The Hawaiian gazette., 1914-03-27
BOTH PARTIES
BACKING UP
PRESIDENT

By Ernest 9. walker.

Nhidh Opteial 10 Inc AdNeTtlsor.)
WASHINGTON, March 7.-President
Wilson is making headway with his
winter program for public business. A
recent test of this has been over the
Panama Canal law repeal as TO tolls
exemption. While no vote has yet been
taken in senate OF house, the machinery
is well in motion TO that end. There
has been no such excmpliheation Of
loyalty to President in many years.
The subject has been one Of vigorous
contest. Many senator's and representa-
tives took positions on that exemption
question after most prayerful consid.
Grafton. Public sentiment, outside of
international law circles, generally IA
vored the verdict. Ii sounded sensibly
to the average man that, having built
the canal with our own money we should
be free 10 do as we pleased about ex.
acting tolls from our own ships in q
trade not in competition with other
nations
But the clause IS TO be repealed, ap,
parently within fortnight, and the
President win be started well uDon his
plans for clearing up a lot Of diplomatic
matters. The arbitration treaties have
been ratified. The house the other day
failed TO enact bill to put the fish
cries treaty, affecting boundary waters
on the Canadian border, into Operation,
but this was only temporary rebuff.
IL cansed a good bit Of gossip around
the Capitol. because President Wilson
had written an urgent letter to Chair
man Flood, who had the bill in charge,
asking immediate action. This letter
wac read during the debate. However,,
Il was faulty management which placed
tho bill before the house on suspension
day, when bills pass only by two-thirdy
majority and when many members had
boon seeking information about it
which was not satisfactorily given.
Supported by Both Parties.
Both political parties in congrtss are
working with the President for the re.
peal of the canal tolls provision. Sen.
ator Lodge of Massachusetts,, as sturdy
a partisan as there is in public life, has
been taking active part in n canvass
Of the senate TO ascertain whether the
Presidents views about repeal shall
prevail. And many Republicans in both
branches of congress arc showing a
lively interest. Certain Of them were
opposed to the enactment at the begin
ming and are gratifed that their prog
ncstications Of what would attend the
legislation have come true. This is not
so conspicuous a nature Of the situa-
ton, however, as Democratic willing
nese TO support the President in his
foreign policies and save the American
government s reputation for honorable
dealing when the President announces
a necessity therefor. All in all, il has
been the most noteworthy congressional
response Of the several congressional re.
sponses there have been to President
Wilson'S appeals since he entered the
White House. The prospects of a house
majority for repeal would have seemed,
few months ago, much more remote
than were the prospects last September
Bill. q ~ -
Senator Lodge recently pointed out
that our treaty with Panama for the
construction of the canal is really in.
yolved IN the canal tolls controver I,
more than the Hay Pauncefote treaty
Therein we agreed to construct tho
canal in accord with the terms of the
Hay-Pauucefote treaty, and the Ian.
guage of the pact with Panama was such
as to give, net alone Great Britain, but
other nations ground for protest in case
there was discrimination in tolls
Irobably before the antitrust bills,
which were regarded as the third great
labor Of congress, are disposed of such
Legislation as President Wilson needs
TO advance the diplomatic interests Of
the United States and to free the gov,
eminent from its isolation as to foIeiga
relations will he on the books. The
President will have performed a great
work in all this, il he restores the
status Of good win and silenees ths
tongues nf eensure which have been
wagging industriously in the chanceI.
tories of Europe for The last two wears.
The record of congress for bad be-
haYior H. the eases of several treaties
will have been eompenfhted for In some
measure, aud hereafter congress will 20
more slowly about following its radi:
Gals, who want what they want with.
our regard TO international law or
treaty requirement. III other nations
had not been striving against similar
radiealisms among their own people, our
congressional performances would have
beer regarded more seriously. ~. E.
Antitrust Program.
Here and there a skeptic wants to
know whether the antitrust program is
petering out. II might seem that way,
when one considers that neither the
senate nor the house has a single anti.
trust bill in acceptable form for enact.
ment, although it was eight weeks ago
that the President delivered his anti.
trust message to congress. Much thit
was prepared has, Of necessity, been
thrown away The committeeman are
building anew, and the process is slow
one. The antitrust program viii by
no means be as ambitious or as SWEEP
ing as at FIRST supposed, but something
VIII be accomplished. II viii be an old