New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-03-01
Campaign Speech Quoted
in Which Free Tolls
Are Approved"
KNOWLAND GETS 1T
INSERTED IN RECORD
Same Arguments Used, He AS
serts, as Are Now Employed
in Opposing Repeal.
lFrom The Tribune Bureau


Washington. Feb. 2S.-When Repre-
sentative Knowland of California, asked
unanimous consent to-day ito extend
his remarks in The Record" no Dem
ocrat took the pains to ask upon what
subject" Mr.. Knowland obtained the
permission and thereupcn inserted
extracts from a speech delivered py
woodrow Wilson. on August 10. 1872 In
which Mr. Wilson discussed the free
tolls provision Of the Panama Canal
act.
In the. newspaper accounts of THIS
speech. which Mr.. Knowland says he
las found upon investigation TO be
authentic. Mr. Wilson virtually APP
proved free tolls, according to Mr..
Knowland, who insists the Presidential
candidate used the same arguments
now being advanced by those opposed
to the free tolls repeal.
Our platform is not molasses TO
catch flies" reads the purported extract
from Mr.. Wilson's speech, delivered 10
$500 farmers at Washington Grove,
y. j. 1T means business. 1t means
what il says. 1t is the utterance OF
earnest and honest men, who intend 10
DO business along these lines and who
are not waiting TO see whether they
can catch votes with these promises be-
fore they determine whether they are
going to act upon them or not. TheY
know the American people are now
taking notice in a way in which they
never took notice before, and gentlemen
who talk one way and vote another
are going to be retired to very quiet
and private retreat"
After discussing the passing of the
American merchant marine, Mr.. Will
sor is thus quoted in the account pub
lished in a Democratic newspaper:
"One of the objects in cutting thai
great ditch across the Isthmus of Pan
anna is to allow farmers who are near
the Atlantic to ship to the Pacific by
way Of the Atlantic ports; TO allow all
the farmers on what l may call this
part of the continent to find an outlet
at ports of the gulf or the ports Of the
Atlantic seaboard, and then have coast
wise steamers carry their products
down around through the canal and up
the Pacific Coast or down, the coast of
South America.
Nov. at present, there are no ships
to do that, and one of the bills pend
Yesterday
the Senate as II has passed the House
provides for free toll for American
ships through that canal and prohibits
any ship from passing through which
is owned by an American railroad COM
pany. You see the object Of that. don't
you? CApplause) We don't want the
railroads 10 compete with themselves,
because we understand that kind Of
competition. We want water carriage
TO compete with land carriage, SO as
+ be perfectly sure that you are going
to get better rates around the canal
than YOU would across the continent"
In another part of the speech Mr..
Wilson is quoted as saying that it was
estimated that we shall be able TO
open it Ghe 'canaD TO the ships Of the
world by the year 1915. What interest
have you in opening it TO the ships of
the world. We don't own the ships of
the world"
Representative Knowland says that
the speech of the Presidential candi-
date defines exactly the argument of
those who voted for the free tolls pro-
vision of the Panama Canal. Now,
Mr. Wilson as President wants TO re-
peal that provision"