The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1914-02-14
TO DISCUSS Canal. TOLLS.
SENATE WILL HOLD CAUCUS ON
PROBLEM.
Wilson's Desire To Set Things Right
Again Will be Taken up by Demo-
Gratis OF Upper House as u Body.
Stone Calls for Soft Tread and
Sharp Strokes.

Washington, Feb. 9.-Repeal Of the
provision of the Panama canal act
exempting American coastwise ships
from tolls, favored by President Will
son. Is To be made a subject of con-
sideration and action by a Democratic
caucus of the senate. That this would
be wise and necessary course in the
interest Of party harmony and the
nations foreign policy is the conc.u-
sion OF administration senators who
nave discussed the subject with the
president within the last few days.
How soon the caucus will be called
has not been determined, but several
senators today frankly asserted that
the Democrats would get together 10
discuss the situation as presented by
the president, and go over the whole
controversy.
The fact that the Democratic party
Endorsed the tolls exemption policy
at the Baltimore convention, these
senators and President Wilson hold
should not be subject OF open con-
troversy at this time, because condi-
tions involved in the tolls question
have changed since that time.
President Wilson has made it clear
to senate and house leaders that he
Is not attempting to force congress
to reverse itself. He has outlined tC
them rhe country's situation with re-
spect to foreign relations, and his be-
lief that a reversal Of the policy on
the tolls question would be the best
thing. He Is seeking to convince con-
gress thnt this is so. but party leaders
who have talked with him declare
that he Is not attempting 1t in any
spirit of antagonism, but in a spirit
OF cooperation for the general well
fare.
One senator said today that there
is general understanding in con
gress that the shaping Of the country's
foreign policy should be directed by
the president and that congress must
give ear to him whenever legislation
affects ghat policy. For this reason,
the feeling Is that the tolls question
should be discussed in a party cau-
Gus.
AS forerunner of this step, Sena-
tor Stone OF Missouri, who is confined
TO his home by illness. addressed
some poignant comment on The
controversy in letter TO Senator
Kern as chairman Of the Democrats,
senate caucus.
Referring TO the discussion of the
question with reference to the tolls
plank OF the platform as Joker"
Senator stone called such a sugges-
tion utterly puerile," though admit
ting that only small percentage Of
the members of the convention had
more than an imperfect knowledge
of the subject"
1t does not seem to me-" the Mis-
souri, senator continued, that there
Is the least occasion for starting a
'rumpus' about this platform declara-
ton.
THE declaration is in the platform
as the deliberate act Of the national
convention. That proposition might
as we'll be taken as settled, and there
fore it is not Joker The trouble
is that the time has come when
many good men and good Democrats
think that the policy outlined i'm the
platform was q mistake and that the
nation can not in honor or good faith
adhere to it. Manifestly the honor
and good faith OF the American peo-
pie are of greater consequence than
q. mere logged adherence to a dec
laration in party platform on a
question Of purely public policy. If
those who drafted the platform or
those who adopted it should be con-
vinced that the nation can not honor
ably and in good faith carry out the
policy proclaimed i'm the platform,
then those so believing could not well
do otherwise than to give frank
declaration OF their purpose to follow
n contrary course"