New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-04-01
Upheld by Majority of S6,
Despite Clark's Great
est Effort"
ONLY 81 DEMOCRATS
WITH THE SPEAKER
Twenty FIVE Republicans
and Two PrOgressiveS
Vote for Bill.
HOUSE IN A TURMOIL
Throngs in Galleries Join in
Demonstrations During Hours
of Hot Debate.

Washington, March 81. - President
Wilson won a signal victory to-day
when the House voted 70 repeal the
free tolls clause of the Panama Canal
act by a majority of So votes.
This triumph of the President. over
riding the leaders of the three parties
Represented in the House, followed the
most spectacular day that body has
seen since March 10. 1910, when
Speaker Cannon was deprived OF his
powers and his office Of presiding Of
fcer jeopardized.
The tolls repeal bill passed by vote
OF 24S TO 49, after the opposition had
forced two preliminary rollcalls-one on
the third reading Of the bill, the other
on a motion to recommit
The vote came also after Speaker
Champ Clark, Democratic war horse
and picturesque figure in the public life
of the nation. had taken the floor and
delivered what undoubtedly was the
greatest speech i'm his career The
Speaker. standing with his back to the
wall in support Of what he maintained
to be the right, was accorded wonder
ful ovation, even by those who few
moments later cast their ballots against
him.
In his speech Mr.. Clark renounced
any ambition for the Presidential nomi
nation in 1916. He closed With az eij-
uuent plea that his colleagues ''preven-
this stupendous folly, this unspeakaDle
humiliation of the American Republic
which brought members Of the House
and the occupants Of the galleries To
their feet in rlotous demonstration.
Fifty-two Democrats Against Wilson.
on the final vote fifty-two Democrats
voted against the Presidents bill and
twenty-five Republicans and two Pro
gressives for It,
The alignment was practically the
same on the preceding votes, which in
dicated the safe lead Of the administra-
ton and resulted in the unrestrained
enthusiasm of repeal advocates.
Like a calm after a storm was the
first rolcall on the third reading Of the
bill. The chamber. with every seat oc-
cupied and many Senator'S on the outer
fringe. and with the galleries jammed
to suffocatine capacity, listened in
silence as name after name was called
Occasionally. as a leader voted no
there was ripple of applause. and .
then the nerve-racl,ed participants aud ~
spectators settled back for the verdict
On this vote the figures were 2fI for
the administration to 100 against, with
one voting present
Next came q rollcall on the motion ot
Representative OShaunessy, A Rhode
Island Democrat, TO recommit the olil
The motion was lost-lI6 TO 23"'-and
the administration had scored again.
The exultant repeal forces then pre-
pared for the final charge which would
take them over the breastworks Of the
opposition and just before o'clock
Speaker Clark announced the victory
Of the President by the vote Of 2is
TO l62.
For Gve and one-half hours prcce1-
ing the vote spectacular and stcrmf
debate had continued, and legislative
drama almost without parallel in the
history Of the House has been grad
ually unfolded. The opposing sides
held their heaviest oratorical guns in
reserve for the crucial moments of the
contest this afternoon. There were set
speeches Of impassoned nature. These
constituted the artillery fire Of the ad-
ministrat ton and nti-administra'ioh
forces. Interspersed were the peppery,
five-minute effort of members 'eprc
sentative OF the rank and file-the rat
tie Of musuketry in a great struggle.
Back and forth. with charge aud
counter charge of national honor
"sbip subsidy" "transcontinental rail-
road and British domination and 10y
altv 70 the President skirmished the
legislative warriors, Finally, not long
before 1 o'clock, the battle lines rested
for the final onslaught Of the real oppo-
nents-the speech OF the Speaker OF the
House. who had been accused cf
treachery TO his party because he op-
posed the President.
All day long events had been leading
up TO this final effort Of Mr.. Clark 10
turn the tide of conflict against the
administration. Women and men had \
fought for entrance 10 the galleries:
they had been driven out of the lobbies
behind the chamber; they had stood on
tiptoe on improvised platforms in the
corridors. refusing 10 bulge insisting
that doorkeepers find some place with
in where they might witness the end.
Members of the House were hardly
less active. They besIeged the press
gallery in an effort to ind seats for
their families and more exacting con-
stituents. They almost threw them
selves lgainst the Ions lines of waiting