Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-02-02
DEMOCRATS REVOLT
AGAINST SHIP BILL
Nine Vote With Republicans,
Changing Administration Ad-
vantage Into Defensive.
FIGHT ALMOST HOPELESS
Motion to Recomrnit Measure
Pending When Senate Adj
journs-Party Caucus Called.

WASHINGTON. February Mime
an alliance with the Republicans In
an unexpected attempt to recommit the
government ship-purchase bill
The sudden revolt turned IN
twinlling an administration advantage
into a defensive. which tonight APP
pcared almost hopeless to many Demo
cratic leaders.
Forced to fight for the very life of
the proposed measure, the Democrats
succeeded I'm adjournng the Senate
with the motion pending to send the
bin back to committee. a party eau
Gus Immediately was called for to-
morrow morning.
Senator Clarke. of Arkansas. sprang
the surprise when he rose while
Senator William Alden Smith. of Mich-
igan. was concluding q long speech
against the bill. and asked him to yield
for motion The Senator yielded,
and Senator Clarke. Introducing his
remarks with an appeal for considera-
,ion of other legislation. moved TO
send back the ship bill
The Legislative pandemon!um that
followed had not been witnessed In the
Senate In many years. Senator'S
poured from the cloakrooms to the
chamber. The rush from the Republi-
can cloakroom was even more immc-
diatc. as they had been forcwarneh.
CHAIR OvERRULED,
APPEAL Is SUSTAINED
AZ soon as administration leaders
could catch their breath, Senator
Fletcher, In charge of In. bill made u
point OF order against the motion,
which Vice president Marshall sus-
taincd. Senator Clarke appealed and
the chair was overruled. and Senator
Clarkc's appeal sustained. 46 10 81.
Nine Democrats voted with the Repub-
leans The motion to recommt was
pending when the Senate adjourned
until noon tomorrow.
The nine Democrats who voted
against the ruling of the chair were:
Bankhead. of Alabama; Camden. Ken
tucky: Clarke, Arkansas: Hardwick.
Georgia; Bryan. Florida: Hitchcock.
Nebraska: OGormnn, New York: Smith,
OF Georgia. and Nardaman OF Missis-
sppi AS soon as the record of this
vote had been cleared. Senator Stone
was recog nized. The chamber was In
confusion as the Missourian, who has
stood by the bill through the bitter
y,
reycd the assemblagc for n moment.
With Il gesture toward his own side
OF the aisle. Senator Stone declared:
I'm order that Democrats may have
a conference and that the Republicans
and their allies may hold conference,
move that the Senate do now adj
journ."
MOTION TO ADJOURN
LOST BN 10 TO 3G VOTE
The motion was Immediately put.
and there was a loud chorus OF Noes"
ON roll call the motion to adjourn
was lost by a vote OF 40 to 80. Senator
stone then moved that Senator Clarkc's
motion TO rccommit be laid on the
table. and this. too. was lost by vote
OF a. TO ~. seven Democrats voting
with the Republicans. and Senator
La Toilette algning himself with the
Democratic minority.
Democrats who opposed the motion
to table were: Bankhend. Camden,
clarke. Hardwick. Hitchcock. OGor-
man and Vardaman. These seven, It
subsequently, developed, had conferred
carly In the day. and determined TO
break the deadlock, with n view either
TO material revision of the measure or
entirely sidctrackinG ii. at east i'm so
a.
This brought the motion to recon-
init sauarely before the Senate. when
Senator Reed, Of Missouri was recog-
nized, and began arraigning his col
leagues who had revoltcd and Repub-
licans who had opposed the bill as sup
portcrS OF the shipping trust which
had sought to plunder the shippers OF
America. For nearly an hour Senator
Reed, who pcrsistently throughout the
administration has been opposed. to its
purposes. defended the bill
CONGRATULATES HOARY
SHIP TRUST MONOPOLY
II congratulate the hoary old shin
trust monopoly" he said, ION the fact
that ii appears still TO possess In this
day and age enNigh vigor to invade the
DcmocNltic side of the chamber and
iind votes In it's support"
While Senator Reed was speaking
Republican Senators exulted. while
Democratic leaders rushed hurriedly in
and out of cOmmittec-room conferences
10 determine on a course of action
They counted noses. figuring on alb
sentees. and could not see n way out
Of INC difficulty. Some sought confer
.nccs with progressive Republicans
senator Norris. who had offered amend
menus SeNeTal uayS before which would
strengthen the permanency of the pro-
posed government enterprise. told Sen
dtors who offered to accept his amend
mcn's that they came II few hours too
late
amendments will be considered in
the Democratic caucus Tomorrow
The caucus also will endeavor to find
way TO get the ReDublican-P Progress
sivc support without recOmmitttnp tho
pill IF this fails and the bill is re-
committed, many of its most sanguine
supporters insist that the measure Is
dead for this session.
Senator Fletcher. when Senator Reed
had concluded, moved adjournment.
which was voted.
DEMOCRATIC LEADERS
CANVASS SITUATION
Democratic leaders tonight were
canvassing the situation. Absent