Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-02-03
O'GORMAN AND MA MN
SOUND RINGING NOTE ON
d AN A M A CANAL ISSUE
By JOHN TEMPLE GRAVES.

WASHINGTON. Feb. S.-"Not until
another national convention and new
declaration is made will the Demo-
cratic party. in control of congress aft
er March 4. repeal the law opening the
! Panama canal free TO American coast
wise shipping.
4 am INDUCING in no predictions.
/ 1t seems to me, however. that Demo-
Gratis who favor repeal of the toll
free provision must wait for the solemn
| declaration of another Democratic con-
vention. The last convention adopted
unanimously a declaration in favor of
! free passage.
| That Is Democratic doctrine now,
! and I think it will stand for the next
| four years"
This is the answer flung back to Mr..
Adamson, of the house and to Mr.
| Root of the senate, by James A. O'Gor-
! man, Democratic senator from New
! York. 1t came in answer to Mr. Adam
! sons prediction that President Wilson
would recommend the repeal of the
! toll-free section, and certainly no one
! will doubt that Senator O'Gorman is
/ '~NNN4 ~ < pa ca " SlJtoh lOI w OOO4ON
/ Wilson than Mr.. Adamson.
Distinct Challenge to Wilson.
! The statement of Senator O'Gorman
! goes further and is a distinct challenge
! to President Wilson to stand by the
/ platform on which he was elected and
| which makes his party creed until an
other convention is assembled. The
| New York Democrat is standing like
stone wall in defense of the American
| idea and the party faith.
An utterance even more notable was
made in the house. James Mann, of
| Illinois, is Republican leader of the
| house of representatives and the ablest
all-round Republican in either house.
If there is ever another Republican
house in this decade Mann will be its.
speaker
The Republican leader has just de-
ltVered ringing American speech IN
the house. Read Mr.. Manns strong
and convincing statement and find. if
you can, any hope for a reversal in the
house of the majority vote for free
American tolls.
Mann Replies to Root.
Mr. Chairman, nearly every day
now we read of some article or
some speech attacking the provi-
sion in the Panama canal bill
which congress passed last sum-
mer in regard to the question of
tolls, and particularly that portion
OF the law which exempted coast
wise vessels from the payment of
tolls. 1t seems to me there is a
concerted effort being made by
somebody to discredit the action of
congress Whether that effort pro-
ceedS in part from the activity of
the transcontinental RAILWAYS.
whose rates are likely to be affect
ed seriously by the reduction of the
cost of carriage by water, | do not ,
undertake at this time to say. but
read the other day a published
statement attempting to discredit
the action of congress by the as
sumption that when that bill was
under consideration in the house
and in the senate there We're no
members present to speak of, and
those who were here were worn out
and too tired to think"
Calls 1t Misrepresentation.
The published statement" to which
Mr.. Mann referred was the speech by
Elihu Root in the senate Tuesday,
January u, and the language Mr..
Mann read was as follows
We must all realize as we look
back that when the provision was
adopted the members of both
houses We're much exhausted we
We're weary, physically and men
tally. Such discussion as there was
was to empty seats. In neither
house Of congress during the pc
Rod that this provision was under
discussion could there be found
more than a scant dozen or two of
members
RMS statement of alleged fact by the
New York senator, which in reality