The Washington herald., 1920-12-23
Republicans Divided, 154
For, Ia Against Ford
ney Bill.
TOTAL 1876 TO Sc;
VOTE PRESENT
Garrett Warns Democrats
Of Split, as Bitter
Debate Ensues.

The House last night passed the
Fordney emergency tariff bill de-
signed to relieve American agricul-
tural and livestock. industries from
the present price depression by vir-
tually prohibitory customs duties for
ten months. The vote was 1876 90 IS.
Five voted present. The bill now
goes TO The Senate. where Repubn-
can leaders on the finance committee
have promised to expedite its consid-
Grafton, while the Democrats plan
to exert every effort to block its
passage.
What President Wilson will do
with the bill Is problematicaI Some
Of the Democratic leaders expect
him to veto it.
A political analysis Of the vote
Showed l54 Republicans for the bin
and IL against One Prohibitionist,
Representative Ransdell, OF Califor-
mia, voted for the bill.
An Unpreeedented Alignment.
| The circumstances surrounding
the consideration of the bill were in
many ways so unprecedented that
many members did not know how
they would vote until the roll call.
Slightly over so per cent of the
membership Of the House cast their
votes. Outstanding Republican Rep
resentativcs from the East and in
dustrial centers who expressed op-
position to the bill both public and
privately finally voted for the meas
ure in support Of the party policy.
{ Democrats from agricultural dis
jtricts for the most part did not
Tyield to tho appeal of Henry T.
| Rainey. a Democrat. of Illinois, and
Finis J. Garrett. of Tennessee. 10
uphold the traditional Democratic
policy and vote against the meas
ure.
] This measure is designed to split
the Democratic party" GARRETT
charged. warning members OF his
party that their votes now would be
thrown up to them again when the
R-publicans in the new Congress
bring in their revised tarin.
( Forsney Pleads for Fsrmers-
/ Fordney opened the debate by
pleading that the farmer today is
suffering because OF the lack Of a
market for his product and a price
that would yield to him something
like the cost Of production He
and cattle was true Of every other
of the twenty commodities for
which protection was provided for
in the bill
Some criticism may be made be-
cause there are some farm products
! that need assistance that are not
included in the bill" he declared.
There is no possibility Of putting
through Congress with any hope OF
success this bill II we include every
thing asked for by everybody"
Pursuing the same line OF arGu-
ment set forth in the minority re-
port on the bill. Rainey said that
unless this country permitted i'm
ports from European nations owing
the United States money they would
be unable to meet their debt. Point
ing out that this country had be-
come a creditor nation almost over
night, he said:
u. 5. Became Creditor Nation.
| our exports this year Will
amount to nearly S3.OOO.OOO.OOO In
excess of our imports. and the ma
tions which owe us this tremcn-
dous balance owe us other balances
we have sold them nearly 81
OOO, ,e0O, 600 worth of war goods, not
included in this amount. They owe
us of the moneys that We have
loaned to them nearly $4,000, 900
600, and if sll the gold that Is
produced n the world for a year
were assembled under the control
of these nations who owe us mon.y.
they could not pay us the interest
on the amount of the loans our
government has made TO them alone.
~.
of municipal Indebtedness, and these
tremendous balances must be paid
in some way. There are two ways
to pay them. either in gold or In
goodss. Payment in gold is, OF
course. impossible. and We propose
now TO put up the bars and keep
them from paying us in goods"
] The debate ensuing developed a
unique alignment John Garner. OF
Texas a Democratic member OF the
House Ways and Means Commit
tee, said he favored the bill, plead
ing that IL would accomplish it's
purpose and was in keeping with
the principles OF the Democratic
party. He pointed out that the
limportations now injuring the COM
modities for which protection was
proposed in the bill were for the
most part from COuuNIlts WhlCn
were not in the war.
The opposition OF representatives
Of Industrial centers and the East,
despite their party, was expressed
by Allen T. Treadway OF Massachu-
sets. Although stating finally that
he would give the farmers the
benefit of the doubt" and vote for
the bill, Tresdwsy. also a member OF
the ways and means committee,
said
I'VE are starting on a false basis.
It is not the influx of importations
that is causing the serious financial
loss TO certain sections OF the coun-
try; IL is the reaction from the war.
] the depression OF the value OF the
dollar. and the so-cslled emergency
tariff bill will not accomplish the
result desired"
He pointed out that not q single
hearing had been held on the bill
Two Democratic members OF the
ways and means committee. William
A. Oldheld of Arkansas, and Cor
dell Hull Of Tennessee. expressed
strong doubts that the measure
would prove a remery for the ecou- /
dffions "a nrOpOsRd 10 relfeve Ola