The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1914-04-02

ufaDle aiunougn not complete test VI
the strength of the bill, for some sena
tors might object to debating to COM
mittee regardless of the merits of the
issue.
Some senators, including Republicans,
may try to postpone action until fall,
but it can be said authoritatively that
the president will not permit any such
evasion. He never let's up when he has
started out for vote, and the oppo
nents of repeal although they may delay
the vote will find it impossible to stave
it off altogether. The question of re-
funding the tolls, as these dispatches
have intimated, will enter.to complicate
the general issue, but may cause no
special trouble. President Wilson has
taken his stand on the anti-subsidy
plank in his party platform, as opposed
to the spurious" plank, as the New
York World calls it, championed by
Champ Clark, and the administration in
fluence of course would be thrown
against refunding amendment.
The letter of Richard Olney, dramsti-
cally introduced into the House Tuesday
by Representative Peters of Massachu-
setts is said to have changed at least
10 votes. If so, it would be proved that
the White House prediction of the re.
suit published in these dispatches few
days ago was exactly correct. The Oh
ney letter will still exert powerful
influence in the Senate, and already Bor-
ah of Idaho is preparing to reply to it.
1t will be recalled also that the opin-
ion of Joseph H. Choate, former am
bassador to England, is in line with Mr.
Olney's. Speaking in Washington last
December, Mr.. Choate declared emphat-
ically for the repeal of the tolls clause,
on the ground that it contravened the
treaty. Il want to say for Lord Paunce-
fote and Secretary Hay that they were
two of the noblest, truest and purest
statesmen on the EARTH" said Mr.
Choate. ut never crossed the minds of
either of them or of myself that the
treaty ever meant anything else than
exactly what it said, but Mr.. Taft sue
ceeded in reading something else in and
Congress also did, and Congress passed
law and he signed the bill. 1t has
created a situation that has raised the
distrust of foreign nations of our will
lingness to stand by the treaties we
make. There are two ways out of it.,
one of which ! hope will be adopted,
that is to repeal the eighth clause of
the Panama canal act. We will dis
pose of the matter that way and leave
it where it was. Another way is TO ar
bitrate the question as quickly and as
effectively as possible
On the latter paint, it may be said,
that should the unexpected happen and
the Senate fail to pass the repeal bill,
it probably would be impossible to COM
mand o two-thirds vote in the Senate
to send the treaty to arbitration, in
which case the United States would
stand in more unfortunate position
toward other nations than it occupies
now.
Chairman 0'Gorman said yesterday he
would call the canals committee to
meet Tuesday. 1t is apparent that an
effort is to be made to amend the House
bill with clause asserting the SOW
ereignty of the United States over the
canal zone. Some senators who favor
the repeal believe such amendment would
not be considered in the light of COM
promise. Democratic senators most ac-
tive for the repeal insist that the bill
should prevail without amendment.
How far Republican senators will figure
in the result is the subject of active
speculation.
Estimates of the number of Demo
Gratis who will oppose the repeal vary
from eight to Ia.
"The repeal is not yet won by any
MEANS" said Senator Chamberlain, lead
ing the opponents.
When the canals committee will com.
plete its work cannot be forecast now,
but the general opinion is that the is
sue will not come formally before the
Senate for at least 10 days.
Senator Norris, Republican. introduced
an amendment to reaffirm the right of
the United States to grant an exemp-
tion if it desired to do so and to direct
the president to begin negotiations to ar
bitrate Great Britain's protest.
A resolution to postpone consideration
of the bill until President Wilson CON-
municates to the Senate, in confidence,
if it so asks, the nature of the matters
of greater delicacy and nearer conse-
quence" mentioned in his address to Con-
gress, was introduced by Senator Poin.
dexter.
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