The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1916-03-09
Vote of House Republicans
Hurts Party's Chances
Next Fall
FAILS IN
LEADERSHIP
Another Party Attempt to
Befog the Issue a
Boomerang

Washington, March 9.--The political
aftermath of the vote on the McLemore
resolution monopolizes attention here
The leadership of James X. Mann for
the Republicans was tested by fire and
melted. The surprise OF the day was
the failure of the Republicans as body
to support the policy of non interference
by Congress with the executive. The
! House already had had before it the OBJ
ject lesson of the Senate vote, wherein a
trickster sought to confuse the issue by
changing it at the 18th hour Neverthe-
less, with this budapest staring him in
the face, Mr.. Mann deliberately planned
q like campaign with such success that
on the final vote to table the MeLemore
resolution l02 Republicans voted against
tabling to only 90 in favor, whereas only
80 Democrats deserted the president and
1872 stood by him. In other words, al
most as many Democrats remained true
to the principle so clearly enunciated in
the Senate as the Republicans on both
sides put together. The country had ex-
pected Republicans TO stand almost sol
idly with the president and many Demo
Gratis to betray him. The opposite hap
pened Where the Senate saw only the
president of the United States dealing
with foreign power, Mr.. Mann and the
men who follow him saw only Woodrow
Wilson, a candidate for reelection.
The political menace to the Republican
party presented by the tactics of Lead
Washington to-day. In fact, the man
most surprised by the Republican flop
might well be the president of the United
States, who presumably had shared the
popular belief that he might be com
PEELED to depend upon Republicans for
support of the American policy he is
pursuing. The plan of the Republican
leader was deliberate. He was warned
that the issue was clear cut
and that no explanations he could make |
would justify him in the attitude he had
assumed. Mr.. Mann jockeyed and voted
to beat the rule on the ground that the |
MeLemore resolution should be amended /
by substituting resolution warning |
Americans off armed merchant ships. |
He sought to Justify his programme on
the theory that this was the real issue.
Mr.. Mann insisted upon constituting the
presidents letter to Chairman Pou as a
request for a vote upon the merits Of the
question. The spokesman of the presi
dent declared time and again, and cor
rectly, that what the president wanted
was to learn whether or not Congress
would interfere with him in hiss conduct
" foreign affairs or would LET him alone.
That was the issue in the Senate and it
was duplicated in the House, after an
experience which had convinced the coun
try that any other course than a square
vote upon the question of interference
would confuse the whole situation. In
Iced. had Congress taken upon itself to
vote, even unfavorably. upon the McLe
more resolution. it would have done just
what the president desired it should not
10. namely, discuss and vote upon sub
ects which for the present lie exclusive
Y within the executive domain. True. a
'ote on the merits of the. question would
ave enabled great many statesmen on
10Th sides to square themselves with
heir German constituents, but they
ould not have voted contrary to the
Principle on which the president stands /
Without advertising their willingness to I
acrifice fundamental right for the A.,
axe of peace. BY refusing to consider
t all any question belonging to another
apartment of the government, Congress
'ould express no opinion on the merits {
+ anything, but would serve notice upon
Iermany and all the rest of the world
hat when they reckoned with the presi-
ent of the United States they were n
ealing with the American people.