The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-03-28
Opposition By Champ Clark to
Cloture Rule Crushed After
Spectacular Battle on Floor
of House.
Are
Frequent In Fight
Underwood Lines Up With
Speaker In Opposing Free
Tolls Repeal-Unpat to
Question Presidents Vera
city or Honesty, Declares
Adamson.

WASHINGTON. March 27,-The
tratton bill repeating the free tolls
clause of the Panama canal act is as
sured.
This became evident today when
Champ CIark's spectacular fight
against the c,oture rule demanded by
administration leaders was crushed by
vote of 201 To 176. Deserted even
by his colleagues on the Democratic
delegation from his own State, Speak
er Clark went down to defeat amid ex-
pressions of pity from his friends. The
reduced size OF the vote in the house
Tor the administration indicates. how
ever, that the contest on the tolls in
the senate will be very close.
The appearance of Speaker Clark
on the floor at noon was the signal for
great ovation. Members on both sides
of the chamber applauded loudly and
Representative Ragsdale of South
Carolina, jumping from his seat on
the Democratic side, let out three
rebel yelis. Even the galleries ign ed
the rules and applauded. The scene
reminded one of the days when the
house was in a ferment over the fight
being waged against Uncle Joe Cam
non.
IDETC WAY "a mum III eAtitsDleut -
the speakers gayeI descended and q
demand for order was made. ;svary-
body was intento catching the first
words of the administration leaders,
because 1T seemed certain that they
would take Speaker Clark To task fnr
mis- iesertion of the Wilson administra.
ti0n and his spectacular stand against
the cipturc rule.
At first. however. no open reference
TO Speaker Clark attack was rlade
10y the administration supporters.
They devoted themsel Ives 10 a defense
Of the rule limiting debate to twenty
hours and preventing all anendmcnts
TO the free tolls bill.
The opponents of the president ap.
plauded when Representative Under
wood. in ten-minute speech, lined
with Speaker Clark against the rule.
Representative Adanison. of Georgia
chairman of the house COMMITTEES on
interstate commerce. seized the 0ps
portunity to deliver a speech In favor
of the free tolls prof,csitiCn.
The Fight Be.cua-
"A terrible hurrah is made about
what the president has asked congress
to do" said Representative Adamson.
rs that anything new: Has Tam
many halls representatives in con-
gress forgotten that when that other
Democratic president was In the White
the silver purchase law ought to be
repeated but that 1t should be rec
pealed and that until repealed nothing
else should be done either in the way
of legislation or In the way % diStri-
button of PATRONAGE DO they forget
the similar conduct OF all the other
presidents up to the days of the great
founder of the Bull Moose party.
when he had SO much trouble with
congress on his hands and had to-
serd message after message before he
got congress to comply with hist
wishes? DO they forget the dramatic
day when the martyr, Mckinley, had
barely siGnitied in a general way that
1.-THE foreign relations of the govern
meat were in jeopardy when this house
by unanimous vote gave him $50, 600, 600
to use in his discretion? Did any party
question his honesty or integrity or
did anybody at the behest of selfish
special interests offer objectionable or
reasonably inquiring into the facta
and reasons which all civilized men
knew are sacredly secret in conduct
ing the foreign affairs OF any goyerff~
mente Nobody then rose and cursed
England In that dread hour. but she
was relied upon in the congress and shG4
failed us not, 1t IS anpatriotic for
Republicans or Bull Moosers any
body else on partisan grounds to quea~s
ton the presidents veracity or hon
esty or 10 einbarrass his action in
connection with our foreign relAtions.@
Up to this point everything had Gone
smoothly, but it remained for Repre-
sentative Hardwick, of Georgia, DEM
ocrat who concluded the adfninistrA-
tlon's side of the debate on the rule.
To make a personal attack upon th4s
speaker.
becomes Personal.
II would remind the distinguished
speaker" said Mr.. Hardwick. that tn
is the duty of all Democrats to stand
by the, administration or we Will be
again turned into the wilderness like
the tribes of Israel for another forty
years"
Republicans ard Progressivcs john
ed In a chorus of jeers. Mr.. Eard-
wick charged that when the rules OF
the house we're adopted in the last
congress, Mr. Clark had himself sup
ported resolution Uniting debate and
that it was precisely the. same sort o9
/ q rule as the house was called upon to-
day TO consider. s, s
4 At this point the period Of dehat0s
having Lcen exhaltxter. Kepresent3iNNs
Henry. prepayment OF the rule. nSNNe1s
the previous question and the nfN1 xo13a
call was ordered. n
( The roll had progressed thr1n&h f4N&
than a hundred names before NJ II
came evident that. II was destined 41s
win. ss rs. s M1
/ rhe Republicans. with siI1k4 u
tcautlrucd, ~ Thlsd |II