New Britain herald., 1914-04-14
DELEGATES UPHOLD
 PRESIDENT WILSON
Canvass ofDfTijc[atS at Convention Shows Five to One for Repeal.

 ator Thomas P. Gore of Oklahoma from delegates to the democratic na- tional convention held in Baltimore, which adopted the plank declaSipsg that American coastwise ships should be exempt from the payment of charges when passing through the car nal Of 418 delegates to that con- vention so far boiled by Senator Gore 338 have declared for the pres- ident's policy, while II are non-cpm- initial, leaving only 69 committed to upholding the platform declaration.
 Eliminating the II non-committsl delegates, the figures show that near- ly five times as many delegates favor the repeal of the free tolls provision as the number opposing it. This is a greater percentage for the presi- dents policy than was shown by the test vote on the repeal bill in the house of representatives, when demo- crats who supported repeal outnun. bered their opposing party associates. four to one.
 Are With President. "
 Senator Gore began to take tho poll about April l, when he wrote tN each delegate of the Baltimore con-
 
 on the free tolls question. Ever!' delegate from Pennsylvania anu Texas heard from up to the time tho AIS letters were received declared for repeal, while of 26 Illinois delegates responding "A were with the presi. dent. ssi
 One of the striking features of the letters received by Senator Gore ir the declaration. of many delegates thaa they did not know that the free. tolls plank was in the platform when it was adopted by the convention. Some of these point out that when the platform was presented half or more of the delegates had gone home CT left the convention hall, being tired out after their wearisome sittings.
 Delegates who were mem bers of the committee that prepared the plat form wrote to Senator Gore that they had no recollection of any dis-' cussion of the tolls question in thG committee, or in the subcommittee, that actually drafted the declaration of principles. These statements havA bearing on the allegation that the free tolls plank was slipped in'' thu platform. One delegate said he bs lieved that not per cent of the dels egates would have agreed to the free tolls plank if they had known they were voting on it. Several delegates said that when Senator Kern of In :. diana read the platform to the con ; vention he was so worn out that his voice could be heard only a few feet away.
 People Are Unanimous. A South Dakota delegate wrote that the people of his and other MiddLs Western states were almost unan! :. mously supporting the presidents re- peal policy Senator Gore was also informed that Minnesota democrat 5 at a statewide conference" oll March 31 went on record unanim ous- ly for repeal. An Ithaca delegate stated that sentiment in that part of the state was overwhelmingly with President Wilson on the tolls uues- tion. A majority of the democrats of New Hampshire are reputed to look with favor on the presidents 's policy according to a delegate from l that state.
 Through many letters opposition h expressed to granting free tolls on tho ground that the exemption consti. l tutes a subsidy.
 Extracts From Letters. The following are extracts from let. ters written by delegates to Senate { 1 Gore:
 Gov. Woodbridge N. Ferris of Mich , 1 igan: II am with President Wilson in his message asking congress to repesI l the Free Toll act. I am with him. 1 not simply because of my blind lo1 i. alty to President Wilson, am with him because I think he is right.' l w. T. Emmet, public service com 1. missioner for the second district cf the state of New York, at Albany: l ITO contend that a platform de- l claration, which may have been adopted under a misapprehension of what the nations obligation or duty is to other nations under prior treaties. should afterward be ad
 hered to under any and all circum- stances by the political party which {! promulgated such a declaration, does
 not seem to me to be sound posi- |.
 ton for political party to take"
 Lawrence Godkin, of 36 West Tenth
 street, New York: X
 If congress sees fit to vote sub sidy to coastwise steamship conn ! panies, 1t should be done directly, and
 not as is proposed in the Panana government, act"
 I J. Sergeant Cram, commissioner nf the public service commission for the first district, New York:
 7 'I am opposed to free tolls. 1t l would be dishonorabIe to repudiate the obligations imposed by a treaty, 1 and I am opposed to giving a sub- sidy to what is already an odious monopoly"
 Peter Stillwell, an attorney-at-lavy,
 of Bayonne. N. J.:
 "As to whether there should be
 free tolls or not, in my judgment,
 depends upon whether it would be