The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1914-04-01
Wins FIRST TEST
WILSON SCORES VICTORY In Ca
nal TOLLS REPEAL FIGHT
House Limits DEBATE

nUU0L LSMif1 DLDAsL
Adopts Rule for Only Twenty Hours
Debate and No Amendments to be
Allowed - Underwood, Clark,
Kitchin, Fitzgerald, Among Demo-
Gratis Opposink President.
President Wilson Friday won the
opening skirmish of the greatest leg
islative battle of his administration
with the House over bitter protest
from Democratic leaders and almost
solid minority opposition when the
House adopted a special rule for the
consideration Of the bill repeating the
free tolls provisions of the Panama
canal act. Speaker Clark, Demo
cratic Leader Underwood, Republican
Leader Mann and Progressive Leader
Murdoch headed those lined up
against the administration, but the
House responded to the presidents
personal plea for prompt considera-
ton Of the repeal bill as means Of
supporting his administrations for
eign policy.
Two votes demonstrated the presi-
dents commanding influence with his
party in congress. On the first test,
motion to end debate and preclude
amendment on the rule carried by a
vote Of 207 to 176. The rule itself
was adopted 200 to 172.
Nothing to compare with the scene
Friday had occurred in the House
since the famous Cannon rules fight
four years ago. In vain Representa-
tive Underwood took the floor and
urged his colleagues to vote against
the rule. The rank and file Of DEM
ocrats, after listening to three hours
Of passionate argument, swung into
the presidents column, 1e5, of them
voting to prevent the amendment Of
the special rule, while 55 followed
the leaders in Joining with the minor
ity in opposition.
Friday night administration sup
porters considered the crucial point
passed, and jubilantly predicted the
passage Of the repeal bill itself Tues
day or Wednesday by a majority Of
more than 100. Several of the 20
hours allotted under the rule for de-
bate had been consumed when the
House adjourned, and with the
speechmaking continued without in
terruption it was thought the final
vote could be reached late Tuesday.
The roll call was taken in silence,
the crowded floor and galleries tense
with excitement, after an hour Of de-
bate. Throughout the day the cham
ber had been crowded and the gal
leries filed to overfowing. The an
nouncement of Speaker Clark. against
the rule caused high feeling and
every influence available was brought
to bear on doubtful ones. AS a re-
suit when the struggle began both
sides were keyed up to a high pitch.
With Representative Underwood,
Speaker Clark and Representative
Fitzgerald, on the minority side, the
Democratic majority, for the time
recognized as leaders Representative
Henry, chairman of the rules COM
mittee; Representative Adamson,
chairman of the interstate and for
eign commerce committee; Represen-
tative Palmer Of Pennsylvania, Rep
resentative Hardwick of Georgia,
Representative Sherley of Kentucky
and other prominent figures support
ing the presidents position.
Only eight Republicans Joined
), with the majority in support of the
administration program, but leaders
on both sides Friday night conceded
that many Republicans who voted
against the preliminary administra-
ton plans eventually would vote for
the repeal. The solid Progressive
delegation of the House, led by Rep
resentative Murdock of Kansas, was
aligned against the majority.
President Wilson's triumph was
considered most notable by the rank
and file of all parties because of the
unusual alignment of forces within
the Democratic ranks. Two men who
had sought with him the presidential
nomination at the hands of the party
one the speaker OF the House, the
other the floor leader Of the dominant
party-were opening and actively ar
rayed against him.
Speaker Clark, though he did not
take the floor, had issued his eleventh
hour attack upon the plan to limit
debate, and announced that he would
speak against the repeal bill Tuesday.
Representative Underwood, who has
been in the open against the presi-
dent on the issue, pleaded urgently
against the rule, and later delivered
an attack on President Wilson's pol
icy, denouncing the repeal of the toll
exemption as an economic mistake
and declaring the president to be
wrong in his conclusion that exemp-
ton is in violation Of the Hay
Pauncefote treaty.
Other Democratic chieftains.
among them Representatives kitch-
in of North Carolina, broke with the
president. Yet in the face of this
opposition from men who heretofore
had but to raise their voices to have
the Democrats of the House follow
them, the president won within the
party membership by nearly 4 to /.
Democrats who voted against the pre-
vious question on the rule and thus
against the administration were: