The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-04-01
AFTER SPECTACULAR STRUGGLE THE HOUSE
 VOTES TO REPEAL THE
 FREE TOLLS CLUASE
tContinued from Page One)

dull moment. Repeatedly he was cheered ahd the echoes of the plaudits rang through the reverberating halls of the 1 capitol in frequent waves.
 The speaker talked calmly when he re- ferred to the Baltimore convention and recalled how he had led in the presi- dental nomination for % ballots and when he told his colleagues he was mind full of the fact that his course in this crisis might mean the end of his public career, there was no evidence of regret or of alarm in his voice demeanor. There were many things worse he said than being defeated for Congress or for the speakership. When he declared he was not candidate for the presidency
 and could be happy without it, he inter- rupted himself with chuckle that brought more applause.
 The speaker said he had no harsh word
 to speak of any of his colleagues who
 had criticized him. but he referred to some of them--Representative Henry of Texas, who led the fight for the cloture rule on the repeal bill; Representative Sherley and Representative Harwick who had aided in that fight. The House was
 moved to uproarous laughter when the speaker said, referring to MT Hardwick: So lar as the gentleman from Georgia | is concerned, l say 'Shoo, fly don't both | CT me. Shoo, fly. don't bother me | It was several moments after this hu- | murous disposition of the case of his party | adVersarfes before the speaker could re- ! sume because the entire House sat back
 and roared, then roared again with
 laughter. Even MT Hardwick laughed. | and those who had come expecting to listen to political datribe remained to
 laugh and cheer with the others. "There is glory enough for all" con
 tinued the speaker, referring to his demo- cratic colleagues, "and with such men I | will not quarrel"
 The House listened attentiveIy to the speakers argument against the tolls re- | peal, his assertion that he believed the l President was mistaken, his argument | that the Canadian Pacific railroad and
 the Tehuantepec National railway would
 most profit by the toll exemption and his eloquent appeal against yielding any | thing to Great Britain.
 | We built the Panama canal" the | speaker shouted in the climax of his | speech We built it on American soil.
 We have fortified it; we will control it. We built it primarily and almost cn- i tlrely for our benefit and secondarily for | the worlds benefit. I would rather see l the canal walled up than give Great | Britain control of it. I would rather see
 the canal filled up with granite boulders | than to yield one iota of control over ,t
 to any foreign nation"
 Chamber Rings With Applause | This was the signal for the opponents | Of tolls repeal to open up their strong est batteries of applause, and the cham | per Tor several moments rang with 5he l 0ln or cheers and shouts
 I Holding the interest to the end the | speaker remained a commanding fig | ure, interrupted by applause as he pro- | ceeded
 Almost prayerflaly he concluded, low efins his heavy voice to say Now may | the God of our fathers who nerved B. OOO,0oO backwoods Americans to fling their gage of battle into the face of the mightiest monarch in the world, who guided the hand of Jefferson in writing the charter of liberty. who sustained Washington and his ragged and starving
 army amid the awful horrors of Valley Forge and who gave them complete vic tory on the bloodstained heights of York | town; may He lead members to vote so as to prevent this stupendous folly this unquestionable degradation of the American republic"
 Speaker Ccark had finished He had defended his position: praised the Pres ident, whom he opposed: expressed ad- | miration of his colleagues with whom he differed on this question; chided those who had assailed him and sugar coated instead of tarring the situation. As he
 walked from his place, the House arose
 en masse, democrats. republicans, pro-
 gressives, alike, and cheered him. When order could be restored Repre- sentative Adamson took the floor to
 close the long debate.
 Bad Economic Policy" Representative Adamson devoted him. self largely to a denunciation of toll ex-
 emption as an economic policy char acterizing it as mock subsidy to special 1 Interests which have lobbied steadily be-
 fore the interstate and foreign commerce committee of the House for seven years" Throughout his speech the House was in great disorder and Representative Un-
 derwood in the chair was forced to in-
 terrupt the speaker several times to quiet
 the tumult. Later Speaker Clark re-
 sumed the chair and strenuously sought
 for quiet. but although Representativ,
 Adamson spoke for about half an hour
 the House was in such disorder that lit-
 tie of his speech was heard
 When he concluded Representative
 Adamson immediately called for vote.
 hush swept the crowded floor and the
 packed galleries as Speaker Clark an-
 nounced a vote on third reading and en-
 grossment of the bill"
 Republican Leader Mann demanded a
 rou call and the first record vote on th,,
 oiil was forced on a preliminary Iegisla-
 tive stage The administration strength
 made its appearance however, and thu
 plll was advanced tfr ough the third
 reading by vote of PAT to 161
 x round of cheers and applause greeted
 the announcement of this vote and
 scarcely had 1t subsided when Represen
 tative OShaugnessey of Rhode Island se
 cured recognition and presented the mo-
 f.ta% %1 Ax.~- IA