Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-05-04
THINK SENATE :
/ WILL TAKE ITS
I TINE ON TOLLS
Conceded That Repeal Bill Will
Not Pass Upper House in
Present Form.
IFrom n STAFF correspondence

WASHINGTON, May Awhile the
A. B. c. representatives are medi-
ating and the administration is medi-
ating on the Mexican question the
Senate today began its lombard
ment of the Panama tolls question.
1t is the order of the day and will re-
main automatically the order of the
days business in the Senate for days
and perhaps weeks to come.
This situation was brought about
by Senator O'Gorman, of the inter
oceanic canals committee, the most
powerful of the administrations OPP
posing forces against its pet project
the repeal of the Panama tolls law.
The Senate does not propose to be
harried or hurried despite the hints,
suggestions and near orders of the
administration. The Senate is going
to take it's own good time in the con-
sideration of this important and far
reaching measure and will discuss it
day after day until it has been
threshed out to the utmost. This is
fthe situation as the Senate convened
at noon today.
Senator U'GOrman Holding on.
Senator O'Gorman is holding his
ammunition in reserve and will not
fire his oratorial guns until the minor
pieces have been fred He expects
that he will start his firing at the ad-
ministration's forts about next Thurs
day.
4 Prior to the converting of the SEN
ate today there was considerable
speculation as to the ultimate out
come of the attack. The administra-
ton after its victory in the House on
the tolls measure felt assured that it
was all over but the shouting and the
raising of the flag of subjugation.
They are not quite so confident now
that they will be able to fly any flag
but one of truce 1t Is generally con-
ceded that the original plan for the
repeal of the tolls act is impossible.
Mediation is now the word. They will
lie satisfied if they can win with the
Simmons amendment. They are none
too sure of that, although they claim
that the amendment will go through
with several votes to the good
Senator O'Gorman and those who
are aligned with him have refused to
consider any compromise. They &c
: clare that they will stand by the plank
In the national Democratic platform
which brought the administration into
Lower. I'VE refuse to be false to our
DIeuSe, Iney ueCldie. our pleuSe "
the people of the United States is
more important TO us, they say, than
concession to British diplomacy. AL
! legiance to the United States first is
their slogan. This they follow up
with another battle cry, Loyalty to
our platform pledges"
See Politics in Referendum.
The Democratic majority see moth
ing but shrowd political move in the
resolution introduced by Senator
Rorah, of Idaho, on Saturday, in
which he appealed for postponement
of action on the Panama tolls until
the coming November election, when
fl is proposed to put the entire tolls
question up to the voters of the coun-
try on a referendum.
This suggestion came as shock
Go the administration forces, because
they fully realize that on a referen-
dunn vote the question of tolls eXemp-
Sion would sweep the country from
Maine to California like wildfire.
1t is barely possible that the OPP
& ronents to the repeal of the free tolls
act might as a last resort join with
Senator Borah rather than go down
to defeat. But at this writing they
are too full of confidence to consider
the Borah resolution. While Senator
OGorman refuses to speak personally
on this phase of the question he has
no hesitation in declaring his conf
Gence in ultimately winning free tolls
: for American shipping in the Panama
Canal