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Show OWEN URGES 4 TOLLSJEPEAL I Reviews Draft of Hay-Paunce-fote Treaty and Attitude of p Senate in 1900. K STRAINED VERSION f No Common Sense or Justice Mjj in Proposal of American K Ship Owners. K Washington, March 27 While the Mfj opposing factions In the house were lining up today for the opening of the fight over the administration bill ? to repeal the tolls exemption clause K of the Panama canal act, Senator M Owen addressed the senate, support- JTi ing President Wilson's attitude In a urgln the repeal. He took the posi- m tlon that the exemption was in viola- 'R tlon of the Hay-Pauncefole treaty. "When the first draft of the Hay i j Pauncefotc treaty was submitted to h the senate, Mr. Bard of California, December 13, 1900, moved to substi- R tute the following article," said the fc senator: '"The United States reserves the ; right, in the regulation and management manage-ment of the canal, to discriminate in respect of the charges of traffic in favor of vessels of its own citizens 1 1 engaged in tho coastwise trade.' : "And the sennte not only did not : give a two-thirds vote in favor of such '. discrimination, but gave almost a two- thirds vote against. So the whole world knew that the senate had re- ; fused to amend the treaty by recog- j : -nizing the right to discriminate In j favor of vessels of its own citizens - '. engaged in coastwise trade. ; ; i Facing Senate Record, : "With such a, record before us, we 1 ! could not face the world and interpret ; the Hay-Pauncefote treaty ad permit- ; S ting discrimination. ! ! "The argument that the Panama canal is a coastwise canal for coastwise coast-wise vessels is a strained construe ; tion. It is more than 1500 miles ' from Galveston to Panama and still . : farther from Panama to Los Augeles. ' ; "Ninety millions of our people have : taxed themselves to build the canal and now less than nine thousand ship owners are demanding to use it without with-out paying for the cost of keeping it In order, or interest on the prime j cost. Proposal Not Just. . "There is no common sense or justice jus-tice in the proposal that one American Ameri-can should have the right to tax ten thousand other Americans for his private benefit. I understand perfect- ! ly well how a group of rich men, owning own-ing a monopoly in coastwise shipping can stir up various organizations and patriotic Irish societies, around pea ports. The public sentiment of the United States is based on common K lj sense and cannot be stampeded by a selfish propaganda nor by the expend- Iture of large amounts in advertising or in inspired editorials." i Senator Owen referred to tho sen- ' ate roll calls to omphasize President Wilson's contention that the exemption exemp-tion was passed not by a Democratic majority but by a coalition of Democrats Demo-crats and Republicans. |