Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-03-05
SENATE MAJORITY
DEF|ED BY GROUP
OF INSTRUCTORS
Power Denied to President
Authorizing Him to Arm
Merchant Ships.
CLOSING SCENES WITHOUT
PRECEDENT IN UPPER HOUSE
Filibuster Denounced as Most
Reprehensible in History
of Civilization.
MANIFESTO ISSUED TO WORLD
Declaration Fixes Responsibility for
Humiliation In This Time
Of Crisis.
MANIFESTO ISSUED TO WORLD
Declaration Fixes Responsibility for
Humiliation In This Time
of Crisis. ;.
fBy Associated Press. !

WASHINGTON. March <-TweIve
Senator'S. led by Senator La Toilette
and encouraged by Senator Stone. Dem
ocratic chairman OF the Foreign ne,a
tions Committee. in nlibustcr de-
nounced by President Wilson's spokes-
man as the most rcprehensible in the
history OF any civilized nation, deficd
In Congress up to tho last minute to-
day and denied to the President a law
authorizing him to arm American ner-
chant ships 10 meet the German sub
marine menace.
Unyielding throughout twcnty-six
hours OF continuous session to appeals
that their defiance Of the President
would be humliatng to the country.
uncompromsing In a crisis described
10 them AZ the most serious to tho ma :
tion since tic War Between the States
La Toilette and his group OF supporters
refused a majority Of their colleagues
an opportunity to vote on the armed
neutrality bill, and 1t died with tho
Sixty-fourth Congress.
PROCLAIM TO WORLD
SUPPORT OF MEASURE
try. seventy-six Senator's. thirty Re-
publicans and forty-six Democrats
signed a manifesto proclaimlng TO tie
world that they favored passage Of
the measure.
This declaration embodied In the
record OF the Senate, referred 10 the
fact that the House on Thursday night
had passed 4 similar bill by vote OF
to3 TO 1S. and also recitcd that the
Senate rule permitting unlimited de-
bate gave small minority opportun-
ity to throttle the Will of the major
ity. The text OF the manifesto IL as
follows:
The majority OF the United states
Senators favored the passage of the
Senate bin authorizing the rresiden,
OF the United States TO arm America n
merchant vessels, a similar bill having
already passed the House by a vote OF
i02 10 49,
Under the rules OF the Senate al
lowing debate. II appears to be lmpos-
sibie 10 obtain a vote previous to noon
March 1. 1917. when this session of
Congress expires. We desire the state
ment entered on the record 10 estab-
lish the fact that the Senate favored
the legislation and would pass II ii n
vote coulo De obtdiIed.'
THIRTEEN DECLINE
TO SIGN MANIFESTO
Thirteen Senators declined to sign
the declaration. but one. Senator Pen
rose. Republican. OF Pennsylvania. an
nounced that he would have voted for
the bill had opportunity been offered
him. The twelve who went on record
with the thirteen members OF the
House against granting TO President
Wilson the authority in the crisis
were:
Republicans-Clapp PIP, Minnesota; Cum
minis. Iowa: Gronna. North Dakota;
Kenyon. Iowa; La Toilette. Wisconsin:
Norris. Nebraska: Works, California;.
Democrats-Kirby, Arkansas; Lane,
Oregon: o'Gorman. New York: Stone.
Missouri; Vardanan, Mississippi--5.
Associated with them in opposition
to the armed neutrality bill were the
following thirteen Representatives who
voted against the House bill on Thurs
day night:
Republicans--Benedic California
Cary. Wisconsin; Cooper, Wisconsin:
Davis, Minnesota; Helgesen. North Da-
kota: Lindbergh. Minnesota; Nelson,
Wisconsin; Stafford. Wisconsin,: Will
son, Illinois-9.
emocrats-Decker. Missouri: Shac-
klcford. Missouri; Sherwood. Ohio--3.
Socialist-London. New York;
The seventy-six Senators who sign
cd the manifesto were:
Democrats Ashurst Eankhead
Becllham. Broussard. Bryan, Chamber
lain, Chiffon. Fletcher, HardwiclS,
Hitchcock. Hollis. Hughes. Husting.
James. Johnson, South Dakota: Kern,
Lea. Lee. Lewis. Martin, Virginia; Mar
tine, New Jersey; Myers, Newlands
Overnian. Owen. Phelan, Pittman
Pomercne. Ransdell Reed. Robinson
Salisbury, Shafroth. Sheppard. Shields,
Simmons. Smith. Georgia: Smith. Mary
land; Smith. South Carolina: Swanson
Thomas. Thompson. Tillman. Under
wood. Walsh and Williams.
Republicans-Borah Brady, Brande-
gee. Catron. Clark. Colt, Curtis. Dill
lingham, Du PoT:, Fall Fcrnald. Hard
ing, Jones. Lodge. McCumber, Mclean
Nelson. Oliver. Page. Poindexter. Sher-
man, Smith (MichiGan), Smoot. Sterl-
ing, Sutherland, Townsend. Wadsworth
Watson and Weeks.
OF the seven Senators not recorded
three-Gallinger and Goff. Republicans
and Gore. Democrat--wcre absent on
account OF sickness. Senators Lippit
Republican, and Johnson, of Maine. and
Smith. OF Arizona, Democrats. were alb
sent from the city. Senator Culbcrson,
Democrat. did not reach the Senate In
time to be recorded.
Hours before the end, Senator's who
fought throughout the night to break
CONTINUED on Second Page.)
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