The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1917-03-08
WILSON REFUSED
POWER BY SENATE
VIII Of Majority OV8rfuI8d BY
Band Of Twelve Mon
HISTORIC BATTLE IS ENDED
Manifesto Procla;mjng Their Support
Of Measure Signed by Thirty Reru5-
licans and Forty-six Democrats.

''Nl'''~ ~-i'N ~ > -''if> N~'''~~' -
4 little band OF twelve senators.
/ led BY Senator La FCllette and
encouraged by Senator Stone, Demo
cratic chairman Of the foreign rela-
lions committee, in a fIibuster de-
nounced b. President Wilson's spokes-
men as the most represensible in the
history Of any civilized nation, deied
the viii of an overwhelming majority
Of congress up to the last minute and
denied TO the president law authoriz.
ing him TO arm American merchant
ships to meet the German submarine
menace.
Unyielding throughout twenty-siX
hours of continuous session to appeals
that their defiance Of the president
would be humiliating to the country;
uncOmpronising in a crisis described
10 them as the most serious to the
nation since the Civil war. La Toilette
and his small group OF supporters re-
fused q majority Of their colleagues
an opportunity to vote on the armed
/ neutrality bill.
TO tx responsibility before the
country, IS senators, 80 Republicans
and 46 Democrats, signed q manifesto
proclaimiDg 10 the world that they
favored passage Of the measure.
This declaration, embodied in the
record OF the senate, referred to the
fact that the house Thursday night
had passed a similar bill by vote OF
400 to 13, and also recited that the
/ senate rule, permitting unlimited de.
bate, gave a small minority oppor
tunity to throttle the will Of the ma
jority.
The text Of the manifesto is as fol-
lows:
The majority OF United States sen
ators favored the passage OF the sen.
ate bill authorizing the president Of
the United States to arm American
merchant vessels, a similar bill having
already passed the house by vote OF
4O3 to H. Under the rules of the sen.
ate allowing unlimited debate it APP
pears TO be impossible to obtain a vote
previous to noon March 4, 1917, when
this session OF congress expires. We
desire the statement entered on the
record to establish the fact that the
senate favored the legislation and
would pass it if a vote could be OBJ
tanned"
Thirteen senators declined to sign
the declaration. but one OF them, Sen
ator Penrose, Republican of Pennsyl-
yania, announced that he would have
voted for the bill had opportunity
been afforded him. The twelve who
went on record with the thirteen mem
bers of the house against granting to
President Wilson the authority he
asked from congress in the crisis
We're:
Republicans - Clapp, Minnesota;
Cummins. Iowa; Gronna, North Da-
kota; Kenyon, iowa; La Toilette, Wis
cousin; Norris, Nebraska; Works,
California.
Democrats-Kirby, Arkansas; Lane,
Oregon; O'Gorman, New York; Varda-
man, Mississippi; Stone, Missouri
Associated with them in opposition
to the armed neutrality bill We're the
following representatives who voted
against it in the house:
Observation-Disclosures, California;
Carey, Wisconsin; Cooper, Wisconsin;
Davis, Minnesota; Helgesen, North
Dakota; Lindbergh, Minnesota; Mel
son, Wisconsin, Stafford, Wisconsin;
Wilson, Illinois.
DemOcrats-DeCker, Missouri; Sher-
wood, Ohio; Shackleford, Missouri.
Hours before the end senators who
fought to break down the ilibuster
conceived a way to thwart La Fol
lette's well-laid plans to occupy the
center of the legislative stage at the
climax of the bitter fight. Its execu-
ton brought the session to dramatic
end, with La Toilette fighting vainly
for chance to deliver a speech, on
which he had worked many days. He
saw friends of the doomed legislation
inflict the death blow which he had
planned,
Instead of La Toilette, Senator
Hitchcock, leader of the majority in
favor of the bill, talked out the wan
ing hours of the session.
Timing his opportunity to the min
ute, Senator La Toilette entered the
senate chamber prepared to take the
center of the stage for the last act Of
the tragedy. When the moment he
had chosen arrived he addressed the
chair, but Senator Hitchcock prevent
ed his recognition.
The forensic struggle which ensued
seldom, if ever, had been equaled in
the history of the senate. Voices were
strained to shrieking; threatening
fists were shaken at the presiding Of
ficer, while the crowded floor and gal
leries looked on breathlessly. But the
incident soon passed without violence.
The chair recognized Senator Hitch.
cock, and La Follette's opportunity
was snatched away
Spain to Remain Neutral.
| Zeitung, Berlin. hears from reliable
source that Spain is determined to re-
| main uncOnditiODa1lv neutral Cor