The Detroit times., 1917-04-05


hls speech from a carefully pre-
pared manuscript
There Was a time, when Il "a
/ cous3dsred shc ausy q senators an
irspressntxfives IN congress 10 Fos
according TO their convictions. h
said. Quite another doctrine ha
bssn promulgated recently That )
the dcctrins OF standing 0ehin'
the president. without inQuirini
whether he IL right or vbether h
10 wrong I have never subscribed
TO that doctrine and | never shall
I shall support the president vhel
be Ia right and shall oppose whei
think he 10 wrong.
The importance and gravity o
what the president proposes 10 only
additional reason for us TO consider
carefully what be asks before W.
vote. II Il more important thar
ever that NE speak or vote our con
victions when the question present
ed In one OF peace or war. n. un
happily. In such a momentous cues
ton. the most careful and con
scientious consideration causes US
10 disagree with the president,
know OF no reason why We should
not vote our honest convictions.
No Cause For War
Senator LAFollette declared there
has been no change in the situation
between the United States and Ger
many neoessitating a change from
armed neutrality no open war.
I'VE have not a leg 70 stand on TO
support this war declaration" he
said.
He said during the debate la the
last congress on the armed neu-
trality bill he carefully investigated
the question and became convinced
armed neutrality would De wholly
Ineffective" and would only be the
means OF Turing American ships to
certain destruction on the high seas.
yet. regret to observe" he
continued. I'm the statements print
ed In the pTtss. which have never
been denied by the White House
that the president saw At TO char
sctertKe the actions OF the men who
opposed the armed neutrality bill
al wilful-that they represented no
body but themselves and not the
people by whose suffrage these sen
ators came here
Urges Referendum
THAT In q serious charge-tnAi
we were wilful. Yet. have receiv
ed many letters and kilograms no
only from my own state. but iron
all over the country. should say
there were from $4,000 20 2o.Oo'
letters and kilograms. They have
been classified and they run. a
nearly a. can be estimated. from
eight to nine letters Of eommenda
ton TO one or two letters OF con
demnation. The letters Of disap
prevail are most violent in language
indtcstiss that they were written II
the heat OF passion"
Senator La Toilette then describ
ed at length the little town OF Mon
roe. Green county. Wisconsin. wher,
war referendum was held. Tn,
people. he said. we're mostly swisi
or OF English stock. The vote Nai
sS4 for a referendum before deciAr
ing war and ss for war. He refer
red to ret&rendums In other states
some BY postal cards and some 9th
srxise. saying ell favored a can
-ttnusnce OF peace.
He read Telegram from She. oy
San. VIA showing in a referendum
there. 4.Os2 votes we're cast agains
entering war compared to ~ for Ell
tsrins II In the county. outsid,
the city. the vote was 2,OSi sEalns
tniering the war and no votes tor IL
Scores "WiIfuI" charas
La Follette denounced the "intol
srance" shown following the armet
nsu rxlity bill.
"A member or the British parlia
ment," he said, now travelling IL
This county, sm not At liberty Z,
give his name tho be IL proha bl
within sound OF my voice-has Civ
en- me his views az to the difference
between this country and Greal
Britain Ia that respect
He pointed out that there IA a,
much intolerance OF dissenting GRIN
Ion in this country in time OF peace
as there 10 In England in time oI
var. Yet. In EnEiand In time oi
war. even In this one. but especially
in the Boer war. there has been a
minority opposed TO the war.
But the president cha -acterizes
the men who opposed the armed
neutrality an 'wiifuI.' II might BE-
thought the president should b.
called wilful for vetoing the immi
grafton bill the last time after II
had been three times PASSED by
congress and the people reelected
the members vic bad voted for IL
Yet, there has been no attack on
him for this exercise OF one-man
power"
The senator urged q nation wide
referendrm--ths Bryan idea TO de-
eide whether 10 20 10 war. He pre-
dicted the vote would be at least
10 10 1 against war.
People Oppose War
CriticiEing President Wilson 4
statement that Germanx's rulers