New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-05-13
Senate Votes
1898 Against
MuzzlingPress
Clean-Cut Decision Obtained
on Question of
Censorship


margin of one vote, the Senate to-day
struck out the much discussed section
of the espionage bill designed TO gag
the press ana curb free speech during
the wa. The vote was an accurate
test of the will of the Senate with re-
gard to a censorship, since prior to Its
being taken the censorship section has
been made so mild that it would never
have been recognized by its original
trainers in the Department of Justice.
1t was modified by the judiciary Com
mttee and has gradually been having
its teeth extracted in the Senate until
there remained to-day only one ques-
tion-Shall the power be given the
President TO prescribe rules as TO what
shall and what shall not be published
This fat proposition was voted down.
50 10 3S.
MAY Be Another Roll Call
The vote was taken in the commit
tee of the whole. which means that
another roll call can be demanded
when the bill comes up in the Senate
proper.
In anticipation Of this vote. there
was much scurrying on the part OF
some OF the Administration leaders
and frantic appeals from the White
House to swing over one or more of
the Senators who had voted to eliml-
nate the censorship section.
1t DEVELOPED late to-day, however,
that the Administration will have to
gain more than orc vote 70 win. as
ono Senator who voted against strik-
ing out the section to-day declared
tonight that. if another ballot is
taken he viii vote against the cen
sorship. Others are known to be
wayering toward the free speech side
20 that il another vote is taken on
Monday a larger majority against the
Administration is likely.
House for the Measure
To-day's action. if permitted tc
stand on final passage Of the bill
leaves the House on record in favor
Of the censorship, and the Senate
against il. and probably will throw the
question into a conference committee
for settlement. where the full force
Of the Administration will be eXerteC
20 put censorship through in some
form.
The vote on the motion to strike
out the censorship section, which was
made by Senator Johnson. Of Califor
MIA. was as follows:
Ayes Ashurst. Bankhead. Borah Brande
gee. Broussard. Calder. Chamberlain. Cum
Minis. Curtis. Fernald. France. Frelinghuysen
Callinger, Gore. Gronna. Harding Hardwick
johnson. of California: Jones. of Washing
ton: Kellogg, Kenyon, La Toilette. Mckellar
Martin. New. Norris. Page. Reed, Salisbury
Sherman. Shields. Smith. OF Georgia Smoot
Sutherland. Thomas. Townsend. Underwood
Nardaman, Watson 60.
Noes Brady. Colt. Culberson. Fletcher
Gerry. Hale. Hollis. Husting james. Jones
Of New Mexico: kendrich. King, Kirby
Lodge. McCumber. Mclean. Myers. Nelson
Oyermsn. Pittnan. Poindexter. Pomerene
Ransdell, Robinson. Shafroth. Sheppa rd
Simmons. Smith. of Arizona Smith. Of South
Carolina. Sterling. Stone. Thompson, Tram
NELL. Walsh. Warren. Weeks. Williams
Wolcott 3S.
The failure TO get vote in the Sen
ate to-day on the espionage bill marks
the first occasion in the history of the
Senate when a ten-minute rule failed
to produce a vote before adjournment
Never before has the Senate had tive
successive ten-minute rule days on th9
same bill