The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1917-02-08
Party Lines Obliterated
When the Presidents
Course Was Endorsed
LODGE MADE ONE
OF STRONG SPEECHES
Peace Made Surer, He Declared, If
Americans Show World They Stand
BY President Only Three Repubh-
cans On Negative Side.

WASHINGTON, Feb. s. - After
spirited debate in which a strong senti
ment against war was manifested, the
United States senate, by a vote of IS
to 5, formally approved yesterday the
course of President Wilson in severing
diplomatic relations with Germany.
Party lines were obliterated, 43 Dem
ocrats and 80 Republicans voting for the
Stone resolution, and two Democrats,
Kirby and Eardaman, and three Re
ppblicans, Gronna, La Toilette and
Works. voting against IT. Senator
O German was among those absent.
While the debate was i progress
President Wilson appeared unexpected
~ at the capitol Upon learning the
subject under debate, he left promptly
returning to the White House
Senator Stone, chairman of the com
mittee on foreign relations, cleared up,
early in the debate. the question as to
whether President Wilson had knowl-
edge of the plan to introduce the reso-
luton Senator Underwood had raised
the point, whereupOn Senator Stone re-
piled:
The resolution was introduced with
out a word of consultation with the
President, and since its Introduction |
have not seen or talked with him nor
with any executive official relating TO
the resolution.
u wish to find out, Senator Tn
derwood reioined. eff the President, in
the senator S opinion, feels that the
passage of this resolution will uphold
his hands in this emergency or not.
Il scarcely know what the President
| thinks or feels about it, = said Senator
Stone. " | have had no expression what
ever from him on the subject.
Discussing the resolution, Senator
Stone declared:
Whatever may be the result of the
lregrettable international entanglements
| in which we are now involved | do not
know. But | want to express my con
| viction and hope that we Will not
| lose orr erailibrr1Im and be- swept of
orr feet, at least at tho instance of 3
| foreign power or under the influence OF
a propaganda put forth for tho
purpose of exciting us to war on the sid,
of one of the belligerents. 1t is mat
ter that must not rest on foreign dicta
ton. No matter what comes, we should
|
Il presented this resolution because
| think we ought to let the world know
THAT we support the President when
ever he acts within his constitutional
Ipowers and speaks for the country
Senator Lodge, ranking Republican
member of the committee on foreign
relations, said:
I'm my opinion. the President di,
what was demanded by the honor, safe
ty and future security of the Unite,
States. Under these circumstances par
ty lines vanish and any criticism of tn
present is silenced for me. When m,
country Is in controversy with a for
eign nation | can see for myself bu
one duty, and that is to stand by an,
support the recognized constitutions
authority of the government.
The President has taken grave &C
ton. | feel il my duty to support hir
TO the utmost of my power. He is tn
President of my country. And if, a
we all pray, We are to be saved fror
the war, there is only one step more in
pOrtant than any other; If we are t
preserve our peace il is to show to tn
people of the country and the Warl
that we are without divisions and tina
we think only of the United States, |
we exhibit divisions we exhibit weak
. ness, and that weakness will be a tenn
tation that will bring aggressions tina
will result in war
Personal feelings and political fee
, ings and political enmities may all b
laid aside that we may remember tina
we are all Americans and that our frs
E duty is to stand together in this col
c troversy, unhappily sad, with a foreig
. nation. Let us show that nation an
the world that when our Presider