The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1914-06-17
BARRIER IS MOVED
FIRST TEST VOTE IN FREE TOLLS
FIGHT COMES IN SENATE.
ESTIMATE ten MAJORITY

|EsTIhATE TEN MAJORITY
adoption of the Simmons-Norri
| Amendment Which Passes so Il
"a is First Test-Asserts Claim o.
United States to All Rights Which
She May Have.
The Senate Wednesday night clear
ed away most Of the legislative bar
riers in the way of a final vote or
the canal tolls exemption repeal bill
Votes taken on amendments design
ed to preserve any right the United
States possesses under the. Hay
Pauncefote treaty with Great Britain
to exempt American ships from toll
payment through the Panama Can.
al indicated that the forces OF repea!
will win by a substantial majority.
Senator Simmons, who led the
fight for repeal, has estimated that
the bill will carry by not less than
| ten votes, and there was every pro-
mise that his estimate will prove cor
rect.
There was no real test Of strength
in the voting, but the repeal forces
won the first round of the fight when
they put through, by vote Of so to
"a, the so called Simmons-Norris-a
mendment which declares the Unit
ed States does not waive or relin-
quish any right to exempt Amer1-
can ships from payment Of tolls.
Although two subsequent attempts
to change the language Of the amend
ment so that it would refer to right
the United States has, instead of any
right it may have, were defeated,
neither vote was so decisive as that on
the Simmons amendment. One mod
flying amendment by Senator Suth-
erland was beaten, 49 to 33, and the
second proposed by Senator Cummins
suffered like fate, 49 to 81.
There were several expressions
during the debate Of a. desire to sub
nit the dispute with Great Britain to
arbitration after the repeal bill is
passed. 1t has been reported in the
Senate for several days that an arbi-
tration resolution will be pressed af-
ter the passage of the bill. A Sc
rious attempt to put through arol-
tration resolutions may be opposed
by Democratic leaders who are anx-
ious to take up pending antitrust
Legislation.
The first vote came when the Sen
ate was not looking for it and found
21 senators absent from the chamber
or out of town. The Senate adopted
the SimmonsiNorris amendment quail
flying the canal exemption toll bill
by vote of so to "a.
This was the first test vote after
six weeks OF debate on the repeal bill.
The most optimistic senators who
favored repeal had not expected the
amendment to carry by so large
majority. It is not believed, how
ever, the bill itself can be put
through by so great a margin.
Nine Democratic senators voted
against the amendment. Several OF
these, however, are expected to vote
for the repeal bill, while several Re-
publicans who supported the amend
ment are expected to line up against
the bill. The Simmons-Norris amend
meat would provide that the passage
.of the repeal shall not be construed
or held as waiver or relinqulsn-
ment Of any rights the United States
may have under the Hay-Pauncefote
treaty with Great Britain.
The vote. on the Simmons-Norris
amendment was:
Ayes - Democrats, Bankhead,
BRYAN, Chiffon. Culberson, Fletcher,
Hitchcock, Hollis, Hughes, James,
Johnson, Kern, Lane, Lea, Lee,
Lewis, Martin, Myers, Newlands,
Overman, Owen, Pittman, Salisbury,
shafroth, Sheppard, Shively, Sim
mons, Smith (Arizona), Smith
Georgia., Smith (Maryland), Smith
(south Carolina), Stone, Swanson,
Thomas, Thompson, West, White
Sc.
Republicans - Brandegee, Colt,
Crawford, Gronna, Kenyon, Lippitt,
Lodge, McCumber, Mclean, Nelson,
Norris, Sterling, Weeks-13.
Progressive-Poindexter.
Nays-Democrats, Ashurst, Mar
tine. ,O,Gorman. Pomerene, Ransdell,
Reed, Shields, Walsh, Williams-s.
Republicans-Bristow, Burleigh'
Clark (Wyoming), Cummins, Calm
ger, Golf, Jones, Page, Perkins, Smith
(Mnhigan), Smoot, Sutherland,
Townsend, Warren, Works-I3.
The amendment reads: "ProVld-
ed, that the passage of this act shall
not be construed or held as waiver
or REIMBURSEMENT of any right the
United States may have under the
treaty with Great Britain, ratified
February 81, 1909, or the treaty with
| the republic of Panama, ratified Feb
ruary 26, 1904, or otherwise to dis
criminate in favor of its vessels by
exempting the vessels Of the United
States or it's citizens from the pay
ment Of tolls for passage through
said canal, or as any way waving
impairing or affecting any right Of
the United States under said treaty
or otherwise, with respect to the SOY
ereignty over the ownership, contro
and management Of said canal anc
the regulation of the conditions Of