The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1914-03-31
Speaker Denies He Is Candi-
date for President and
Wants to Disrupt Demo
cratic Party.
KNOWLAND ATTACKS
PRESIDENTS PLAN
Crowds Pack Galleries to
Hear Closing Argument
Majority Vote Expected to
Be Convincing.

WASHINGTON, March 31.-Defend-
ing the economic policy of free tolls
and fighting court decisions of its
legality, Champ Clark, speaker of the
house of representatives, challenged
the policy Of President Wilson in ad-
vocating the repeal of the Panama ca
nal act which permits American coat
wise vessels to pass free through the
canal.
The speaker declared that this pol
icy was reputation of solemn plat
form declarations and demanded that
the Democrats hold true to the faith
proclaimed by their national conven-
ton.
He declared that he is not a candi-
date for the Democratic presidential
nomination in 1916, for if President
Wilson'S administration amounts to a
failure "the nomination will not be
worth having" and he denied that he
will of the president because of his
own failure to secure the nomination
at Baltimore.
Denounces Press.
Speaker Clark was particularly en-
phatic in his declaration that neither
he nor the president desired a breach
in the party and in his criticism of the
"jackal press, some Of which repre-
sented that we are seeking to disrupt
the Democratic party"
The Panama tolls repeal means the
practical abandonment of the Monroe
doctrine" he said, which we forced
into the international code and which
the American people will maintain at
all hazards. That is the only PROPOSE
-tion the American people ever agreed
upon and the reason they agreed upon
that. was because it was a genuine
American pronouncement
Defends His Position.
The president is too big a man not
to desire that this great question
should be fought out on its merits.
free from personality. which can do
no good and may do much harm. With
most of those who have asserted that
l am seeking to disrupt the party the
wish is father to the thought
The speaker then quoted excerpts
from articles in the New York World
declaring him to be involved in plan
to defeat the president and disrupt
the party.
in another World article" he con-
tinued. chose of us who stand for
American rights as against British
domination, are assailed for boiling
the PRESIDENT Merciful God What
an idiotic phrase. I have heard of
men boiling platforms and of boiling
nominees. but whoever heard before
of anybody bolting a man in office?
We are denounced by the piutocratic
World as boilers because we stand by
the platform, which is purely an
astounding way to bolt"
The heaviest artillery of the house
was wheeled into position for the final
struggle on the repeal measure which
has precipitated one of the most Wig
orous legislative battles ever waged in
Congress.
Discuss Majority Vote.
The main question was whether the
majority for repeal would be less or
greater than the vote by which the
rule limiting debate was carried Gain
or loss by either faction in the house.
it was declared would affect the result
in the senate
Speaker Clark was assigned to make
the final assault on the repeal and the
closing hour of the debate was set
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