Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-04-01

ward their faith in US, and their sup
port of us by repudiating one of the
planks of that platform on which we
achieved that astounding victory, a
plank so clear that there could be no
misunderstanding about It, no pos
sible misconception of il.
Treaty Does Not Forbid.
If we have entered into an en-
gagement which forbids us to man
age our own affairs, then we must
abide by it. however foolish or I'M
necessary that engagement may have
been What have we? Here opin
ions, honest opinions, differ; and not
only American, but British opinions.
His Majesty's Government is quite
certain now that exemption of tolls
on our Coastwise traffic violates the
Hay Pauncefote treaty, but 1t was
very far from certain when its ac-
credited representatives wrote to our
Secretary of State as late as July,
1912 that if the trade should be so
regulated as to make it certain that
only bona fide coastWise traffic
which is reserved for United States
vessels would be benefited by this
exemption, it may be that no objec-
tion could be taken
80 lar as our ON IL JuuSeS d. = Nu4l
cerned it is. | believe, quite safe to
say that. with the exemption of the
learned senior Senator from New
York. Mr.. Root, and our highly re-
spected Ambassador, Mr. Choate, the
weight of recognized legal opinion +
the highest rank from Mr. Olney to
Mr.. Knoy, and from my mind, IL
though I would make no insidious
distinction, most important by far OF
all. the present Chief Justice of the
United States in a precisely slmll ar
case. is practically unanimous to the
effect that neither legally in broad
sense nor technically in a narrow APP
plication, does this treaty forbid us
to regulate the transportation of our
own goods in our own ships through
our own canal between our own ports.
"Stupendous Folly" He Says.
THE President differs from the
Judgment of these and many other
men of like understanding. He is
convinced that the statute S 1t now
stands does contravene our solemn
obligations and should therefore be
repealed. So believing. he does the
only thing that an honorable and
conscientious head of the nation could
do. He asks US to reconsider our &C
ton in view of his conviction that we
have violated a pledge
Now" concluded the Speaker
may the God Of our fathers who
nerved 5000, 900 backwoods Ameri-
cans to fling their gags Of battle into
the face of the mightiest monarch OF
the world, who guided the hand OF
Jefferson in writing the charter or
liberty who sustained Washington
and his ragged and starving army
amid the awful horrors of valley
Forge. and who gave them complete
victory on the blood stained heights
of Yorktown. may be lead members
to vote so as to prevent this stipend
Gus folly-this unspeakable hum1l1a-
ton Of the American republic
Enqand's Honor involved.
'If there be a question of honor In
volved, it Is the honor Of England"
declared Republican Leader Mann. in
his defense of tolls exemption. They
made no protest against the construc-
ton of the treaty we then made and
under which we acquired the right to
and did build the canal, and to now
come forward with claim that we
violated the treaty in the beginning
is dishonorable on the part of Eng
land and subject to severe denuncia-
ton
All Wait for Clark.
Despite the air Of excitement per
vading the floor and galleries. the
tolls debate began in leisurely fash
ion in the House with interest in the
forthcoming speech of Speaker
Champ Clark overshadowing every
thing else.
Representative Nolan, Of Califor-
mia, opened the debate with a five
minute speech against the repeal.
He attacked the administration for
surrendering to Great Britain.
Let King George build the Mica
raguan Canal and see how magnan-
imous England will be he said.
Representative Lafferty, Progress
sive, of Oregon, compared the Dem
ocratic administration to a biplane
with William ]. Bryan as aviator.
He said the biplane would come to
earth again with the defeat of the
free tolls bill He was followed by
Representative Humphrey.
After listening to previous de-
bate. said Representative Thomas,
Of Kentucky, Il have almost come TO
the conclusion that this is no place
for a minister's son Yet | believe
that our intense struggle here is
after all a mere tempest in a teapot
and that in few weeks it will be
forgotten.
Party To Be Stronger.
fear but that it soon will be to-