The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1917-03-23
SENATORS KILL
: ARMED SHIP BILL
WITH F|LIbUSTER
President Asks New Rules to
Save Nation. =
S0L0NS ISSUE MANIFESTO
Seventy-Six Lawmakers Tell People
That They Wanted to Vote Power
to the President, But Were Pre-
vented by Rules of the
Senate-La Toilette Talks
Bill to Death.

Senate-La Toilette aiks
Bill to Death.
Washington, March 1.-The following
is the official statement issued by Pres
ident Wilson from the White House on
Sunday night:
The termination of the last session
of the SiXty-fourth congress by consti-
| tutional limitation disclOses situation
unparalleled in the history of the cOun-
try; perhaps unparalleled in the his
tory of any modern government.
I'm the immediate presence of Il
crisis. fraught with more subtle and
far-reaching possibilities of national
danger than any other the government
has known within the whole history of
its international relations the congress
has been unable either to safeguard
the country or to vindicate the ele-
mentary rights of its citizens.
More than 500 of the 531 members
of the two houses were ready and
anxious to act; the house of repre-
sentatiyeS had acted by an Overwhelm-
ing majority, but the senate was un-
able TO act because little group of II
senators had determined that ii should
not.
Senate Prohibited by Rules.
THE senate has no rules by which
debate can be limited or brought to an
end no rules by which dilatOry tao
tics of any kind can be prevented. A
single member can stand in the way of
action if he have but the physical en-
durance. The result in this case is a
complete paralysis alike of the legisla-
tive and of the executive branches of
the government
This inability of the senate to act
has rendered some of the most neces-
! Sary legislation of the session impOS-
sible at time when the need for it
was most pressing and most evident.
The bill which would have permit
ted such combinations of capital and
of organization i'm the export and i'm
port trade of the country as the cir
cumstances of international cOmpeti-
ton have made imperative-a bill
which the business judgment Of the
whole country approved and demanded
has failed.
The opposition Of one or two sena-
tors has made it impossible to increase
the membership Of the Interstate COM
merce commission or to give it the al
tered organization necessary for its
efficiency.
The conservation bill, which should
have released for immediate use the
mineral resources which are still
locked up in the public lands now that
their release is more imperatively
necessary than ever, and the bill
which would have made the unused
water power of the country Immediate
~ available for industry have both
failed, though they have been under
consideration throughout the sessions
of two congresses and have been twice
passed by the house of representatives..
Says Extra Session No Preventive.
The appropriations for the army
have failed, along with the apprOpria-
tons for the civil establishment of the
government, the appropriations for the
military academy at West Point and
the general deficiency bill.
lit has proved impossible TO extend
the powers of the shipping board
to meet the special needs of the new
situation into which our commerce has
been forced or to increase the gold re-
serve of our national banking system
To meet the unusual circumstances of
the existing financial situation.
ut would not cure the difficulty to
call the Slxty.ffth congress In extraor-
binary session. The paralysis of the
senate would remain.
"The purpose and the spirit OF nc
ton are not lacking now. The con-
gress Is more definitely united In
thought and purpose at this moment,
| venture TO say. than IL has been since
the memory OF any man now In It's
membership. There is not only the
most united patriotic purpose but the
objects members have In view are per.
fectly clear and definite.
But The senate cannot act unless
It's members can obtain unanimous con
sent. Its majority is powerless. help
less. In the midst of crisis OF ex-
traordlnary peril, when only definite
and decided action can make the ma
ton safe or shield IL from war itself
by the aggression of others. action Is
impossible.
although. as n matter of fact, the
nation and the representatives Of the
nation stand back OF the executive
with unprecedented unanImity and
spirit. the impression made abroad
will of course be that 1t is not SC
and that other governments may net
rs they please without fear that this
government can do anything nj all.
Urges Senate Rules Be Altered.
, I'VE cannot explain. The EXPLAIN
, ton is incredible. The senate of the
United States is the only Legislative,