St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1915-02-13
products and the products Of the en-
bill. With regard to party RESPONSE
bility, Senator Ransdell said:

| bill. With regard to party RESPONSE
bility, Senator Ransdell said
For thirty-eight long years the Re-
publican majority has sat here ins
the Halls of Congress and watched
our once powerful foreign merchant
marine shrink though they forced
through the House and Senate, under
whip and spur, their own pet legisla.
ton On q variety Of subjects, they
ibid practically nothing to give res
sea shipping. Their efforts have:
been purely destructive. They have
never built up, and now they strive
to prevent the Democrats from doing
SO. Now that measure has been
introduced which offers the first.
practical. definite proposition, IN
many years, in line with construc-
tive deep-sea shipping policy, they
have banded themselves together to-
obstruct it's passage by means Of an
tire United States, and the pending
bill is the first step in that direc-
ton
Democrats Score.
Administration forces Of the Sem
ate pushing the government ship
purchase bill, succeeded in putting
the Republicans and their seven
Democratic allies, again on the de-
fensive.
Accepting the inevitable, the OF
position renewed its declaration 81
|unrelenting war, Determined to on
pose the bill even until adjournment
on March 4, il necessary, Republi-!
cans resumed general debate in an
other prOtracted session which show
ed no signs Of ending atsa late hour
tonight.
After this turn in the already long
legislative struggle, Democratic the
Democratic champions Of the bill as
serted that the bill would not bass
withdrawn and that the great ap
preparation bills would be ignored
should the opposition insist on pre-
venting a vote. Even the president
intimated that there was NO thought
cf yielding to the ship bills enemies
Such q situation, it generally was
conceded would necessitate an extra
session Of Congress.
The only way to obyiate this. It J
was suggested. would be, for the eSn-
ate to adopt some form Of cloture
to force vote on the ship bill but
even administration leaders deemed
thisrunlikely.
Long Session Sure.
Republicans and the Democrats
insurgents were forced to renew de-
bate when Senator Fletcher offered
motion to recount the bill with inSS
structions to the commerce cOmmit.s
tee to rcrort 1t with amendmentSa
forthwith. Senator Fletcher sought
to get vote on his motion but the
opposition attempted to recess untiI
tomorrow. The recess motion W.
lost 4S to ~ with Senator Kenyonss
the only absentee. Senator'S Norris
end LaFollette voted against the re-
cess while Senators Clarke, Camden,
Benkhead, Hardwick, Hitchcock, CT
German and Vardaman, the seye1
Democratic insurgents, stood solidly
with the Republican minority. Un.
aDle to recess or adjourn the opposi
ton was forced to resume debatetS
senator Lodge opened the discussi0n
declaring that no vote on the Fetch
Of motion would be permitted IL I'M
possibly could be avoided.
When the night session was aSss5
suTed Senator Jones. OF Washington
took the floor and launched into ii
speech designed to extend tnrou9lts
out the night. Senator Jones declaIla
sd ne would talk until March 4. Il il
was physically possible and necessarJ
% defeat the bill. 81
Few Senators on either side resj
NAMED in the chamber after
o'clock, leaders Of both parties hav.
ng left men on guard in case a
should be necessary to send for Eel
nforcements. Scores OF Senatdr
prepared to spend the night in COM
nittee rooms adjacent to the senat
chamber.