The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1914-04-08
MUST NOT DODGE IT
ADMINISTRATION LEADERS WILL
Not COMPROMISE
Meet issue SQUARELY
President Expresses Confidence That
Senate Will Pass Repeal Measure
as It Was Passed in the House
Several Republicans Are Joining
With Him on This Question.
With Him on This Question.

Administration leaders in the Sen
ate buckled on their armor Thursday
and plunged actively into the Panama
tolls fight, determined to maintain
an unyielding position until the end
| Of the controversy Though the
House bill to repeal toll exemption
for American ships is resting in the
hands OF the committee on inter-
oceanic canals, there were many In
formal conferences during the day
relating to the issue and among the
developments was visit Of Secretary
Bryan at the capitol in the interest
of the administration policy.
"No compromise" was the slogan
OF the administration leaders in their
conferences. So many bills and res
olutions have been introduced tend
ing to cloud the plain issue of re-
peal that it has been determined to
make it plain from the outset that
no temporizing is to be countenanced.
President Wilson told inquirers
that he expected no factionai delay
or filibustering and had every rea-
son to believe from what senator's
Told him that there would be
prompt report from the committee on
interoceanic canals. The president
said there were one or two members
of the committee who were against
the repeal bill, who, he understood,
would vote to bring the question
promptly before the Senate in an
early report.
Incidentally, the president took oc-
casion to deny published reports that
he had sent any ultimatum to the
Senate through Senator Owen or any
one else with a view to forcing early
action. He had done nothing, he
said, along this line. He added that
no proposals for compromise or
change in the repeal measure had
been brought to him and significantly
suggested that amendments were not
being offered by administration lead
ers.
The president has more than once
made plain that he believed 1t the
duty of the American congress to re-
peal the tolls exemption without
equivocation or evasion and that he
was against any amendments. He
told callers frankly that while he did
not expect obstructive tactics in the
Senate, he expected full discussion
of the question there but was conf
dent the repeal would pass.
The president declared no propos-
ais for a caucus had been mentioned
to him. Reports were in circulation
that an effort might be made to force
the repeal bill into caucus, but
these rumors were denied promptly
Democratic leaders asserting that
caucus would not be necessary, at
the same time insisting that there is
no doubt that the repeal bill will
have safe majority when the vote Is
taken. It yas pointed out that DEM
ocratic senators, such as O'Gorman
and Chamberlain, who are openly.
and unyieldingly opposed to toll e1-
emption repeal, could not go into
caucus which would be designed to
bind them.
Friends Of the repeal bill insisted
that support of the presidents policy
is increasing rather than decreasing.
One Republican senator who will vote
for the repeal declared that canvass
of the Senate showed a clear majority
of nine for the bill, the probability
being that several votes counted for
the opposition would be reversed. A
number of Republicans, however, it
is now generally understood, have de-
cvlined to line up against the repeal,
Notwithstanding they voted against
free tolls originally. Among these
are Senators Penrose and Oliver OF
Pennsylvania, who have publicly an
nounced their change Of position.
Secretary Bryan discussed the issue
with several senators while at the
capitol, among them Senator Ashurst
Of Arizona, one Of the Democrats
openly opposed to the repeal. Sena-
tor Ashurst said, after his talk with
the secretary Of state, that he had
not changed his views. Mr.. Bryan
also discussed the situation with Sen
ator Overman of North Carolina, who
is in favor of toll exemption repeal.