New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-03-04
What the Gore Vote Means.

The first concerns the conduct Of our inter
national relations. The second concerns
the Presidents efforts to recstabllsh ms
leadership Of the Democratic party
LII 50 far Is the tabling of the proposals
before the Senate may help to emphasize
and clarity American opinion and enable
the President to speak for united people
in his dealings with Germany. the Senate
action is welcome The Senate has shown
so far as an indirect vote OF the sort
permitted can show anything-that 1t
stands firm for international law. 1t goes
on record inferentially as opposed to con-
sidering legislation which would yield or
abridge the rights Of American citizens,
merely i'm order to remove causes OF trlc-
ton with foreign governments which for
their own ends are violating the interna-
tonal code. 1t is opposed TO taking amy
steps which will put the United States in
the position Of attempting TO alter rules
of warfare in the course OF war.
By parliamentary trick Senator Gore
sought TO weaken the moral effect Of the
sidetracking of his resolution. He APP
pended TO it section wholly at variance
with the provisions Of the original draft.
He went even further than the President
has yet gone. or asked anybody else to so.
IN binding Congress to cOEstrue the Kill
inc of an American citizen travelling on
IN armed merchant vessel, sunk by Ger
man submarine without notice or warn
ire, as a sufficient cause Of war between
the United States and Germany. TINS
radical declaration had also to be laid on
the table. thus obscurng the single PLAIN
issue raised in Mr. Cores original reso-
luton which the President desired both
houses of Congress TO discuss and pass
upon.
MIR. Gore. Mr.. Stone. Mr.. Clarke. OF
Arkansas. Mr.. Hitchcock and other Sena-
tors who have favored warning Americans
not 10 travel on Allied merchant vessels
voted 20 lay on the table the resolutions
before the Senate TO that extent the
vote must be admitted to have accom-
plished much less. either in defining the
Senate's real attitude or in pedglnS sup
mort TO an unconditional enforcement of
American rights. than it was expected TO
accomplish.
Yetit is something to have disspated the
suspicion that Congress Is anxious at TINS
iuncture to set up a foreign policy oil lts
own in opposition to the President
present policy or 10 hamper him by inter
fcrine in his negotiations with Germany.
II Is true that this suspicion was aroused
= more by what the President said IN ms
letters TO Senator Stone and Representa-
tiye Pou than by anything that the Sen
ate> and House had done or even had IN
view. Neither branch of Congress can
successfully undertake TO manage our for
ogn relations, and neither ought to essay
such q role. The Senate, at least, showed
by its vote yesterday that IT does not at
present aspire to take the direction of for
cicn relations out Of .hc hands of the
President
So far as the Presidents attempt to
n reGstablish his leadership of the Demo
Y ratio party is concerned very little salts
faction can be drawn by him and his sup
porters from the Scnate's action. He de-
manded that the Senate and the House
should each do a certain thing. He wanted
the Democrats i'm each branch to 20
souarely on record a. accepting or chal-
longing his leadership ON a definite issue.
He wrote last Tuesday 20 Mr.. Pou, the
acting chairman OF the House Committee
on Rules: IL therefore feel justified in
asking that your committee will permit
me 70 urge am early vote upon the rcsolu-
tons with regard 10 travel ON armed
merchantmen. which have recently been so
much talked about, IN order th0t there may
be AFFORDED an immediate opportunity for
,yU pablic discussion and action upon them
and that all doubts and coniecturcs may
bc swept away and our foreign relations
once more cleared of dangerous misunder-
standings
The Senate has not done what the Presi-
dent wanted done. When he wrote TO Mr.
Pou the Gore. McLcmore and other similar
resolutions we're securely pigeonholed.
There was no chance Of action on any
Of them. Mr.. Wilson demanded a free dis
cussion and series Of votes which would
show where every Democrat stood. He has
not attained his object. The Senate has
merely allowed one set Of propositions,
contradictory in their nature, 70 come up
Tor consideration, and then shut of debate
and action on them on their merits by lay
ing them on the table.
This procedure practically restores the
sfntys oao existing before the Pou lette~
,ras written. II should have been plain
70 the President If be- had had little
more parliamentary experience. that
either branch of Congress can be- forced
- howdoNn vote on anything, If Of
desires 90 avoid such Il vote. The Demo
,.a,c mans,ars in the Senate cooliy