The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1915-02-19

presidents friends. Gle is perfectly will
ing to 90 to the country on the effort
| he has made TO do something for the
| American merchant marine. 1t is plain
that the Republicans in the Senate have
| for some time been bent on forcing the
administration TO call an extra session
| Well, we are not fools enough to do that.
The appropriation bills will be passed
before noon on, March 4, or il they are
mot passed, existing appropriations will
be carried over for another year through
the passage of a Joint resolution. The
country is going to have a rest. The
people are going to have an opportunity
to give some thought as TO what the
Wilson administration has done in the
last two years"
The ship purchase bill met with its
final slip when the House Of Representa-
tive passed the Gore substitute. The
Democratic leaders proceeded on the as
sumption that the Progressive Republic
cans in the Senate who had been voting
with the Democratic majority would ac-
ecpt this bill When it developed We'd
nesday that these Progressive Republ-
cans would not vote to concur in the
House substitute, and thus force the
Democratic leaders to attempt to send
the bill to conference instead of at
tempting to obtain vote OF concurrence,
the Democratic leaders saw that the
ground had slipped from under them.
Numerous conferences were held during
the late afternoon and the evening; the
president was freely consulted over the
telephone and in the end the programme
above outlined was agreed upon
When the Senate met yesterday def
mite decision as to how much longer the
farce over the purchase bill would be
kept up had not been reached. There
was distinct understanding that the
effort to keep the bill before the Senate
should not be continued longer than
Saturday. This would give the Congress
ten days in which to dispose Of the APP !
bills. The general expecta
ton was, however, that the ship pur
chase bill would be side-tracked before |
the day was over: that Senator Martin |
Of Virginia, chairman OF the appropria
ton committee, would move for the con.
sideration of one of the appropriation |
bills The adoption Of this motion when
ever ii may come will be the signal that |
the administration at this session has
been abandoned.
As matter OF fact the ship purchase
bin has never had a ghost of a chance
TO get through the Senate Its defeat is
not due wholly TO the Republican fiili-
buster. The Democratic support it has
received has been half-hearted. II has
been said, and probably tuthfully, that
not one-half OF the Democratic sena-
.ors favor the administration plan for
'eyiving the merchant marine This be-
ng the case. it was only natural that
he bill could not make progress. The
even Democrats who came out in oppo-
.ition to the bin were daily and pri-
'ately encouraged by at least twice that
many Democratic senators. who had not
he courage TO bring their opposition
nto the open.
Public men here are very generally of |,
he opinion that what amounts 10 an an
that there viii be no extra
cssion viii be cordially received from
me end of the country 70 the other
BUSINESS men during the last few weeks
ave not failed 10 make themselves +,
card in this matter Every day has I.
rought many letters and kilograms %
he White House az well a. the SEN I
tors and representatives protesting I
gainst Congress sitting throughout an
ther summer.
One basis on which the Republicans
nd Democrats were negotiating yester.
ay was a proposal 20 send the ship bin
b conference for ten DAYS. work on the
thirteen pending appropriation bills I
leauwhilc and then debate The ship
IN for the remaining hours Of the ses-
ION Republicans showed no intention
B relax their Gilibustcr Il that plan
ere followed