News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1917-03-07
TEXT OF PRES. WILSON'S
STATEMENT


dent Wilson's statement respecting
the failure of the Senate to pass tha'
armed neutrality bill:
The termination of the last session
of the Gath Congress by constitution
al limitation discloses situation I'M
PARALLEL in the history of the coun-
try, perhaps unparalleled in the his
tory of any modern government In
the immediate presence of crisis
fraueh Int with more subtle and far
reaching possibilities of national dan
ger than any other the government
has known within the whole history
Of its international relations, the Con-
greas has been unable to act either
to safeguard the country or to vim
dictate the elementary rights of its
citizens. More than 500 of the 531
mcnlbers of the two houses were
ready and anxious to act; the House
of Representatives had acted, by an
overwhelming majority; but the Sem
ate was unable to act because a little
group of II senators had determined
that it should not
The Senate has no rules by which
| debate can be limited or brought to
an end, no rules by which dilatory
tactics of any kind car be prevented
| n SlISiC IItuIDtl Gun 0luilu III JIlC
way of action if he have but the
! physical endurance. The result in
! this case is a complete paralysis alike
! Of the legislative and of the eXecu-
! tive branches of the govern@ent.
This inability of the Senate to act
| has rendered some of the most
! necessary legislation Of the session
! impossible, at a time when the need
| for it was most pressing and most
evident The bill which would have
| permitted such combinations of cap
| ital and of organization in the export
and import trade Of the country as the
| circumstances of international compe-
titiOn have made Imperative bill
which the business judgment of the
whole country approved and demand
| ed-has failed.
Effect of Opposition.
The opposition of one or two sem
ators has made 1t impossible to in
crease the membership of the inter-
state commerce commission or to
give it the altered organization neces-
sary for its efficiency. The Conser-
walton bill which should have re-
leased for immediate use the mineral
resources which are still locked I'D in
'iiC PdDilC hhluo, hOW JlldJ LIlClI re-
lease is more imperatively necessary
than ever, and the bill which would
have made the unusual water power
Of the country Immediately available
for industry have both failed, though
they have been under consideration
throughout the sessions of two Con-
crosses and have twice passed by the
House of Representatives
The appropriations for the army
have failed, along with the appropria-
lions for the civil establishment OF
the government, the appropriations
for the military academy at West
Point and the general deficiency bill
1t has proved Impossible to extend the.
powers of the shipping board to meet
the special needs of the new situa
alton into which our commerce has
been forced or to increase the gold
reserve of our national banking sys-
tenn to meet the unusual circNm
stances of the existing financial stu
alton
1t would not cure the difficulty to
call the 65th Congress in extraordinary
session. The paralysis of the Senate
would remain. The purpose and the
spirit of action are not lacking now.
The Congress is more definitely unit
ed in thought and purpose at this mo-
ment, | venture to say, than it has
been within the memory of any man.
now in its membership. There Is
not only the most united patriotic
purpose; but the detectives members
have in view are perfectly clear and
definite. But the Senate cannot act
unless its leaders can obtain unani-
nous consent. It's majority is pow
erless, helpless. In the midst of
crisis of extraordinary peril, when
only definite and decided action can
make the nation safe or shield it from
war itself by the aggression of 9TH
ers, action is impossible.
Although as a matter of fact the
nation and the representatives Of the
nations stand back of the executive
with Unprecedented unanimity and
spirit. the impression made abroad
will of course be that II is not so, and
that other governments may act as
they please without fear that this
government can do anything at all.
We cannot explain. The explanation
is Incredible
The Senate Of the United States is
the only legislative body in the world
which cannot act when its majority is
ready for action. A little group of
wilful obstructionists. representing
no opinion but their own, has rem
dered the great government of the
United States helpless and contempt
ible
The remedy? There is but one
remedy. The only remedy is that the
rules of the Senate shall be so altered
that 1t can act. The country can be
relied upon to draw the moral be-
ieve that the Senate can be relied
upon TO supply the means Of action
and save the country from disaster
At the same time the President au-
Lhorized the further statement that
what rendered the situation even
more grave than had been supposed,
vas the discovery that, while the
President under his general constitu-
ional powers could do much of what
he had asked the Congress to en-
,ower him to do. It had been found
hat there were certain old statutes
Is vet unrepealed which may raise in