Western Carolina Democrat and French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1913-1915, 1914-06-18
/ EDITORIAL OBSERE AFI0NS.
!. Contributed.
THE PRESIDENT WINS AGAIN.

er battle to a successful conclusion
and there will be no free tolls exemp-
ton in the Panama canal act that is
, finally. written into the law of the |
land The repeal bill passed the Sem
ate on last Friday by vote of fifty
to thirty-flve, thirteen Republicans
Joined thirty-seven Democrats for re-
neal, while eleven Democrats, twenty.
/ three Republicans and one Progress
sive voted against The passage of the
bill ends struggle that has been go
ing on for months and the result is
ksegarded as another victory for tn
President, who initiated the move
ment for repeal and fought zealousHs
in defense of the position he had as
| suned He considered the exemF-
ton clause a subsidy and reminded
/ congress that the democratic platform
adopted at Baltimore, declared againss
special privilege in any form. The
President was positive in the conclu-
sion that. free tolls, for vessels engag-
ed in American coastwise shipping
constituted a subsidy and thirty-seven
Democrats have taken a similar view
of the question The adoption of the
sflnmons-Norris amendment resery-
/ ing all rights the United States may
have under the Hay-P aunceforte
! treaty, necessitated a return of the
! fs1l t9 the House for Concurrence.
That body passed fayorab1y upon the
administration measure weeks ago,
hut stubborn opposition to it develops
cd in the upper branch and a fierce
struggle mas been waging since it was
Transmitted to the Senate on March
81 The President was fortunate IN
enlisting the active support of Sena-
! tor Simmons, whose great ability and
Isuperb leadership, completely over
4 shadowed the opposition and intercep-
ted it at every turn OF the way. While
3 the suggestion that the tolls exemp-
i ton clause of the act providing for
the establishment of civil government
s in the canal zone was used as an ar
gument for repeal, there was muca
stronger reason back of the PROPOSE
ton. The British government filed a
protest with Secretary Knox two years
ago in which it took the position that
to allow American vessels to pass
Through the canal without the payment
CT tolls would be in violation OF the
: Hay aunceforte treaty, which super
: seeded the Clayton Palmer treaty under
which Great Britain and the United
States were, jointly, to build the canal
5 In this agreement. and rules govern
r ing the same, it was provided that;
"The canal shall be free and open t.
the vessels of commerce and of war
Y to all nations observing these rules on
q terms of equality, so that there shall
: be no discrimination against any suca
nation or its citizens or subjects IN
respect of conditions or changes o.
e traffic or otherwise. Such conditions
d or changes of traffice shall be jus:
n and equitable" Secretary Knox con
tended, throughout long diplomats
controversy, that the exemption o
y American coastwise shipping was Il
IS no way discrimination against othel
: traffic using the canal and asserted tina
is the proposed exemption was in tn
% nature of a subsidy paid by American
e Taxpayers to certain vessels.
IS But Secretary Knox did not suceee,
D in bringing the British governme
around to his view of the matter an
throughout the first year of Presiden
n Wilson's administration there wa
a constant agitation for the repeal @
or the exemption clause, rather tina
e compromise our national honor.
1T The Baltimore platform had declare
o. for free tolls and congress last yea
included a provision in the civil gov
eminent bill for the canal zone in &C
Id cordance Herewith. Notwithstandin
al all this the President became convint
k. ed that bill reversing the Congress
IN upon the question should be passe
he and he made known his wishes in
81 address to a joint session of the tw
sir houses on March 5, of this year.
this message Mr. Wilson took the p
sition that the exemption was VI
of doubtedly mistaken policy and
lie plain contravention of treaty obligI
m tons. He insisted that the Unite
Is States should reverse its positio
lat without raising the question wheth'
the action of congress and the DEM
Gratis at Baltimore were right I
lg- wrong, which would sustain our rep
he tation for generosity and the redem
We ton of every obligation prompt
re The sincerity of the President and Z
strong arguments he presented in q
tense of his position caught the e