The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1914-04-01
WEDNESDAY, APRIL !, 1914.
A VICTORY.

After Champ Clark, one Of the most
spowerful orators and popular leaders
democracy ever had, had appealed to
his followers in q speech which has
Fseldom been equaled in the halls Of
congress for impassioned oratory,
democracy chsered him to the echo,
land th9n voted against him and in IA
kNor of the president. on the tolls ex-
bsmption bill.
With every leader in ongress ar
Rrayed against him, including those Of
This own party, Wilson has proved that
mis- dominance of the party in congress
Us absolute and unshakable. It was a
remarkable Wilsonian victory.
AS {, result OF this open break be-
tween the president and the leaders of
Ehts party, gtalwart republican papers
bare gleefully announcing the long
hoped for SSIsgRption of democracy.
However. they Will probably find that
democracy can still present a fairly
ER1nited front. Clark's speech was some
thing or an apology for differing with
Ethe president, Inc it Is probable that
latter his decisive setback for the par
tEy leaders, they will be glad to scram-
Idle into line.
The tolls exemption bill, while IL IL
pnow safely. through the house, is not
yet assured Of final victory. 1t has
still 20 run the gaunrer Of the senate,
In the upper house there will be no
"'cloture'' rule limiting debate, and
there will be a bitter fight there be-
fore the fate of the measure is finally
decided.
The Forum believes that the honor
of the nation is at stake in the pas
sage Of this repeal Of the tolls exemp-
sion clause. The Minnea polls Tribune,
discussing the matter, sets it forth
kery plainly as follows:
The Hay-Pauncefote treaty was
a repeal Of the Clayton Bulwer
treaty.
We had grown richer. We were
able to build and W a canal. We
were hampered by the earlier
agreement. We therefore wrote a
new agreement with Great Britain
by which the control Of the trans
1sthmtan canal was to be placed in
u hands without impairing the
general principle of naturalization
established by Article VIII OF that
convention.
Our language was again explicit.
1t read:
PARTICLE III.
""The United states adopts, az
the basis Of the naturalization Of
such ship canal, the following
rules, substantially as embodied in
the convention OF Constantinople,
signed the 2Sth October, 1888.
for the free navigation of the Suez
canal, that is to say:
i. The n shall be free and
open to the vessels Of
n Of war of all nations observ-
ing these rules, IN terms Of entire
equality, SO that there shall be no
, discrimination against such ma
ton, or its citizens or subjects, in
respect Of the conditions or charg-
es or traffic, or otherwise. Such
\ conditions and charges of trafic
shall be just and equitable"
NO later provision modifies this
declaration as to rights of peace.
1n II 10 later stipulated that
Certain underlined rights Of O
Hrol are TO be allowed to the Unit
ed States in time of war, the exact
nature and extent Of which rights
'.dH not specified; but there Is no
requirement that the canal shall
be kept open and free In time OF
war as in time OF peace, nor is
l Shere any prohibition against the
S~t6~N va ~ tS4&SnLAoIS OH I
saanding the canal or it's adjacent
waters.
t." Here tS an obligation which no
man would seek to
avoid In his private affairs. We
have unequtvocally bound our
selves
That there shall be no discrim-
anatton against any other nation.
or its citizens or subjects, in re-
spect Of the conditions or charges
of traff1c n otherwise.
In defiance Of this our
congress a by law exempted
American owned vessels engaged
Tnsnt of any tolls. The reasoning
In support Of this exemption rang
80 from the citation of p~recedents
to cheap attack on the ~personality
of MFR. Carnegie. About all that is
worth considering was said by
President Taft-and 1t was prob
ably the weakest thing he ever
Said-~in his message of Dec. 21.
1911: @..s
"But whan we are dealing with
our own ships, the practice OF go
many governments in substituting
their own merchant vessels is so
well established in general that a,
SUBSIDY u to the tolls. or an
equivalent remission Of the tolls
a nc be held to be a d~iscrirnin-
alton In the use of the canal"
The answer is clear. II we desire
to subsidize certain American yes
9els let us do Scout in the open.
@y an appropriation from our
~&Eeasury, without subterfuge. R,1t
as a marion we cannot permit our
selves to do SO in the form of q,
violation OF our word unfnistaS-
ably expressed and solemnIy
given. 10y