Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-03-07
POU INTRODUCES
SPECIAL RULE
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CONTINUED From First Page1
fore the House for debate and a vote
without amendment. The admins
! tration leaders said there was no
| doubt the two previous votes showed
| they could table it by large ma
jority.
AT II O'Clock the House assembled for
the ali-day fight of the administration
forces TO kill the McLemore resolution
! TO warn Americans off armed ships of
/ the European bellgerents. Speaker
/ Clark was in the chair.
AS soon as the journal had been
read Mr.. Pou offered the privileged
resolution containing the special rule.
Mr.. Pou asked unanimous consent
for ninety minutes debate on the rule.
| There was no objection and the debate
| began. Mr. Pou took the floor to open
/ the fight.
Record Crowd
Prospects OF a sensational debate
attracted record crowd to the House
/ long before the doors opened. Men,
/ women and children came ready for a
long stay. Lunch boxes, milk bottles,
opera glasses and books formed the
principal part of their equipment.
! when the public galleries were thrown
open there was a rush and scramble
and the galleries were filled within five
minutes.
The first outburst of applause from
the hoor came at the outset of Mr..
Pou's speech when he said: "All the
| lmpS oil hell never devised Il more in
famous lie than that which has been
/ made that President Wilson wants
/ war"
| Representative Campbell, of Kan
sas, Republican member OF the rules
committee, announced when Mr.. Pou
/ concluded that if the motion TO close
debate on the rule were defeated he
would offer u substitute for the
McLemore resolution which would be
direct warning to Americans to keep
off armed ships.
IF this rule is defeated" declared
| Representative Harrison, Democrat, of
Mississippi an administration leader,
| you Will not only send joy to the
! hearts of people in q foreign capital,
but you stab your own President in
the back"
At the end of debate of an hour and
a half of the rule a vote on u motion
for the previous question: motion
TO end the debate on the rule itself
was in order. That, under the plan of
! the leaders, would be the first roll call
! Then u vote on the adoption of the
rule itself was in order, making u Sec
ond roll call.
| Four Hours Debate
The adoption of the rule meant four
| hours debate on the McLemore reso-
! luton itself, with another roll call at
the close on motion for disposition
/ of the resolution. This generally was
/ expected to be Il motion by Chairman
| Flood, of the foreign affairs commit
tee, TO table it.
The expectation of three roll calls
was based on the assumption that the
rule would be carried and did not take
into consideration any unexpected par
/ lamentary tactics from the opposition.
Mr.. Pou attacked the McLemore
resolution at the outset.
1t means, in effect, that if an
American disregards warning that
the United States government will fold
it's hands" said he. 'Is there a single
red-blooded citizen in this house or
country who wants to do that? 1t is
charged that the President wants war.
All the imps of hell never devised u
more infamous charge. No man since
Abraham Lincoln has gone through
such a test as the President has gone
| through in the last six months. lie
has tried to preserve peace. He would
not sacrifice a single life to make him
| self President for a life time. He has
support of both sides of this chamber.
! lie has support on the Democratic side
and distinguished support on the other
side. Only the other day ] read q
statement of eX-President Taft sup
porting him" Applause on both sides
OF the chamber followed his remarks.
! Representative Campbell. Repub-
lican, read substitute which, he said,
he would propose If motion to end
debate on the rule did not carry. 1t
was as follows:
Resolved, That in the opinion of
| the House of Representatives, citizens
of the United States, under existing
conditions and irrespective of their
| legal rights, ought to refrain from
taking passage on armed vessels of
belligerent nations, except in case of
! imperative necessity"
America First
Representative Harrison, of Missis-
sippi. Democrat, took up the debate
for the administration.
This is not a question for us to
divide upon as Democrats or Repub-
licans," said he. 1T is a question of
America first. 1t is a question wheth-
er YOU shall rise above narrow par
tisanship and stand for the American
government. The only safe course for
us to pursue is to follow the rights
of neutrals under international law.
If we allow one column to be taken
from the structure of international
law we endanger the whole founda-
ton of our government.
The question to-day" he conclud-
ed, lis whether you are with the
President or against him. If this rule
! is defeated you will not only send joy
to tho hearts of people in a foreign
capital. but you stab you own Presi-
dent in the back"
Representative Chiperheld Repub-
lican, of Illinois. declared he favored
standing by the President.
"RcbeI' Yell
"I shall vote to table the McLemore
resolution in defense of the flag" de-
clared Representative Farr, Republi-
can of Pennsylvania. pointing to the
American flag behind the Speakers
chair. ITO vote for the resolution
would be to put yellow streak in that
! flag
Representative Graham, of Penn
sylvania, Republican, declared: ITO
day. I don't want to be pro-German,
pro- American or pro-anything, I want
| TO be only an American, to stand up
and face the world for its right
/ The rebel" yell rang out from the
| democratic side.