues that
would have been lost by the reduction of
the sugar tariff. also probably will re-
main in conference when Congress ad-
1ourns
While democratic and progressive lead
ers Of the Senate do not believe the wool
bill can be passed in that body over the
Presidents veto, they will continue the
demand for action on the cotton tariff
measure.
VOTE CAME AS A SURPRISE.
The vote on the wool bill anne as a
surprise to the republican leaders of the
House. When they discovered that defec-
zion from their ranks was to be expected
1t was too late to prevent 1t. AS result
the following republican representatives
went over to the democratic camp and
With their votes made victory possible for
he majority: Akin. New York; Anderson
Davis, Lindbergh, Miller, Stevenson and
Stevens, Minnesota; Anthony. Rees and
Young, Kansas; Cooper and Morse. Wis
.onsin; Haugen and Woods, Iowa; Hedge
ION, North Dakota; Kent, California; LAT
,erty, Oregon; La Toilette and Warbur-
ton. Washington; Norris and Sloan. Ne
braska.
Not in the memory Of the Oldest
member Of the House has a tariff
measure ever DeeN paSSeu over TINS
Presidents veto by the lower branch
Of Congress-
When Speaker Clark announced
the vote and declared the bill agar
had been passed, the Presidents veto
10 the contrary Notwithstanding,
there was wild outburst Of applause
from the democratic side. When sem
blance of order was restored Repre-
sentative Gardner of Massachusetts
insisted that the constitution provided
that a two-thirds vote of the House
was necessary and that the 10 mem
bers voting present" should be count
ed, for they had recorded their pres
ence in the House. Representative Ohm
sted of Pennsylvania, one OF the
foremost parliamentarians in Con-
gress, supported the contention.
ONLY COUNTS YEAS AND NAYS.
Those 10 members who voted pres
emit ruled the speaker after a
lengthy explanation of presidents
"are recognized as being present only
to constitute a quorum. The constitu-
tion as Interpreted in the past certain.
ly provides that all decisions must
rest on yea and nay vote"
Representative Fitzgerald of New York
democrat supported Mr.. Olmstead and
MT. Gardner In their contentious while
Minority Leader Mann supported the
speakers position.
Shortly before the vote was taker
Minority Leader Mann appealed to hi,
followers to stand by the Republican
party and protective tariff principles
Mr. Underwood, who followed Mr. Mani
and closed tho debate, exhorted wayerin,
republicans to join with the democrats 1,
passing the bill over the veto Of the Presi
dent. who believed he could dam bacl
the demands Of the American people Will
veto messages"