The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1914-05-14
BORAH WOULD REFER
TOLLS BILL TO PEOPLE
HE IS CONFIDENT ELECTION
WOULD SHOW MAJORITY oP-
POSED TO REPEAL.
washington Correspondence Oregon
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washington Correspondence Oregon
ian)
Senator Borah Of Idaho thinks II
resolution proposing postponement of
the vote on the canal tolls repeal bill
until next December. in order that the
question may be referred to the peo-
pie before 1t Is finally decided by con-
gress. He intends, however, to obtain
a vote on his resolution and has pri-
vate assurance from many senators
of both parties that they believe the
idea embodied in the resolution is
right and should be supported.
Senator Borah asserts that he in
troduced the resolution in all serious
ness and not with any intention Of
muddying the waters. He believes
postponement affords the only method
by which the sentiment of the coun-
try can be sounded on the tolls ques-
ton. If, as he believes, the country
Is overwhelmingly in favor Of tolls ex
emption, he maintains that congress
would make grievous blunder in re-
pealng the tolls exemption clause Of
the present law.
Representative System on Trial.
Senator Borah asserts that repre-
sentative government is on trial in the
United States at this time. He holds
that such moves as that being at
tempted by the president and the dem
ocratic majority In deliberately vio-
lating the party platform pledge, are
responsible for the increasing lack of
faith in representative government
that does not represent.
In sense the Borah resolution Is in
the nature Of referendum. If this
could be done, says the senator, the
canal tolls issue would be predomin-
ant in the campaign next fall, and
every candidate for congress and I
the senate would be forced to take
position one way or the other Pub
lie sentiment could be tested accurate
~, In the senator's opinion.
There are many senator's who, If
they had the heart to stand out
against the president, would quickly
vote for the Borah resolution, but as
this resolution proposes to nullify the
efforts which the president has been
making and in the end unquestionably
would prevent the repeal of the tolls
exemption clause, 1t is to be expected
that the influences of the administra-
ton will be thrown against this or any
other plan of postponing vote.
President Demands Early Vote.
From the beginning, the president
has insisted on an early vote on the
canal tolls repeal bill He has done
this in the face of purported White
House advlces showing that the coun-
try is overwhelmingly in favor of re-
peal, for even if the White House Is
misled on this issue, Democratic
Senator's have not been mised, and
the preponderance of correspondence of
Senators indicates a strong sentiment
against repeal.
Moreover If the president had con-
fdence in assurances that the country
stood behind him on the tolls uues-
tion there would be no necessity for
bringing to bear all possible infm-
ence to force an early vote, for in that
event sentiment itself would whip some
OF the opponents of repeal into line
behind the administration. 1t is
realized by senators, however, that
public sentiment is not backing the
administration in this fight. and the
closest advisers of the president il.
the senate have been urging him to &c,
a vote on his repeal bill with as much
expedition as possible
Indications still are that the senate
will pass the repeal bill, and in
form acceptable to the president, for
there are continual evidences that the
president is bringing intense pressure
to bear on all democrats who disagree
with him on this subject, and If the
future is to be judged by the past, this
pressure will prevail. The same in
i1uence that will hold recalcitrant
democrats in line for repeal will OPP
crate to defeat the Borah resolution
the fact that a clear
of the senate would like to
see the entire subject put over until
lfte" the November election.