The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1917-03-09
WILSON TO NATION
APPEALS TO PEOPLE IN cRtois
CAUSED ev FiLieUsTER OF
TWELVE IN SENATE.
PRECEDENT 0eelarss Situation at Close
of sixty.Fourth Congress to Be
Unparalleled In History Of
Modern Government.

"oO0TU 10VGSuue"es
Western Newspaper Union News Service.
Washington, March 5.-President
Wilson Sunday night issued the foL
lowing statement. addressed Ito the
Nation:
The termination Of the last session OF
the Sixty-fourth Congress by constttu-
tional Limitation discloses q situation
unparalleled In the history Of the coun-
tory of any modern government. In
the immediate presence of crisis
fraught with more subtle and TAR
reaching possibilities of national dan
ger than any other government has
known within the whole history OF Its
international relations. the Congress
has been unable to act either to safe
guard the country or to vindicats the
elementary rights OF Its citizens.
More than five hundred Of the five
hundred and thirty-one members OF the
act: the House of Representatives had
acted, by an overwhelming majority.
but the Senate was unable to act, be-
cause little group of senators had
determined that 1t should not.
The Senate has no rules by which do
bate can be limited or brought to an
end: no rules by which dilatory tactics
of any kind can be preysented ever A 81 single scs
tion If he have but the physical en-
durance. The result in this case, Is
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 impossi-
BILE at time when the need for 1t was
the most pressing and most evident.
| The bill which would have permitted
such combinations of capital and Of
| organization In the export and import
| trade of the country as the circum-
stances of international competition
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
| tered organization necessary FOR IT'S ef-
| ficiency.
| The conservation BILL which should
| have released for immediate use the
locked up In the public lands. now that
| their release is more imperatively nee
essary than ever. and the bill which
would have made the unused water
power of the country Immediately
available for industry, have both
failed, though they have been under
Of two Congresses and have been
twice passed by the House of Repre-
sentatives.
The appropriations for the army
have failed. along with the appropria-
tions 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 stu
been forced or to increase the gold re-
serve OF our national banking system
| to meet the unusual circumstances of
| the existing financial situation.
| 1t would not cure the difficulty to
| call the Sixty-fifth Congress in extra
| ordinary session. The paralysis of tho
Senate would remain. The purpose and
| the spirit of action are not lacking
| now. The Congress 10 more definitely
united in thought and purpose at this
moment: ! venture to say. than 1t has
been within the memory of any man
now in its membership. There Ia not
only the most united patriotic purpose,
but the objects members have in view
| are perfectly clear and definite.
| But the Senate cannot act unless its
| leaders can obtain unanimous consent.
Its majority Is powerless, helpless. In
peril when only definite and decided
| action can make the nation safe or
shield 1t from war itself by the ag-
gression of others, action Is impos-
sible.
Although as matter of fact the
nation and the representatives Of the
| nation stanO back OF the executive
| with unprecedented unanimity of spir-
| 1t, the impression made abroad will of
| course. be that 1t is not so, and that
| other governments may act they
| please without fear that this govern
ment can do anything at all. We can
not explain. The explanation is incred-
| ible.
The Senate of the United States Is
| the only legislative body in the world
which cannot act when Its majority is
| ready for action.
little group Of wilful men repre-
senting no opinion but their own have
rendered the great government of the
United States helpless and contempt
| ible.
| The remedy? There is but one rem
| edy. The remedy Is that the rules of
the Senate shall be 80 altered that 1t
can act. The country can be relied
upon to draw the moral I believe that
the Senate can be relied upon to sup
| ply the means Of action and save the
| country from disaster.