Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-03-31
Forty-Eight Speeches
Made in House Fight
Over Panama Tolls


House yesterday afternoon on the tolls
question, beginning with the address of
Representative L'Engle Of Florida and
ending with the speech Of Representative
Woodruff Of Michigan, a democrat and
progressive both opposed to the repeal
of the exemption clause of the Panama
canal act. One of the unique speeches
heard In the House was that of
Representative Manahan of Minnesota,
republican, opposed to the repeal. 1t
was 4. series Of questions
He started his interrogations by this
one: why is my time SO limited? Why
this unseemly haste in forcing this bill
through the House? Do the advocates of
the repeal fear full debate? Do they
fear some foreign nation? Do they re-
alioe 1T is the last desperate effort of
| the great railroads to maintain control
OF transportation and to hold the power
OF levying unreasonable freight rate
taxes upon consumers? Is 1t not clear
that In demanding the repeal of the ex-
eInption OF tolls on our coastwise ship
ping England is acting as an attorney
for the Canadian Pacific railroad? Do
not my colleagues realize that in plead
ing for Englands view of the treaty they
are rendering valuable services to the
house OF james J. HIP" In conclusion
he asked: viii you vote for O. British
against an American policy?"
Lenroot for Repeal.
In favor Of the repeal was Repre-
sentative Lenroot of Wisconsin, who
voted against the gag rule, but who
took the ground yesterday that the Unit
ed States had made a contract with
England in the -Pauncefote treaty
and should not fail to carry it out. Rep
resentative Lenroot also derided the
lingo spirit of some Of the speeches
made in opposition to the repeal. He
said, in part:
81 regret the manner in which this
matter is presented to the Congress by
the President. 1t could not have been
presented in any way more certain to
arouse prejudice. and resentment
against what from the Presidents mes
sage might be considered an abject sur
render to a foreign nation.
But the manner of the presentation
of the question to Congress should not
deter us from voting on the bill solely
upon its merits. To my mind any mem
Der who believes that the exemption Of
tolls is economically unsound, but pro-
poses to vote against this bill solely
because England Is opposed to this ex-
emption, is permitting a foreign nation
to influence our economic policy as much
In one direction as in the other.
Question of Discrimination.
1.-THE contention is made that there can
be no discrimination against other ma
tions or It's citizens or subjects because
they are prohibited from entering into
our coastwise traffic.
"Take this Illustration of what might
lean and the other an English vessel
take on cargoes at Seattle. Wash, both
of the same commodity, both pass
through the canal. The English ship
pays tolls; the American is exempt The
American ship Is destined for Portland,
Me. The English ship for Montreal The
cargo, Of the English ship is owned by
Canadians. That OF the American by our
own citizens. They are competing In the
markets Of Canada. The American cargo
Of Canada and when it crosses the line
pays Canadian duty. The English cargo
pays the same duty when the cargo is
landed at Montreal. When it comes to
competing in the market of Canada the
English ships cargo is handicapped by
Honor Is Involved.
cit is said that the honor of the nation
is here involved. 1t is. but not in the
sense that the opponents of this bill
In that Its duty is to preserve inviolate
to the terms of a solemn treaty which it
has entered into.
I'VE are one of the parties to this
treaty. England is the other England
has asked for arbitration of the ques-
tons involved. We have refused. Eng
land has the same right in the absence
Of arbitration to insist upon It's construc-
~ nf &c fran to
honor demands that we either submit the
matter to an impartial tribunal or recede
from the position which we took in the
canal act as passed.
"Spread Eagle Speeches.
After hearing many speeches of Fourth
OF July character, berating Great Britain
ana replete with phrases such as twist
Ing the lions tail'' and 1.-THE scream of
the free American eagle" Representa-
tive Mckenzie Of Illinois, speaking for
the repeal, said:
This IL not a battle between the
American eagle and the British lion. but
q battle between the American eagle and
that web-footed bird known as the ship
ping trust"
Representative Murdock was so over
come by the humor OF this remark that
he nearly fell from his chair laughing.
He Dislikes Treaties.
Representative Gardner, republican. of
Massachusetts, supporting the President.
said:
1.-THE more 1 have to do with treaties
the less l like them. Unless I am very
much mistaken, every diplomatist who
draws treaty sprinkles In a few in
definite clauses to cover anything which
he may have forgotten to specify or NAV
be unable to foresee. As both parties
do the same thing, there Is usually a good
deal to be said on either side of any un-
foreseen question which happens to arise
under treaty drawn by experienced
diplomatists.
Il venture to say that Mr.. Mann of
Illinois and Mr.. Speaker Clark could sit
down and draw treaty which any school
boy could understand and that treaty
would accomplish their purpose, too,
whatever that purpose might be- Could
they get treaty like that ratified? Prob
ably not until some ambiguous amend
ment had been added.
That Is the trouble with the Hay
Pauncefote treaty. 1t was drawn in such
a way as to insure its ratification. Moth
ing else mattered much. The point was
the canal needed building, and we needed
a new treaty before we could build it,