The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1914-03-04
WILL FIGHT
PRESIDENT
Democratic House Leader An
nounces His Opposition
to MIR. Wilson
MERCHANT MARINE
is PARAMOUNT

And for That Reason Congressman from
Alabama Will Work Strenuously to
Secure Free Tolls for Coastwise Ships
Through Canal.
MEM YORK. March I-Representa-
tive Oscar w Underwood, Democratic
floor leader of the House, will lead a
fight against the repeal of the free
tolls clause in the Panama canal act
For a month friends of President /
Wilson have entertained the hope that
the Alabama representative would en-
gage III no aggressive movement against
the repeal. They have expected him
to vote against the administration, but
they believed he would content him
self with that.
The party leader feels, however,
that he owes il to his own convictions
and TO his associates who stood with
him in the original fight TO exert all
his influence in behalf of the mer
chant marine.
Will Appeal to House
To this end Underwood viii appeal
to the House, when the times comes,
to stand by the exemption clause. He
Will organize the opposition and will
surround himself with all those who
think it unwise and impolitic for this
government to reverse itself on this
issue
Just what effect this announcement
will have on the campaign for repeal
remains of course. to be seen. The
| President 5 friends still believe they
can win.
They believe that enough Democrats
| will follow AR Wilson and Will sec
| the force Of his argument TO carry the
repeal resolution.
+ in his statement to The Press cor
espondent, Underwood said:
| = am opposed to the repeal of the
| clause. am opposed to it because L
| regard the rehabilitation of the Amer
lean merchant marine at more conse
queuce than ! do any technical ohjcc-
tions which might be raised under the
Hay Pnuncefote treaty.
More than that, Shall actively on
pose this repeal when the question
comes up in the House. / have never
pledged myself to any inactive atti-
tude in this situation Ny convictions
have been well known to the Pre>i-
dent | have not misled him for u
minute concerning them.
i shall address the House on this
question. / shall not sit quietly by
and eonfine myself 10 a negative vote
when the times comes. My ideas on
this subject are fixed, II is the course
, which | shall follow.
Says This Is Our Canal
:. Naturally. | dislike to take i pc
stion in opposition TO the President
All good Democrats wouid regard il
t the same way. but | think the Amer
, can ships are entitled TO TINS county
at our hands. | think the government
!. has every right to regulate commerce
between the states. and | think ~
/ honest Interpretation Of the Hay
Q pauncefote treaty viii NindIcute tina
view of the ease.
! ''There is no more reason VIII,
American ships using the Panama ca
nal should be taxed than that Ameri
can ships using the Sanlt Ste Mari
canal should be taxed. This is our "a
< nal. American money paid for II
t American brains built it. American en-
< terprise is responsible for its success,
/ Therefore. American ships should h
r given the free use Of il when that Us
It is not 4 violation of our obligation no
. n. discrimination against the commerce
Il of an uufriendlv nation.
5 Announcing his support Of Presiden
l. Wilson : policy TO repeal the free to-
clause Senator Thornton demo o
= Louisiana, in i statement YESTERDAY
said the President had informed hil
e that ''in his judgment the repeal Q
e the exemption clause is necessary 70
ii the continuance of our present friendl
it relations with foreign powers and til
ii success of our foreign policies.
-e Thornton is u member of the Intel
" oceanic Canals committee. which urge
er toll exemption, and he is one of I'll
lie several Democratic members of tha
,e committee who have told the Presider
/. that they would reverse their position
He said Yesterday that ha formerl
- favored exemption, " believing that tn
United States had the legal aud NOR;
h. right under the Hay aunccfot
is treaty to enact such legislation >