Salt Lake Tribune | 1915-02-06 | Page 1 | Democrats Battle to Save Ship Bill

DEMOCRATS BATTLE TO SIMIP BILL Administration Forces Rally to Recover Lost Ground; Insurgents Stand Firm. WASHINGTON", Feb. 5. Administration Administra-tion Democrats of the senate believed tonight they had found a way to turn the burden of the ship-purchase bill fight back to the Republican side from whence it was shifted to their own shoulders so suddenly last Monday by the alliance of insurgent Democrats and minority members. Despite the fact that they found themselves still lacking votes to carry a motion to recommit tho bill with instructions in-structions for its amendment, tho Democrats Dem-ocrats inaugurated today the first move in a substitute plan when Senator Gore, who introduced an amended ship bill yesterday, moved to discharge the commerce com-merce committee from its coiisideration. The champions of the bill, after a careful care-ful canvass of tbe situation, today believe be-lieve they can get votes enoueh to carry car-ry the Gore morion and in that way the amended bill, whih virtually is' the caucus measure, with changps designed to draw support from the Progressive Republicans, can bo reported back to the senate and thereby force the Republicans to resume their defensive fiLrht to prevent pre-vent the bill from coming 'to a final vote. In view of this situation, the allied opposition forces determined today upon a rest, and rallied enough vots to force a lrcess of the senate until Monday. If on Mondav the Democratic leaders find that they hove enough votes, counting count-ing on the vice president in case of a tie, they will attempt to get a vote on the motion to recommit with instructions. instruc-tions. If not. some of the loaders believe be-lieve it would be well to pass tbe Clarke motion to discharge the committee. On this they believe that, they r;n get the support of Senator Kenyoti. Xorris and La T'&Hette and thun tret the bill back to the stage of general debate. There were manv rumors today that the bill may be laid asid- after' strenuous stren-uous effort? to raH it in the next week. bo test appropriation measure may he corsidered. Toav the senate w a enlivened by speeches or" in-urgent and regular Dm-orai Dm-orai a. rehearsing the revolt over t he bill. Senators 'Jurdwjrk and Vnrrlanian vieorO'.itdy dp fended t "eir posiriorrt in rev'.'ll in !. and assailed Senator Stone for h at tack upon i h-on. Sma tor .f nmiv liir-i'u criticized his co'leariues and par-t par-t ii'ii Inrly y r ru i i;rmd Sen r. ! or Camden, who. he said, would ''hold up te hands or' the pre-'idnit while the Ri'iblicans tied them.