New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-05-08
Senator Takes Issue with
Administration on All
Points Involved.
BITTER WORDS OVER
PLATFORM VIOLATION
Sees Betrayal of Future Ameri.
can Marine-BristOW Adds
Caustic Comment.
From The Tribune Bureau.

Washington. May I'm final effort TO
carry the day for the opponents OF the
canal tolls repeal bill. OF whom he is the
acknowledged leader in the Senate. Sen
ator O'Gorman delivered a speech to-day.
opposing the administration and scoring
his party colleagues for violating their
platform.
The Senator from New York did not
directly criticise President Wilson I'VE
may not always" he said. have Presi-
dent who will command in such a high
degree the confidence which the American
people rcpose in the present Executive"
lie drew the line of distinction, however,
between Woodrow Wilson the publicist
and Woodrow Wilson the President and
took issue with the latter on every point
involved in the canal tolls controversy.
III | would counsel the President he
said, 'I would remind him that. whatever
We owe foreign nations, We owe more to
the American people. IL is idle TO talk
Of national honor when we seek TO meet
unfounded demands by infiicting injustice
and dishonor uton our own people.
"I shall never furl the standard OF the
United States and lay 1t at the feet or
foreign nation. In contest between my
country and a foreign government. ] shall
take my place with ny own people
Senator Bristow followed Senator O'Gor-
man, appealing to his colleagues not TO
blot the history OF this heroic achieve
ment by an act of subserviency TO Eng
fish arrogance or American greed" He
II. al 'arpeoie Peace EOunda-
ton.
Senator OGorman opposed the repeal
bill on economic. legal and political
grounds He said:
I'm my judgment. the British claim has
neither law nor justice to sustain 1t.
hope to be able to establish: First, that
the exemption of the coastwise vessels
constitutes a wise economic policy, and
is not affected by the Hay-Pauncefote
treaty; second. that II coastwise ves-
sells falls within the terms of the treaty
the exemption does not constitute vio-
lation thereof: third that the canal has
been constructed on territory over which
the United States exercises the power or
sovereignty, while the canal contemplated
by the treaty was TO be built on alien
soil, and therefore the Hay-Pauncefote
treaty is nnpplicable."
Reviewing the history Of the decay OF
American shipping. he added
"Mr President, military and economic
reasons alike induced us to embark on
this vast undertaking.
"Our commerce should not be aban-
doned to the monopoly Of foreign nations.
We are now in the grip OF foreign
steamship trust Our American marine
has been destroyed, and it was hoped that
the Panama Canal would mean its resto-
ration. but the influences that have swept
away our shipping are now endeaVorins
to keep II off the sea-
Mr.. OGormsn reiterated the charge
that the railroad interests have been ac-
tive in creating sentiment against the
tolls exemption clause OF the Panama
Canal act and contended that the eXemp-
ton was justified by the policy when mas
been pursued by the United States WIN
respect to other waterways.
Concerning the plank in the platform
in the insertion Of which he had been ac-
cused Of being most active, Senator O'Gor-
man said:
Those who seek TO justify the betrayal
Of party pledges must invent an excuse or
openly confess that the declaration OF
principles adopted at the Baltimore con-
vention was mere sham, to be used only
for the purpose OF deceiving the Ameri-
can electorate and not for the purpose OF
being redeemed honestly. When before
did the Democratic party violate party
Hedges? When did it repudiate solemn
covenant with the American people?
Those who say We must act because
the President so advises have very err
roncous conception OF the Senatorial Of
flee. They forget our powers and re-
sponsIbiities, as we'll as the limitation
imposed by the Constitution on the Ex-
ecutive We are too important branch
Of the government to allow our action TO
be controlled by the request, caprice or
dictation OF any other branch of the gov
eminent.
II should prefer to stand with the
President, but I have never bolted
Democratic candidate nor Democratic
platform, and do not intend now to take
nv place with the regulators of party
pledges.