West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1914-04-02
VOTE TODAY ON
TOLLS REPEAL
Bitter Fight in House Comes
to End This Afternoon
WILSON men SEE VICTORY

Majority Of Not Less Than Fifty Pre-
dicted by Supporters Of Repeal.
While Opponents Claim Many Con.
sressmen Have Jumped TO Their
Side-SPeaker Ciark's Address This
Afternoon viii Conclude Debate.
Washington, March 31.--with the
final vote on the Sims repeal bill in
the house scheduled for late today
interest in the controversy increased.
the closing speech OF Speaker Clark
in opposition TO the repeal serving
as to the chief objective point OF an
ticipation.
Little doubt as to the result OF the
vote on the bill is entertained by any
one. the majority for the repeal being
variously estimated at not less than
fifty.
Congressman Knowlands said:
There are developments in this sit
uation that are not observable on the
surface. In my opinion the tolls bill
is I'm danger.
"Do you thing there is a chance OF
beating the bill?" Mr.. Knowlands was
asked.
Il do most emphatically, replied
Mr.. Knowlands. wait and see the
finish"
In today's debate the heavy artil-
lery OF both sides is being unlimbered.
Speaker Clark's speech will be the
most important feature OF the con-
Guiding debate.
Others OF the anti-administration
group to be heard today were Minority
Leader Mann and Progressive Leader
Murdock. Representative Sherley OF
Kentucky presented the closing argu-
ment for the administration side. Mr..
Sherley's speech was an exhaustive
presentation OF the economic princi
pies involved and an insistance upon
an honest observance OF Americas
international treaty obligations.
Voting will begin at about s O'clock.
There will be two roll calls at least.
The first will be on the motion TO
recommit the bill to the committee
on interstate and foreign commerce
with general or specific instructions
as to amendment and the second on
the passage OF the measure.
Each roll call will consume approxi.
mately forty minutes, so that definite
action on the bill will have been ac.
complished by O'clock.
Senator James Ham Lewis OF iii
nois startled his colleagues when he
declared that the reason the president
was so anxious to settle the tolls con.
trOvarev In a xyov aatfefa ~ nrv IN Enc
land was TO prevent the occupation OF
Mexico by England, Germany and
France. The senator went further
and predicted that in case such a
thing came to pass Russia would
seize Alaska and Japan would take
the Philippines and Hawaii and at
tack the Pacific coast.
Senator Lewis dashed this warming
of in a matter of fact way which
caused his colleagues TO look at him
with an expression OF incredullty. lie
calmly asserted that this was the real
motive behind the presidents speech
to congress when he referred to deli.
cate international relations as a
reason for tolls exemption.
The president referred with con.
siderable feeling TO charges that have
been made in congress that he had
entered into a deal with Great Britain
by which Great Britain was TO get a
repeal OF the free tolls legislation
and I'm return for II was to support
President Wilson's Mexican policy.
The president characterized this as
one OF a number of insults" that
have been injected into the tolls de.
bate. He expressed great regret at
what seemed to him to be a degenerat.
ing OF the debate into an effort 10 dis.
credit the administration. He declared,
however, that the outcome would not
be affected by this.
The president told visitors that the
international emergency referred TO
by him was merely the unanimity Of
opinion among the powers that the
exemption violates the Hay-Paunce-
fote treaty.