Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-03-31
CIark's Speech Against Presi-
dents Policy Proves to
Be Magnet.
VOTE IS EXPECTED
DURING AFTERNOON
Wilson Seems Sure to Be Upheld
by Majority of From
80 to 100.

In the arena of the House of Repre-
sentatives today the biggest Legislative
night in years is being waged before
galleries that have been crowded since
early morning. With the expectation
that Speaker Clark would take th'
floor in the midafternoon to deliver his
widely heralded speech in opposition tc
the Presidents appeal for a reversal o1
previous American policies concerning
canal tolls, committee meetir gs were
brought to an early conclusion, and
members having business before the
departments hurried through their at
fairs and presented almost full men,
bership at 1:So o'clock. the hour at
which the gave1 fell this morning.
Before night the greatest question that
has troubled the present administration
will be settled, and whether the House
dents personal and spoken request for
the repeal will be recorded forever upon
the journals of Congress
Wilson Expected to Win.
Nowhere at the Capitol is there any
expectation that the House will vote
against the President, and if this act
ually occurs the republicans and the anti
repeal democrats will be as much sur
prised as any one. Estimates of how great
a majority the President will have range
from 50 to nearly 100. CangreS OF opln-
ion are occurring from day 10 day, but
no one has an accurate knowledge OF
the entire list of the House and how each
man will vote owing to the last minute
changes of opinion
Speaker Clark's speech may swing an
appreciable number of democrats. II
will be the climax Of the fight. the mo-
ment of the fiercest clash of sentiment
In the middle of the House floor. with
democrats banked in solid rows to the
right of him and republicans and pro-
gressives to the left of him, he will sound
the clarion notes of a new political fight,
which may rend the democratic party
further.
Friends to Cheer Him.
On the right of him will be. at least,
ffty-five democrats who will cheer him,
while the remainder of the majority will
sit in cold silence. thinking. perhaps, of
the sentence that fell from the lips of a
Kentucky congressman yesterday-that
the House majority is now 'leaderless
On the left will be the almost solid
delegation Of republicans supporting
Champ Clark, Oscar Underwood and
Frank Doren1us of Michigan. 1t is to
be expected that about eight repub-
licans will vote the way the President
has asked the House to vote.
From the loud denunciation of the
administration and the so-called strong
pro-British tendencies down to milder
speeches in explanation of the eco
nomics of the canal tolls case, the
speeches today were of interest to each
man and woman heard them.
In Galleries Early.
While they were being delivered
Of JiSta RI
them from the galleries. No greater
mass of humanity has tried to storm
the Capitol corridors. At o'clock this
morning women began to appear at the
east front demanding admission. Three
women were seated in the east gallery
= o'clock They were in their seats
before the janitors came to clear up
the debris left by yesterdays visiting
throng.
The women We're asked to leave. but
they refused. They were therefore locked
doors were opened again for the general
public. By that time thousands of per-
sons were struggling for seats in gal
leries that hold a few hundred. At 1906
not a seat remained. One very rich and
distinguished looking person-female-ha
sent her chauffeur and other servants to
hold a section of seats. They held them
but when Mrs. Crnesus arrived .he in
terNenlfS moo was so great that she
could not get word to her dependents to
move out and let her and her friends
have the seats The chauffeur sat there
all the morning.
Thomas Starts Laughter.
Representative Thomas aroused
laughter by his criticism of other
speakers.
Representative Heating of Colorado,
democrat. favored the bill He held up
to sarcasm the time-honored slogans
of waving the bloody shirt" and
twisting The British lions tail" say
ing the latter had lain in the attic for
many years. He said the people of the
United States may be depended on to
know joke when they hear it.
He said that if the opposition expected
10 gain Irish votes by their hauling Out
the twisting of the British lions tall
they placed low estimate on Irish in
t-lligence.
Mr.. Slayden of Texas, characterized
Mr.. Humphrey as the Cassandra of the
House. behind whose artificial fervor h.
saw crouching the ugly form of mo-
nopoly."