| OCR Text |
Show FIRST BATTLE IN TILtFWWON Sims Repeal Bill Put Squarely Before House by Vote 200 to 172. SPEAKER AN OPPONENT Passage of Measure Predicted News of House Action Hurried to JWhite House. Washington, U. C, March 27 President Wilson won the first battle bat-tle of his fight to repeal the Panama tolls exemption today when the house by a vote ot 207 to 17C refused to continue discussio'n on the rule to limit lim-it to twenty hours the debate on the Sims bill. The special rule then was adopted, 200 to 172. That put the Sims bill to repeal the exemption squarely before be-fore the house for twenty hours' debate de-bate and protected against intervening interven-ing motions and amendments. Victory for Administration. Party lines were eliminated in the vote, which was a round victory for the administration leaders. The balloting bal-loting was preceded by an hour of impassioned speech making. Speaker Clark, Reprcseutative Underwood, Representative Fitzgerald, and other Democratic leaders voted against the motion to cut off debate. With the adoption of tho resolution to stop debate on the rule, the next question was on the adoption of the rule Itself and administration supporters were sure of its passage. Passage of Repeal Predicted. Flushed with victory administration supporters predicted passage of the repeal bill by a heavy majority. They declared many of those who had voted against the previous question would be willing to vote for the bill Itself. News of the vote was hurried to tho White House ' where President Wilson learned of it just before leaving leav-ing to attend an entertainment at Fort Meyer. With the first obstacles out of the way, the house sottled down lo consideration con-sideration of the repeal bill. Democrats Demo-crats in its favor- were allotted ton hours. Democrats against It five; Republicans four, " and Progressives one. Representative Sims, author ot the bill, led off the debate. Sims Leads Debate. Mrs. Sims coupled his argument for the repeal with a denunciation of the Democrats who had aligned themselves them-selves with the opposition and declared declar-ed that if he be.llevod, as it has been charged, that the president had accepted ac-cepted an erroneous construction oL the Hay-Pauncofote treaty, he would feel as a moral coward if he did not immediately ask for the chief executive's execu-tive's Impeachment by the house ot representatives. "Is it reasonable to suppose," he asked, "that the great masses of the people are going to believe that the president of the United States who has direct charge of the enforcement of all our treaties with foreign countries coun-tries is going to surrender the rights of the American people whose trusted representative he is, by accepting an erroneous construction of a treaty on the unwarranted demand of any one or all of the foreign nations ot the world?" The list of Democrats who voted against "the previous question" and thus against the administration follows: fol-lows: "Aiken, Brockson, Broussard, Bruckner, Carawawy, Carew, Conry, Dale Deitrick, Difenderfer, Donohoe, Dooling, Doremus, Drlscoll, Dupre, Eagean, Elder, Finley, Fitzgerald, Gorman, Goulden, Graham of Illinois; Illi-nois; Griffin, Harrison, Helm, Igoe, Jones, Kindel, Kirkpatrick, Lee of Pennsylvania; L'Engle, Logue, McAn-drews, McAn-drews, McDermott, Mahan, Maher, Mltchel, Moran of Louisiana; Murray, Massachusetts; Murray. Oklahoma; O'Leary, O'Shaunessy, Patten of New York; Phelan, Ragsdalc, Raker, Sherwood, Sher-wood, Stone. Taylor, Arkansas, Taylor, Tay-lor, Colorado. Thomas, Underwood, Williams. Wingo, and Speaker Cpark Total 55. Republicans who voted for the previous pre-vious question and the administration administra-tion wore: Barthold, Browne of Wisconsin; Gardner; Massachusetts; McKenzie, Madden, Steenerson, Stevens of Minnesota: Min-nesota: Gillett of Massachusetts. Total 8. Senator Chamberlain Elated. Senator Chamberlain, leading repeal re-peal opponents In the senate, wa3 elated at the situation in the house. "I was lonely when I started this fight," he said, "but we are gaining strength every day. It's going to be the old battle of '7G over again, the Tory element on one side and the masses of the people on the other." Underwood's Speech. As the house quieted down, Mr. Underwood Un-derwood began: "I am opposed to this bill and naturally nat-urally I --a opposed to a rule for its consideration," said he. "I regret re-gret that the bill is before the house. I hope it will be defeated. But tho president having laid this important question before the congress, I believe be-lieve it should be considered, but considered in the proper way. "I have always endeavored to sustain sus-tain my parly's platform. I believe this plank of the platform Is right. Believing this, there Is but one position posi-tion I can take, that is, to sustain the position expressed in my par ty's platform. "I regret that I differ with the president pres-ident of the United States and am compelled to differ with my colleagues here, but I say If we are to make a mistake in this matter let it be one mistake. Let' us not turn our faces against the battery that made a Democratic Demo-cratic majority In this house first possible. There are fifty Democrats In this house today whose seals would be occupied by Republicans t It were not for the Democratic fight In the - Sixty--f irs't congress against the power of cloture." Contends for Minority Rights. The Democratic leader contended for the right of the minority to be heard and offer amendments and. said he would agree to a rule to make the bill in. order. "With the bill thus beroro the house the gentlemen iu charge could at any time move the previous question ques-tion and if he had a majority with hiin, could cut off debate," said he. "1 don't question your honesty, but you are making a serious mistake if you adopt this rule and I would not be worthy of the commission you have given me as your leader if 1 did not have the courage to stand here and tell you so," he concluded. Leader Is Cheered. Mr. Underwood was again cheered as he took his seat and that seemingly seem-ingly closed the debate against the rule. Representative Hardwick, Democrat of Georgia then was recognized to closo debate for its adoption. "Tho gentleman from Alabama appeals ap-peals to his colleagues on this side to support a Democratic platform," said Representative Hardwick. "1 appeal to you to support Democratic doctrine as it has been since the time of Jefferson and this provision which we propose to repeal is no more Democratic Demo-cratic doctrine than If you wrote a high protective tariff plank Into a Democratic platform." Speaker Clark Scored. Turning toward the speaker's desk and pointing toward Speaker Clark, Mr. Hardwick shouted: "Tho distinguished gentleman from Missouri, whom we all love, jolueo last night in an eleventh hour assault on the administration and his own party. "I will ask the gentleman whether he does not know that It he tears Woodrow Wilson down, no Democrat can stand. Doesn't ho realize that he must support this administration or be turned Into the wilderness for 40 years more?" As Mr. Hardwick concluded, Chairman Chair-man Henry moved "the previous question" and a roll call was ordered. or-dered. There waH little confusion during the roll call and no demonstration until the end of the long list nearly had been reached. When Majority Leader Underwood answered "no" there were ripples of recognition from tho Republican side. Speaker Clark'B name was called as the roll call ended. "No." said the speaker, and the Republican side broke Into applause joined by a portion of the Democrats. |
