The Washington herald., 1914-04-07
PRESIDENT GAINS
Votes ON TOLLS.
CONTINUED FROM PAGE ONE.

yesterday that he did not anticipate that
the country would seeth over the contro-
versy long, after its final settlement =
This is the same information as comes
to Washington from Texas. Tennessee.
Georgia and Illinois and a number OF
other States where no selfish interest on
either side of the controversy obtains
Senator Weeks, OF Massachusetts,, said
yesterday that the Republican vote In
his State strongly supports the President,
but that his understanding Is that the
Democratic vote Is about three to one
against repeal. As the Democratic vote
In Massachusetts, Is dominated strongly
by the Irlsh-American element. which has
been worked upon persistently by the
spread eagle" campaign of sensational
list newspaper proprietors. aided by the
shipping monopoly, the Republican vote
is taken as more clearly Indicative Of
the unbiased sentiment
True situation in Ohio.
Observers In Washington for a while
were puzzled at the apparent interest
shown In Ohio IN behalf Of the shipping
monopoly. A"carfeul investigation
showed the trus4nwardness of the situa-
ton there. however. Through the al
lance between Hearst and Mclean, own
er of the Cincinnati Enquirer Ohio fur
nished a good demonstration field. Ac-
cordingly sentiment was carefully worked
up there through publicity and political
whispering, and certain sections convinced
that the repeal proposal involved a COM
piete surrender to Great Britain
Representative Frank Willis, Of
Ohio, and a few of his colleagues in
the House were the principal suffer-
ers. Willis went out to Ohio intend
ing, when he returned from brief
political tour in the interest of his
gubernatorial campaign, to vote with
the President in the House. Several
other Republicans in the Ohio dele
cation intended to do likewise Will
lis went to Ohio to make three speeches
in as many Congressional districts.
The meetings were carefully planted"
by opponents Of the repeal The plans
even went so far as to include flags
for the audience to greet each twist
of the lions tail
At the first meeting the presiding
oficer. before introducing Willis. made
a spread-eagle, pyrotechnic declama-
tion. throwing defiance into the teeth
Of Great Britain The "claques" In
the audience took the signal every
time the eagle screamed, and almost
tore the roof on. Willis. waiting to
make his first speech, was visibly i'm
pressed. He spoke in favor of free
tolls and in defiance OF Great Britain.
He did the same at the next two meet
ings. His greeting was warm, the
"claques'' worked overtime, and Willis
returned to Washington firmly con-
WINGED that his State was up in arms
against the Presidents course, and
that It would be political suicide to
vote for the repeal. He even con-
WINGED some of his Republican friends
in the Ohio delegation to this effect.
Later. the unholy alliance became SO
apparent that a quiet investigation
was commenced. Then the true story
came out. Ohioans in the House who
voted for the repeal bill are still
laughing.
Texas Behind Hr. Wilson.
All Texas is united behind President
Wilson in his tolls fight, according to
Representative James P. Buchanan, OF
tn Tenth Texas district. Mr.. Buchanan
has just returned from Texas, where he
made a special effort to get in touch
with sentiment on the tolls controversy.
81 did not find the least sentiment
against the Presidents contention" he
said yesterday. Everyone I talked to
simply favored upholding the Presidents
hand in the matter, taking 1t for granted
that, as far as the international phase
Of the controversy IL concerned, he knows
more about Il than they do, and that.
leaving the international phases out Of
consideration. the exemption clause
should be repealed as an economic prop
osition."
Representative William Kent. of Cali
fornia, yesterday replied in an open tele-
gram to Fremont Older, editor of the
San Francisco Bulletin, to an editorial
printed in the San Francisco Examiner.
charging him with "betraying'' the peo-
pies trust by voting for the repeal in
the House.
Mr.. Kent, aside from being one Of the
wealthiest men IN Congress. is the only
Independent. He is a man without
party, and has been twice elected with
out appreciable opposition as such. He
caucuses with his conscience and votes
the caucus verdict. He came all the way
to Washington to vote against the re-
peal, having been called West by the
last illness of his mother.
The telegraphic correspondence between
Mr.. Older and Mr.. Kent follows:
San Francisco, Cal, April 3, 1914.
Hon. William Kent.
Washington, d. c.
Examiner editorial under caption
These Two Betrayed the Peoples Trust
says: on final vote on repeal free tolls
law, Two men WITHOUT uuesllOH HllsEtp-
resented whole bow their constituents,
whether Democrats, Republicans, or
Prcgressives. One of these two was WILL
lam Kent. Representative Kent is a
political hybrid Please wire comment
on hybrid statement.
FREMONT OLDER.
Mr.. Kent's Reply.
Fremont Older. Editor.
San Francisco Bulletin.
San Francisco, Cal.
Consider following editorial from New
York Journal, December q. 1900: Tt Is
possible that before the canal has been
opened very long We may decide to pay
the cost of operation out OF the National
Treasury. and let our vessels go through
free of tolls as the State Of New York
does for the Erie Canal. In this case. we
shall be bound to let England's ships go
through free as we'll
Here is a statement OF what the treaty
then meant to Hearst. Is IL possible for
any one to pay heed to suggestions eman-
ating from such a bedlam of contradic-
ton?
"I have heretofore been in ignorance as
to the Hearst definition of a man who.
tries to place public welfare above par
tisanship, and who is striving to uphold
the national honor and to promote sound
economics. The misfit animal that would
represent the Hearst policies of hatred
end noise has not yet been given a name.
II the world were populated by William
Hearsts, and IL the sky were papered with
his publications, there would be a scene
Of sordid selhshness, made still more in
tolerable by senseless clamor.
'wIIIIAM KENT"