Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-03-27

Secretary Of State Bryan late
to-day announced that he is In
tavcr Of the repeal Of The canal
tolls exemption clause and that
he approves of tn so.eaIIod
gag" rule in the House.
am absolutely with the
President and | intend 10 support
him 20 the very end" added
Bryan, e,.
WASHINGTON. March 27.-~The
first test Of strength to-day between
the administration and the opponents
OF the proposal to repeal the free tolls
clause Of the Panama Canal act in
dicated that the supporters Of the
President viii be able 10 secure
enough votes to pass the repeal, al
though where the administration had
claimed a majority of 70 to 100 votes
on the issue, on ordering the pre-
vious question on the report Of the
Committee on Rules, 1t was shown
only a majority of 81 had voted with
the President. The previous question
vas ordered by ayes 207, noes 1Te.
The usual Democratic majority in the
House Is 147
The adoption OF the rule was then
carried by a vote of 200 to 1T2, q ma
jority OF only rs.
All party lines were broken in the
voting, the Democratic party being
split as never before in the present
administration
Greeting for Speaker.
When Speaker Clark entered the
House chamber at 10 o'clock he was
accorded an enthusiastic greeting. He
cut short the ovation by asking the
chaplain to pray
Interest In the party crisis was re-
Elected In the tense face sof all the
members on the floor and the specta-
tors in the galleries who whispered
to each other as they pointed to Tn
derwood, Speaker Clark, Adamson,
Henry, Republican Leader Mann,
Progressive Leader Murdoch and
other notable figures In the drama.
Representative Adamson, of Geor-
gia, opened debate with g. direct at
tack on Speaker Clark.
For nine years" he said, "a lobby
has resounded throughout Congress
and the country In favor of free tolls.
This Is the first rule ever asked for
by the Interstate Commerce Commit
tee since / have been connected with
II. | first sought to have this bill
considered in the ordinary way, but
found II impossible to reach an agree
ment Originally we figured on ten
hours debate, and | UNDERSTOOD that
this was satisfactory to the Speaker
OF this House. Then we decided on
fifteen hours debate, and again
heard that thsi was agreeable to the
Speaker
Opposed BY Lobby 9 Years.
1--WE are willing to have the truth
known, for there has been a lobby
against us for nine years, and IL the
truth is known this repeal bill will
carry. We do not want any amend
ment Of the bill, because none is
Loud cries OF Obi" came from ali
parts OF the chamber. following this
statement.
Adamson asserted that President
Wilson came before Congress with
his special message asking the repeal
of the free tolls clause only because
he was begged to DO so by the men.
bers of his party In the House and
Senate.
do members forget the dramatic
day when the martyr President Me-
Kinley had barely signifled in a gem
eral way that the foreign relations Of
the Government we're in jeopardy"
he asked, when this House by unan-
lmous vote placed S50,000.000 in his
hands to be used at his discretion
That nobody In any party questioned
his honesty and integrity; that mo-
body. at the behest OF selfish special
interests. offered unpardonable--yea
reasonable resolutions inquiring
into the facts and reasons which all
civilized men knew are sacredly se-
cret I'm conducting the foreign affairs
OF any government Nobody rose and
cursed England in that dreadful hour,
but she was relied upon in the crisis,
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