Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-03-27
REPEAL men
WIN FIRST
CLASH
Boastsd Majority Of rs to 100
Only 81 on Roll CaII-Adam-
son Against Exemption.

WASHINGTON, March 27.-The
FIRST test Of strength e-day between
the administration and the opponents
Of the proposal to repeal the free tolls
clause of the Panama Canal act in
dicated that the supporters Of the
President win be able to secure
enough votes to pass the repeal. al
though where the administration had
claimed majority Of 10 to 100 votes
on the issue, on ordering the pre-
vious question on the report Of the
Committee on Rules, It was shown
only a majority OF 81 had voted With
the President. The previous question
was ordered By ayes 2o7 poes l7s.
The usual Democratic majority in the
House is AL
The adoption Of the rule was then
carried by a vote Of 200 to liz ma
iority Of only 2s,
All party lines were broken in the
voting. the Democratic party being
split as never before in the present
administration,
Greeting for Speaker.
When Speaker Clark entered the
House chamber at II o'clock he was
accorded an enthusiastic greeting. He
ut short the ovation by asking the
chaplain to pray.
Interest in the party crisis was re-
Elected in the tense face sof all the
members on the floor and the specta-
tors in the galleries who whispered
10 each other as they pointed TO I'm
derwood. Speaker Clark, Adamson,
Henry, Republican Leader Mann,
Progressive Leader Murdoch and
other notable figures in the drama.
Representative Adamson, Of Geor-
gia. opened debate with a direct at
tack on Speaker Clark.
For nine years" he said, "a lobby
has resounded throughout Congress
and the country in favor of free tolls,
This is the first rule ever asked for
bv the Interstate Commerce Commit
tee since l have been connected with
II. 1 frst sought to have this bill
considered in the ordinary way. but
found ii Impossible to reach an agree
ment. Originally we figured on ten
hours debate, and understood that
this was satisfactory TO the. Speaker
~ this House. Then we decided on
hfteen hours debate, and again !
heard that thsi was agreeable to the
Speaker
Opposed by Lobby 9 Years.
I'VE are willing to have the truth
known, for there has been lobby
against US for nine years. and if the
truth is known this repeal bill will
carry We do not want any amend
ment Of the bill, because none is
needed
Loud cries Of eoh" came from all
parts of the chamber following this
statement.
Adamson asserted that President
wilson came before Congress with
his special message asking the Tepeal
Of the free tolls clause only because
he was begged TO 40 so oy the mem
bers Of his party in the House and
Senate.
s.Do members forget the dramatic
day when the martyr President Me-
kinney had barely sgnihed in gem
eral way that the foreign relations Of
the Government were in jeopardy,
he asked, "when this House by unan-
lmous vote placed s5O,OOo,OoO in his
hands to be used az his discretion
That nobody in Ehy party questioned
his. honesty and integrity; that mo-
body at the behest of selfish special
interests. offered unpardonable-yea'
reasonable - resolutions inquiring
into the facts and reasons which all
civilized men knew are sacredly Sc
cret in conducting the foreign affairs
Of any government? Nobody rose and
cursed England in that dreadful hour
but she was relied upon in the crisis
Continued on Page 8, Column T.