Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1917-10-09
FINAL HOURS DEVOTED TO THE
SPEECH OF DEFENSE BY
SENATOR LAFOLLETTE.
GREAT CROWD WAS PRESENT
This Session Appropriated Billions
of Dollars for Americas Partici-
patton in World War in
Short Time.

last hours of the session last Satur-
day with all attention turned to the
senate where Senator La Toilette |
took the floor to make a three-hour
speech in answer to the critics who
have petitioned for his expulsion
because of his course and public
utterances toward the war
Members of the house, which was
only marking time waiting for the
senate, flocked to the senate cham
Der where galleries and floor were
jammed in expectation of a spectacu-
lar finale to the session which has
appropriated hitherto unheard of bill
lions for Americas participation in
the world war and has passed
score of war measures in an increda-
BILE short time.
La Toilette, always a spectacular
cure in debate and acknowledged
as no mean opponent by his enc
mics had spent Friday and most of
the night preparing his speech.
Standing at his seat in the front
row before the vice presidents desk,
La Toilette began his address, read
ing carefully and deliberately his
manuscript, with senators giving
close attention.
Defending his course of opposing
the declaration of war and subse-
quent attacks on war policies, La
Toilette declared:
at is the citizens duty to obey
the law until it is repealed or de-
clared unconstitutional But he has
the inalienable right to fight what
he deems an obnoxious law or a
wrongful policy in the courts and at
the ballot box
ut is the suppressed emotion of
the masses that breeds revolution. If
the American people are to carry on
this greet war; if public opinion is to
be enlightened and intelligent, there
must be free discussion"
Kellogg Sees Misstatement.
Senator Kellogg accused La Fol
lette of misstating facts in the st.
Paul speech and denied that this
country went to war to secure Amer
leans the right to travel on munitions
laden ships or to protect loans made
by Morgan and Company to foreign
governments.
81 am as jealous of the right of
free speech as any member of this
body" Senator Kellogg said, "but
this is question of erroneous state
ment of facts rather than of free
speech"
ut is unfortunate for the country
and for the senator from Wisconsin,
said Senator Robinson of Arkansas
replying to Senator La Toilette
that he has lent himself. and his
services to the promotion of ideas
and desires of the kaiser
Headed by Senator Pomerene OF
Ohio. the following members of the
senate privileges and elections com
mittee were appointed as the sub
committee to investigate Senator La
Follette's ST. Paul speech: Senators
Walsh of Montana and James O.
Kentucky, democrats, and Dillingham;
of Vermont and Fall of New Mexico
republicans.
La Toilette quoted at length from
Mexican war speeches of Lincoln
Clay, Webster and Sumner, in sup
port of his defense of the right of ;
member of congress to assail the poll
cy of the government and dwelt a
length upon the constitutional dut
of congress rather than the pres
f dent, to proclaim the nations pul
L. poses in taking up arms. He mad
= no reference to the inquiry yesterda
t by the senate into his speech be
/ fore the nonpartizan league at s.
Paul, and dealt with criticisms c
: himself only generally.
six members of the senate, ant
as l recall, about so members c
the house, voted against the decl;
ration of war;" he said. immediate
: ly there was let loose upon thos
e senators and representatives a floo
y of invictive and abuse from newspi
pers and individuals who had bee
clamoring for war, unequaled, l b.
It lieve, in the history of civilized 81
t ciety.
a prior to the declaration of wa
every man who had ventured to o.
y pose our entrance into it had bee
IS condemned as a coward or wors
IS and even the president had by 4
e means been immune from these a
Y lacks. Since the declaration of ws
e the triumphant war party has pu
e sued those senators and represent
tives who voted against war wit
malicious falsehood and reckless
libelous attacks, going to the extren
Il limit of charging them with treaso
m against their country.
s. Senator La Toilette declared thi
AZ if he alone had been made the vi
~ tim of these attaches he would n
= take the senate's valuable time (,
their consideration.
=. but sir" he continued, cit is n
~ alone the members of congress tn
70 the war party in this country h;
sought to intimidate. The manda