The Twin Falls times. [volume] (Twin Falls, Idaho) 1905-1916, 1914-04-03
REPEAL PASSES
LOWER HOUSE
final Vote 247 to 161 on Toll
Exemption
MOST SPECTACULAR STRUGGLE IN
YEARS SUPPORT PRES. PLEA.
Act to Make American Vessels Pay
Canal Tolls Now Goes to the Sem
ate.

tatlveS, after one of the most specta-
cular legislative struggles in the his
tory of the nation, voted Tuesday
night to repeal the provision of the
Panama canal act exempting Amer
lean vessels from the payment Of tolls.
The vote on the repeal was 247 to
161, a majority of So votes in support
OF the personal plea of President Will
SON.
This verdict on the issue, which has
absorbed congress for weeks, came at
the end of stirring day made memoir
able in the annals of the house by
party division which found Speaker
Champ Clark, Majority Leader Under
wood and other Democratic chieftans
lined up in open opposition to the
president which the latter had declar-
ed vital to the nations foreign policy.
Wednesday the bill goes to the SEN
ate, where the fight will be renewed
with all of the vigor and determin-
alton that attended it in the lower
house.
On the final vote the Democrats in
the house stood by the president
giving him in "ungrudging measure"
what he has asked, "for the honor
of the nation" in its foreign rela-
t1ons. Twenty-Five Republicans and
two Progressives also voted to sus-
tain the president. Fifty-two Demo-
Gratis followed Speaker Clark and
Leader Underwood to defeat in their
steadfast determination that the pres
ident was wrong in his decision that
toll exemption for American ships is
a, violation of the Hay -Pauncefote
treaty with Great Britain.
Nothing. 1t seemed, could stem the,
tide of administration success. Speak
er Clark, for nearly % years member
OF the house, made the speech of his
life to forestall what he termed "un-
questionable degradation" Of the ma
tion. In this he failed, but he did
smooth over the party breach with
kindly words for his adversaries,
praise for President Wilson and an
unqualified denial OF any vaulting on
his own behalf
When Speaker Clark had closed the
debate for the opposition to the re-
peal with an impassioned argument
he was triumphant in defeat, for the
entire legislative assemblage, in which
were many senators, rose to cheer
him.
President Wilson was at dinner
Wnen the result OF the vote was an
nounced He was gratified but made
no comment
In the q fate the bill will be re-
ferred to the committee on inter-
oceanic canals, Of which Senator
O'Gorman OF New York, a vigorous
opponent Of the measure, is chairman
Senator O'Gorman has said he would
call meeting OF the committee at
once to consider the bill.
That there will be fight In that
committee Is certain. How long it
will be there cannot be predicted, but
administrator senator's propose that
a vote sh4ll be taken by the COM
mittee within reasonable time. Sen
ator Owen u leading the fight for the
president there.
The committee will have many pro-
posals before 1t, several OF them in
the nature Of compromises. some OF
them resembling a motion OF the
house minority Tuesday to recommit
the repeal bill and to repeal the ex-
emptfOn clause with q declaration that
the United States should have COM
plete sovereignit4 over the canal. This
motion In the house was defeated by
q vote Of z82 l76. It will be the
aim Of administration senators to have
the reDea1 reach It's final vote within
two or three weeks.