Las Vegas optic., 1914-03-27
! THE TOLLS EXEMPTION
1T APPEARS THAT THE PREsi-
DENT IS LIKELY TO HAVE
HIS OWN Way
CLARK Votes AGAINST IT
THE SPEAKER SAYS BEFORE
VOTE is TAKEN HE WILL
OPPOSE cLoTURE

Washington, March 27.-Flushed
with victory, administration support
ers predicted passage Of the Panama
canal tolls exemption repeal bill by
a heavy majority. They declared
many Of those who had voted against
the previous questions would be will
ing to vote for the bill itself.
News Of the vote was hurried to the
White House, where President Wilson
learned OF it just before leaving to at
tend an entertainment at Fort Myer.
With the first obstacles out Of the
way the house settled down to consid-
Grafton of the repeal bill Democrats
in its favor were allotted ten hours;
democrats against it five; republicans
four, and progressives one. Repre-
sentative Sims, author Of the bill, led
Of the debate.
Mr.. Sims coupled his arguments for
the repeal with a denunciation OF the
democrats who aligned themselves
with the opposition and declared that
if he believed, as 1t mad been charged,
that the president haa accepted en.
fote treaty he would feel as a moral
coward it he did not Immediately ask
for the chief executives impeachment
by the house Of representatives.
rs it reasonable to suppose he
asked, that the great masses Of the
people are going to believe that the
president Of the United States, who
has direct charge OF the enforcement
Of all our treaties with foreign coun-
tries, is going to surrender the right
of the American people, whose trusted
representative he is, by accepting an
erroneous construction Of treaty on
the unwarranted demand Of any one
or all Of the foreign nations Of the
world?"
washington, March 27. President
Wilson won the first battle Of his
fight to repeal the Panama tolls ex-
emption today when the house, BY a
vote Of 2O7 to l76, refused to con-
tinue discussion on the rule to limit to
20 hours discussion debate on the
repeal bill.
When the Panama tolls fight was
resumed in the house today the bat
tie lines were drawn in this manner:
Fifty-five minutes remained for de-
bate on the special rule 70 limit dis
cussion to 20 hours on the Sims bill
to repeal the exemption for coastwise
ships.
4 Chairman Henry OF the rules COM
mittee, leading that phase Of the
fight for the administration forces,
was ready at the conclusion Of the
55 minutes to move the previous ques-
ton. parliamentary maneuver to
shut off debate on the rule and force
4 a vote, the first real test Of strength.
4 Opponents Of the administration
program. strengthened by Speaker
Clark's vigorous denunciatlon Of the
attempt at cloture and renewed By
his declaration that he would vote
against limiting debate, were prepar-
ed to bring every resource into play
to beat .the previous question and
\ thus throw down the bars for unlim-
tied debate, not only on the rule, but
on the repeal bin itself.
The special rule then was adopted
200 to 172 That put the Sims pill 70
repeal the exemption squarely before
the house for 20 hours debate and
protected against Intervening motions
| and arguments.
The list of democrats who voted
/ against the previous question and
thus against The administration, fol-
! lows
] Aiken, Brockson, Brouasard Arucl
) lner, Caraway carew. cpnlv Dale
s44.s.fz s-.-se..s. 4 s,ttes,r rs,Tnt4fo FforI.