The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1914-03-31
competed, precluded me from dis

charging my DUTY OF eAeICieluS My
rights as q representative In congress
and as speaker of the house, to stand
up for America against Great Britain
Whatever may be the difference OF
opinion respecting the merits OF the
case, I do President Wilson honor for
his act If were in his place and be-
lieyed as he does, l should do as he
has done. Moreover l have such conf
dence in the president that have not
the slightest doubt that If he were In
my place and believed what believe,
he would do as / am doing. But l do
not and cannot endorse his judgment
in this matter. / think he wholly
in the wrong, at least so far as the
treaty bears upon our own domestic
situation and consequently offers no
just cause for the breaking of a well
considered party pledge.
"If we have entered into any en-
gagement which forbids US to man.
age our own AFFAIRS, then we must
abide by its terms, however unneces-
sary and foolish that engagement
may have been. Here, opinion
honest opinions-differ. Neither leg
ally in a broad sense nor technically
in narrow application, does this
treaty forbid us to regulate our
transportation OF our own goods in
our own ships in our own canal be-
tween or own ports"
Republican Leader Mann this af-
ternoon predicted possible war for the
United States. On this he based his
appeal against abandoning free tolls.
He said it would mean embarrassment
with England in the future.
He contended England has no eli
cense" to object to what America
does with the canal SO long as she
charges English vessels reasonable
tolls.
IF we construe the treaty according
to the English claims he said, 1T is
sure to rise and embarrdss US when
ever we have war with other countries
War is not desirable, but it is inevi-
table We cannot always maintain
peace.
IF we agree now to the English con-
struction, it is certain that In the fu-
ture when we have a war with Japan,
or China, or some other country, ques-
lions will arise In reference to their
use and our use Of the canal, especially
as to war vessels In that time OF
stress, We will be met with the con-
tention by England. the present ally
Of Japan, or by some other country,
which will embarrass, if not defeat US
in war.
Il want to treat England fairly but
I believe we have the right to do as we
please in this matter and that 1t Is an
unfriendly act of England now at this
late date to insist upon any other con-
Istruction of the treaty.
"Of course we cannot .lonorably
break a binding contract with Eng
land, nor do we desire to do SO, Dat
honor does not require us to accept
false construction of a treaty because
it is against our interest and in the In
terest of England
cowardIy Surrender.
To-day we are paying the price OF
scholarly obstinancy OF text book
stat asmanship Of sublime self-assur>
ance, OF chautaqua methods and grape
juice diplomacy Representative
Humphrey, republican, of Washing
ton. commented today in a red hot
attack on the Panama canal toi:s
repeal bill.
He termed the proposal to abandon
free tolls "cowardly surrender to
the dictates Of an executive" and
scornfully told the democrats their
attitude was deserving of more con-
tsmpt than the English language can
express.
Then he laid the blame for the bill
on the egotistical laundering and
policy of the democratic administra-
ton.
I'VE have lived to sea the imposing
spectacle of president not asking,
but duplicating, congress to repudi'
ate directly a platform plank he es-
pecially approved the Washington
n