The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1914-03-28
LEADER
OPPOSES WILSON
FOR FIRST TINE
UNUSUAL SIGHT OF DEMOCRATIC
FLOOR CHIEF FIGHTING HIS
PARTY's PRESIDENT.
(By Associated Press.)

10y AoSVOs8cu EFcSSsJ
Washington, March 28.-Represen-
tative Underwood, of Alabama, demo
cratic floor leader IN the House of |
Representatives today delivered his
speech against Fepealias the Panama
tolls exemption. as urged by Presi-
dent Wilson, The scene Of thp lead |
er of the House majority. 40 had
led the successful lights FIR praeti-
cally all the administration measures,
combating the position OF the Presi-
dent, attracted wide attention. Nj.
Underwood urged defeat OF the Sins
bill, which follows President Wilson's
recommendation for the repeal Of the
tolls exemption. He decared the re-
peal was contrary to the platform of
the Democratic party adopted at the
/ Baltimore convention, and that an
exemption favoring American coast
wise ships did not violate the Hay
Pauncefote treaty.
mot for one moment do / believe
we have violated a treaty" declared
Mr.. Underwood. "Our whole difficult
! ty arises from the un-American spirit
of surrender that some of our own
people have exhibited toward this i'm
1portant question from the very begin
ming.
"Can any one tell us plainly why
we surrender and what Is to be accom-
plished by it? Are we to yield mere
ly because the sentiment of Europe
is against us about matters of mo-
ment? When will the time come
when we can expect to maintain and
preserve our rights, political and
commercial, with the acquiescent SYM
pathy of European governments"
Party Pledge.
Mr.. Underwood quoted the tolls
exemption plank from the Baltimore
platform. and continuing said:
There can be no contention as to
the meaning of this language. No
one can raise the issue that the bill
now pending before the House intro
duced by the gentleman from Tennes-
see (Mr. Sims) is not in direct con-
flict with the declaration of the Dem
ocratic platform Personally I be-
lieve that the party pledge should be
lived up to in good faith by those who
claim allegiance to party principles,
but as there are many here who diff.
fer with me in reference 20 the bind.
ing effect of a party platform, / win
not at this time endeavor to discuss
the pending bill from that standpoint
Let us resolve the issue into the
question as to whether the platform
of the Democratic party favorine
exemption of tolls of American ships
engaged in coastwise trade passing
through the Panama Canal is best
for the nation and the people of our
country, or whether the gentleman
from Tennessee in the bill now pend
ing before the House repudiating the
declaration of the Democratic party
is proposing legislation that will be
most beneficial to our nation and oui
people"
"The purpose of Congress-" said he
"in providing in the act for the open
ing, maintenance, protection and
operation of the canal, that no tolli
shall be levied upon vessels engages
in the coastwise trade OF the Unites
States and providing further that !
should be left discretionary with tn
! President Of the United States I,
exempt from tolls our ships engages
In 1breign trade. was an effort on tn
part Of Congress TO discriminate b
y favor Of American shipping and to II
8 establish our merchant marine. Thi
g has been policy of the Democrat
r party since the beginning OF the go'
a ernment The Democratic party ha
n never stood for direct subsidies b
Continued on Page Eighty