The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1914-04-01
CLARK MAKES
GREAT SPEECH
Speaker Assails the Pol
icy of the President
in Unneasured Terms,
Although He Declares
Himself to Be Warm
Friend of Executive.

WASHINGTON, March 81. The
house of representatives tonight, after
one of the most spectacular legislative
struggles in the history of the nation,
voted 10 repeal the provision of the
Panama canal act eXcmpting American
vessels from the payment of tolls. The
vote on the repeal bill was 247 to l6I,
majority Of Sc votes in support of The
personal plea of President Wilson.
This verdict on the issue, which has
absorbed congress for weeks, came at
the close of stirring day, made mem
orable in the annals of the house by
party division which found Speaker
Champ Clark, Majority Leader Under
wood and other Democratic chieftains
lined up in open opposition to the prcs-
dent on an issue which tho latter had
declared vital to his conduct of the ma
tion s foreign policy.
Now Goes to Senate.
Tomorrow the bill goes to the senate,
where the fight will be renewed with
all of the vigor and determination that
attended it in the lower house.
On the final vote 220 Democrats in
the house stood by the president, CIV
ing him in 'ungrudging measure" what
he had asked ''for the honor of the ma
tom in its foreign relations. Twenty
five Republicans and two Progressives
also voted to sustain the president.
Fifty-two Democrats followed Speaker
Clark and Leader Underwood to defeat
in their steadfast determination that the
president was wrong in his decision that
toll exemption for American ships is
violation of the Hay.Pauncefotc treaty
with Great Britain.
Could Not Stem Tide.
Nothing, it seemed, could stem tho
tide of administration success. Speaker
Clark, for nearly twenty-five years q
member Of the house, made the speech
of his life to forestall what he termed
'unquestionable degradation Of the
nation. In this he failed, but he did
smooth over tho party breach with kind
" words for his adversaries, praise for
President Wilson and an unqualified
denial of any vaulting ambition on his
own behalf.
When Speaker Clark had closed the
debate for the opposition to the repeal
with an impassioned argument he was
triumphant IN defeat, for the entire leg
islative assemblnge, in which were many
senators, rose to cheer him.
President Wilson was at dinner when
the result of the vote was announced
He was gratified, but made no COM
ment, ,,
In the senate the bill will be referred
to the committee on interoceanic canals,
of which Senator O'Gorman of New
York, a vigorous opponent OF the meas
ure. is chairman. Senator O'Gorman
has said he would call a meeting OF the
committee at once to consider the bill.
Contest Is Assured.
That there will be fight in that
committee is certain. How long it will
be there cannot be predicted, but ad-
ministration senators propose that
vote shall be taken by the committee
within a reasonable time Senator Owen
is leading the fight for tho president
there.
The committee will have many pro-
posals before it, several of them in the
nature Of compromises, some of them
q motion Of the house mi
nority today TO recommit the repeal bill
and to repeal the exemption clause with
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