The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-04-01

| the human race--we are asked to grant
to Great Britain. whom we dened and
defeated In our infancy. and whom we
defled again and defeated again In our
early youth In the war OF isi2-properly
called our second war Of independence
concessions grounded in injustice and
humiliating in character--claifns for
which concessions had been abandoned by
| Great Britain until Senator Elihu Root
made a speech UNFOLDING the contentious
OF that foreign REPRESENTATIONS
which had been fatty rejected by q Presi-
dent OF the United States and his Secre-
tary Of state
1--WE want war with no nation. but
| rather than surrender our right TO our
complete sovereignty over every square
| foot OF our globe eneirciing domain We
will cheerfully and courageOusly face u
world In arms"
This also was greeted with wild ap-
plause.
Presideut's "Amasing Request"
THE amazing request Of the President
for the repeal. like the peace Of God. pass
eth all understanding" added the Speak
err a moment later. "lf ne has any reasons
which are not utterly untenable and
which impellcd him TO mako the request
he has not vouchsase1 them to us as n
body. or. so far as am informed. to any
fneWDtT OF inc ftOuSe.
At this point MIR Clark departed from
the manuscript OF his speech and. step
ping out in the centre aisle. said
al believe that I as the Speaker OF this
House, had o right 70 know the reasons"
This wns greeted with shouts OF APP
prevail which made IL apparent that even
the Presidents supporters were d.ssatis-
fed with the course which Mr. Wilson has
pursued In forcing them to action with
Out taking them into his confidence
In his message" continued tho Speak.
or. 'one reason assigned by tho President
was in these words:
That exemption constitute, a mis-
taken economic policy from every poin,
OF view
III 1t Is "A mistaken economic policy
now. was u not n mistaken economic roll
ICY during the campaign OF 1912, when
We all. under the lead Of the President
himself Endorsed II az part OF the Demo
cratic creed, on which wa appealed for
votes? II IL is so. why did the President
indorsc IL then? 1t cannot be that a
proposition which was good before tho
election can be awfully bad after the cleo
ton
"A second reason for the repeal as-
signed by President Wilson is that the
exemption OF our coastwise trade from the
payment OF tolls is in plain contraven-
ton of the treaty with Grea; Britain con-
corning the canal. concluded on November
IS. 1901
CustOdians Of Honor.
or he would not have said Il, but he was
mistaken. II I believed that I would vote
with him. for ! am as tender and 1ealou.
OF my country's honor as he Is or as any
other living man H. even as tender and
jealous as the gentleman from Texas
IN - -
lucky Mfr. Sherleyl, ana the gentleman
from Pennsylvania tMr. Paimerl are.
Notwithstanding they are self-constituted
custodians OF the honor OF the American
republic and the conscience keepers OF the
American people
1T Is painful. perhaps presumptuous.
to disagree with these three great inter-
national jurists. but it must be done. Tho
supreme Court of the United States is
supposed TO know some law
in the case OF Olsen vs. Smith re-
ported In the l95th United States, volume
80. at page 344, a case involving the very
point involved In the exemption section
OF the Panama tolls law. the court had
the tenerity to rule contrary TO the opin-
ion OF my three learned friends aforesaid
The court held that there could be no
discrimination where there was no COM
petition. and that as by the law OF the
United States only American vessels can
violation OF the treaty IL the regulations
applied to all vessels In the foreign trade
The reasoning OF that decision applics
equally we'll 10 the present situation.
Doubts 10 Wilson Ever Read II.
Certainly the President has never
read the Olsen vs.. Smith decision by our
court OF last resort or he never would
have concluded that the exemption of tolls
- 10 tnrau tn. lat,
travention OF our treaty with Great
Britain.
His Matesty's Government IL quite GER
tain now that exemption OF tolls on our
coastwise traffic violates the Hay -Paunce-
fote treaty. but It was very far from GER
tain when its accredited representative
wrote to our Secretary OF State a. late
as july. 1912, that II the trade should
be so regulated as to make II certain that
only bona fide coastwise traffic which In
reserved for United States vessels would
be benefited by this exemption II may
be that no objection could bs taken
80 far us our best Judges are con-
cerned It is, l believe quite safe TO say
that with the exception OF the learned
senior Senator from New York and our
former highly respected Ambassador, Mr.
Choate the weight OF recognized legal
opinion OF the highest merit. from Mr. OIL
ney. Mr., Taft Mr.. Knox and to my mind.
tinctons. most important by far OF all.
from tho present Chief Justice OF the
United States. In precisely similar case
is practically unanimous TO the effect that
neither legally in broad sense nor tech
ncally In n narrow application does this
treaty forbid liz 10 regulate the transpor-
tation OF our own goods In our own ships
through our own canal between our own
ports
The President's Honor.
''rhe President differs from the judg-
ment OF these and many other men OF
liko understanding. He Is convinced that
the statute a. II now stands does contra
vene our solemn obligation and should
therefore bs repealed so believed he
does the only thing that an honorable and
conscientious head OF the nation could
do-he asks us to reconsider our action
in view of his conviction that we have
violated pledge.
"Whatever may he the differences Of
opinion respecting the merits Of the case,
l DO President Wilson honor for his sct.v
In conclusion Speaker Clark said:
In addition to the Supreme Court de.
cision. as pointed out by Mr.. Mann. the
same view IL held by two Presidents nv
two Secretaries OF State and by the House
Itself on three separate occasions
"The repeal means the practical aban-
donment Of the Monroe Doctrine, which
was forced into the code Of the internn.
tional law and which the American peo.
nile will m ninfntu nj MI ho