The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-04-01
By a Vote of 246 to l62 Meas
ure Goes through Lower
Branch--One Virginia Rep
resentative Votes No.
Clark and Mann
Make Hot Fight
Bitter Accusations Against the
President Marked Course of
Debate - Packed Galleries
Cheer to Echo When Result
Was Announced.

WASHINGTON, March si.--The ad-
bill repeating the free tolls
provision In the Panama canal act was
passed by the house this evening. PAS to
l62. President Wilson thus carried the
day over Champ Clark and the other
big congress leaders, by the impressive
IN atority of SO.
The repeal bill now goes to the SEN
ate, where the contest Will be very
close. Probably a MONTHS debate will
be necessary In that body, with the
likelihood of bitterness and raneor in
the Democratic party becoming daily
more pronounced. Friends of the pres
ident acknowledge tonight that the bill
now has margin Of only two votes
in the upper branch of the national
Legislature,
President Wilson'S victory in the
house was gained after further wounds
had been inflicted upon the body of
the Democratic organization Speaker
Champ Clark delivered one of the most
speeches that has been
heard in congress in many years.
While attempting 20 gloss over his
personal controversy with the presi-
dent MIR. clark attacked the attitude
of the administrations unsparingly.
Accuses President.
III being d .repudiator of the Democra-
tic platform. and OF proposing an un-
American surrender To Great Britain.
"A stupendous folly, n degradation
ef the American people. and unspeak-
able humiliation of the republic" was
tho WAY III which Mr.. Clark charac-
terized the presiden, repeal propo-
sal
Incidentally Speaker Clark dlselaimcd
any intention of advancing his own
political fortunes in 1915. declaring that
President Wilson. III a success. would
be re-uon1inatcd and reelected. and IL a
failure, the nomination would not be
worth having for any Democrat.
Clark's attack upon the president.
and the vote in the house. presented one
of the most impressive scenes con-
gross has Witnessed in recent years.
President Wilson energies from the
first engagement in the free tolls bat
tie most certainly the master of his
party than he has ever been before. In
opposition to the most powerful lead
ers in congress he has caused the
house not only To reverse itself on the
free tolls question, but to repudiate
a plank of the Democratic platform.
He has done this without even giving
the house the details of the reasons
why he has sought the change. or
without even hasing his plea on the
ground of a treaty violation
Must Unite Factions.
The president will now be called on
10 exercise his strength 10 crush the
born in the present con-
troversy.
The action taken by the house to-
day, if sustained by the senate, means
that all American coastwise vessels VIII
he obliged to pay the regular tolls OF
s 20 per net registered ton
Demands Roll Call.
The house rose en- masse tod emand
the roll call, and with an extraordf-
nary silence the roll proceeded Not
once in the course of the thirty-hve
minutes required to call and tabu-
lated the roll did the speaker have to
ask for order The house was as sill
emit as a tomb. except for the penetrat-
ing tones of the reading clerk, calling
the names in his sing-song voice, and
ayes" and noes" from the
members. Even the crowded CALLER
les, which had been afiutter and abuzz
all day, observed the necessity for
silence. Everybody was expecting a
Wilson vlstory, but the announcements
Of the vote by the speaker was greet-
ed with prolonged cheering from the
side of the house, and
applause from the Repub-
licans.
oHcrS Amendment.
Immediately order was restored
Representative O'Shaughnessy, Of
Rhode Island. a Democrat. and mem
Der of the committee on interstate and
foreign commerce, presented mo-
ton to recomnait, N0h VWW -
lows:
II move to recommlt the bill H. r
w. 1885. TO the committee on inter-
state and foreign commerce, with
directions to the committee to report
said bill back to the house forthwith
with the following amendment:
Strike but all OF section 2, and in
sert in lieu thereof the following
Section .. And congress hereby de.
clares that in his judgment the Emitted
States. which. at enormous cost, has
built and fortified. and owns. the
canal. without any expectation OF
profit to itself from "a
ownership. and which has the duty
and expense OF protecting the c13sAl
with it's troopa and warships. and NJ
proper sanitation may. as the 0wnar
and defender of the canal. and BY
virtue OF itx% rights Of sovereignty.
rightfully nrovide preferential tollA
or no tolls- for its own war vessels.
and for vNSeeIs or commerce belonging
Ii, or tts citizens flying Us nag, 30
long as the conditions and charges o.
trAfflc established " :. Aot 1920 -
foreign nations are just and equitable.
and 10y rightfuliy, In time OF war.
~ pf4a IS in time Of peace. maintain
the afny and navy In the canal 3ou1.
ir,rln4fnr all necessary war-like ma.
terisis both for defense and 0ffense;
assN may rightfully prOyad6 prefer
ss,Fisl tolls, or no tolls. for the veswele
n he republic OF Panama. from which
fenrblic the right to construct tho
N - -------.----------
icontinusd on Second F1sAl