El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1914-03-24
FIGHT OPENS
ON TOLL BILL
EXEMPTIONS
Supporters and Opponents
in Senate Muster Forces
for the Struggle.
MESSAGES ARE
READ IN THE SENATE

luton which would pave the way to-
ward repeal of a section or the rivers
and harbors bill of July 5, 1884, prOvid-
ing that no tolls or operating charges
be maze on any vessess through any
canal or other work for the improve
ment of navigation belonging to the
( United States"
Chairman Henry of the rules com
mittee was waiting to bring in a
special rule for Immediate cOnsldera-
ton of the repeal bill, is hours OF
! general debate and barring any amend
ments or other intervening motions
except q motion to recOmmit to the
committee on interstate commerce.
Senator OGorman had read in the
senate chamber today letters and tele-
grams commencing his opposition TO
the repeal One telegram from the
New Orleans association of commerce
declared repeal would be staggering
blow to American aspirations for rees-
/ Establishment of our merchant marine"
/ Another from the San Francisco cham
/ Der of commerce urged the senator TO
/ fight repeal to the last
| Senator James had read telegram
/ from former senator Blanchard, OF Lou
| isiana, to senator Thorne. declaring
: that sentiment in Louisiana oYerWheln~
/ ingly favored the repeal as urged by
I president Wilson.
/ Exemption Repeal Again postponed.
] Debate on the Panama tolls exemp-
| poned because the rivers and harbOrs
! appropriation bill still was unfinished.
! Representative Green, before the
/ house commerce committee, spoke in
/ favor of Investigating the financial at
! fairs of the Rock Island railroad sys-
] tenn
( Propose Censure of Congressman.
/ Arguments against a resolution to
! cenSure representative McDermOtt,, OF
! Illinois, and Officers of the. National
! Association of Manufacturers for activ-
tiles disclosed in the lobby investiga-
/ ton. were heard today before the house
/ judiciary committee.
Representative Mcdonald argued that
/ the committee should make no recon-
/ act
James A Emery. general counsel for
! the manufacturers one Of those named
Z in the resolution, argued that the house
had no right to adopt resolution CEN
] surfing private citizens without firsg
/ giving them an opportunity to be heard
I at the bar of the house.
Expulsion Is Suggested.
Mr.. Emery also argued that the only
/ basis for q resolution of ceusure was
| contempt of the house, and he az
I clared that no such contempt had been
! shown He also cOntended that the jul
| risdiction of a congress to punish cases
| for contempt expired with that con-
/ gress.
/ Some members contend the resolution
] should propose representativ McDer-
I motifs expulsion from the house.
W omen Are seEeOules' Is Urged.
Woman suffragtsts, headed by Rev.
I Olympia Brown, of Wisconsin, presi-
! dent Of the Federal Suffrage assOcia-
! ton, today sought the aid of the house
/ elections committee in behalf of the
! French bill, which would provide that
women who are citizens of the United
/ states and possess similar Qualifica-
/ tons as are required of men voters.
I shall be eligible to vote 'in all So teS
I of the union at elections for members
/ OF the house of representatives OF the
/ United States
| Mrs. Clara Bewiek Colby. Of Port
( land Ore, speaking in support of the
/ bill, declared that under the COnstitu-
4 ton and the interpretations of the
I courts women are people and citizens,
/ and congress, therefore, should recog-
/ nize them as such and extend the rights
of federal suffrage to them. She cited
/ the decision of chief justice fancy that
I the words people of the United States
! and citizens are synonymous and mean
( the same thing. and added that the
/ people" should choose the members or
! the house and senate.
Wilson Argues Against Exemption.
| President Wilson asserted that in
| seeking the repeal of the Panama
/ tolls exemption he not only was ask
J ing that the nation do that which
J bound it in honor to do, but was going
the way of the majority in the Demo-
cratic party. He pointed out that when
/ the Panama canal act was passed, "a
1 majority of the Democrats then in the
/ house voted against the tolls exemp
/ ton, and that only by a coalition of a
minority of Democrats with number
/ of Republicans did the measure be-
come a law. This announcement was
taken in administration circles as the
presidents argument to the argument
/ that the Baltimore platform made the
/ tolls exemption Democratic doctrine.
Expects Support of 200 Democrats
The president is confident he will
/ have the majority Of his party behind
/ him in the house when the repeal
! RI
! that at least 200 Democrats Will sup
| port him and many Republicans.
J Senator James Of Kentucky has in
/ formed the president the vote in the
! senate would be at least 5S to "a, in
favor of the repeal
/ There seems little prospect of getting
! the repeal bill before the house until
| late in the week. Debate on the rivers
/ and harbOrs appropriation bill is drag
/ ging with no prospect of immediate
Urges Limit Of Debate.
No attempt will be made to report a.
! rule that would limit debate on the
repeal bill to 10 hours until the
| measure has been called up and this
/ probably cannot be done until Saturday,
/ when majority leader Underwood is
/ scheduled to make the opening speech
/ in opposition to the repeal. Repre-
I sentative Murdoch, the Progressive.
leader. urged that if the house would
! limit the repeal discussion to 40 in
/ stead of Is hours sentiment on the
! tolls issue would be so shifted that the
vote would result Americas way ir-
stead of England s.
Several suggestions of "gag rule"
were made, but minority leader Mann
declared that while he had heard it
reported that the white house had sent
4 word to hasten the repeal, he did not
J believe the president had attempted to
interfere with house procedure.
That all Progressive" party mem
! bers of the house are not opposed to
! repeal of the toll exemption was dis
| closed when representative Charles NJ
Thomson. of Chicago, issued a state
ment declaring his intention to support
/ the president.
Chandler Declares POsitiOO.
! Representative Chandler, of New
York also a Progressive member,
I supplemented the recent statement OF
| his party leader in the house, declar-
| ing his opposition to the repeal be
| cause I believe a political platform is
J covenant with the people, a sacred
| thing to be Loyalty observed and faith
! fully executed by representatives Of
the people"
Senator O'Gorman, who is fighting
against the administration repeal pol
icy, said today that the committee on