The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1914-03-28
WILSON'S VICTORY
Continued From Page One.

Continued From Page One.
sentiment Of Europe aver been with III
about matters Of moment? When
will the time come when. we can x
pect to maintain and preserve our
rights. political and commercial, with
the acquiescent sympathy of European
governments"
MI. Underwood quoted the tolls ex"
emption plank from the Baltimore
platform, and continuing said:
There can be no contention as to
the meaning Of this language. No
one can raise the issue that the bill
now pending before the house, intro
duced by the gentleman from Ten
conflict with the declaration Of h
democratic platform. Personally I
believe that the party pledge should
be lived up to in good faith by those
who claim allegiance to party princi-
pies, but as there are many here who
differ with me in reference to the
binding effect Of a party platform I
will not at this time endeavor to dis
cuss the pending bill from that stand
point.
LET US resolve the issue into the
question as to whether the platform
Of the democratic party favoring ex-
emption Of tolls Of American ships n
gagged in coastwise trade passing
through the Panama canal is best for
country, or whether the gentleman
from Tennessee, in the bill now pend
ing before the house, repudiating the
declaration of the democratic party,
is proposing legislation that will be
most beneficial to our nation and our
people"
Representative Underwood quoted
figures to show that the cost of main
tenance of the canal and interest on
the governments investment could be
met easily without charging Amert-
can vessels tolls and by charging for
eign vessels a flair and reasonable"
toll. He compared the. tolls charged
by the British at the SueZ ana with
the proposed Panama tolls.
"The purpose Of congress-" said he,
sin providing in the act for the open
ing, maintenance, protection and OPP
Grafton Of the canal, that no tolls
shall be levied upon vessels engaged
in the coastwise trade Of the United
States" and providing further that 1t
should be left discretionary with the
president Of the United States to ex-
empt from tolls u ships engaged in
foreign trade, was an effort on the
part of congress to discriminate in
favor of American shipping n to re-
establish our merchant marine. This
has been a policy of the democratic.
party since the beginning OF the gov,
eminent. The democratic party has
never stood for direct subsidies, but
has always favored subventions and
determinations in favor Of our ship
ping.
at was through discriminating
tariff duties that our merchant marine
was developed in the first three de-
cades of our governments existence.
The democratic tariff law that is now
on the statute books carries In 1t a
discrimination amounting to a reduc-
ton of S per cent Of the duties on
goods imported in American ships.
'If we have built the canal for the
benefit Of an American merchant
marine and not for the practical ex-
elusive use of foreign shipping, we
must adopt a. policy of discrimination
lin favor of American ships, or we
must in the end pay indirect sub
sides to enable our ships to compete
with ships OF foreign nations. The
subsidies and determinations that
European governments have given to
their shipping interests have practical
ly driven American ships from the
iSeas.
for the reasons given I believe
that the democratic party was both
wise and patriotic when it announced
q policy in favor Of discriminating in
favor of coastwise ships going through
the Panama canal and that there is
i no reason at this time why we
should abandon a solemn promise
made to the American people in one of
the most prominent planks in our
party platform.
s'But we are told that we are yio-
lating a solemn treaty made with
another nation and in good faith thar
we should abandon the canal to foreign
rivals without consent or dispute, in
order that we may keep our standing
in the family Of nations.
"Not for one moment do I believe
THAT we have violated a treaty right
and not for n moment do + believe
THAT the English government seri-
ously contends that we have violated
4 treaty right. Our whole difficulty
in the matter arises from the un-
American spirit, of surrender that
! some of our own people have exhibit
ed toward this important question
from the very beginning.
eff the congress had unanimously
| pasaad the canal tolls bill two years