Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-03-08
Page Tells Why
He Is Getting Out
Conscience viii Not Permit
Him to Stay in Congress
and Oppose President.

WASHINGTON, March 1-Heprescn-
tativ" Robert y Page. of North Caro-
lima. brother OF Ambassador Page at
London, has announced in ~ letter to
his constituents that he will not be
candidate for reelection because he
disagrecs with President Wilson In tho
submarine controversy. Mr.. Pages an
founccment caused a sensation In the
ltouse at the morpent Of a vote on what
pra' t'caily was proposal that the
House shall not interfere with tho Pres
idents diplomatic negotiations. lie
supplemented II with the declaration
that he differed with the President on
no other points lat present"
II could not bring myself to agree
with the President In tho present con-
Ftrorersy," said he. so. rather than en-
barrass my party by running again
and not supporting the President fully,
or being untrue to my own conscience
by supporting him unqualiHcdly,
chose to announce that would not run
again. The President and | have no
other differences At present.
Here is my position on the warning
controversy: feel that the President
shifted responsibility when ht asked
Congress to pass on this issue. II he
had chosen to pass on il himself. /
should have not criticized his decision.
though I might not have agreed with
him Then he would have cXerc sed
an executive function that was his own
affair.
But when he asked the Congress to
pass on the issue, then | had my own
conscience to consider. | am for n
warning resolution. II one comes UP
in tho House i will vote for It, Ifnoth-
ing more than the McI.emore resolution
comes up will vote TO table II. I
aOr't agree with X.
My action was taken after Ions: de.
liberation. My friends tried TO dis
su;de me from taking the step. I nj,
tie matter up to my conscience, and il
told me not to be a candidate again.
When l came 10 Congress prom
Sod to use my brain and my hrsh ana
Oio,d for my people. II | cannot do
that-and in this instance I cannot
because | believe many OF them woulu
wish me To stand by the President &c.
spite my own views. 1t is time for me
TO get out"
Reports to-day tina, other Southern
ConErcssmen planned to follow Pages
example could not be confirmed.
In his letter TO his constituents Mr.
Page wrote:
The loan Of 100000 600 TO England
Ivy American capitalists. TO say moth
ing of the profits of munition man
ufacturers, has destroyed even the sem
blancc Of neutrality in the United States
and probably will lead us into war. will
not stultify my conscience or stain my
hands with the blood Of my country
men; neither will do violence TO my
CONSCIENTIOUS convictions OF duty, there
Ivy FORGETTING my self-respect."
SHERWOOD JOINS PAGE
IN QUITTING CONGRESS
Representative Isaac r. Sherwood,
of Toledo, O., a Democrat and noted
Civil War general, to-day Joined Rep
resentative Robert y. Page. of North
Carolina, in announcing that he would
not stand for reelection. \ Statement
from Sherwood explained his position
as follows:
1T is evident to my mind that the
ST. Louis convention will adopt a plat :
form that would carry the country into
militarism, with the biggest army and
navy in the world. am opposed to
miiitarism and have been since the