Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-03-05


f;sf With the names of two senators
unon il who might be recognized before
Ii could be recognized. They were sen
a+or Owen and Hitchcock l recall
.on,etimes these lists are disregarded by
presiding officers and l wouio IKE 70
know if 1 am to be recognized. He
made this statement as a preliminary
inquiry and Senator Robinson lmmeol-
ateIy made a point of order that II was
NOT a proper inquiry under the Senate
rules.
La Follette's voice began to rise.
81 do not care" he shouted. what
point of order the Senator makes.
The Arkansas senator insisted on ad-
dressing the chair again and LaFoilette
moved out into the center aisle and down
into the well before the clerks desk.
La Foiiette's Challenge
The almost deserted Senate chamber
quickly began to fill. Democrats, many
of them warned of the coup about to be
sprung, hurried in with confident smiles
to enjoy the spectacle of a filibuster pit
ted against filibuster. LaFollette
quickly sensing the situation, raised his
voice to a shrek and, shaking his fore
finger menacingly at Senator Salisbury,
shouted:
II will continue on the floor until
complete my statement unless somebody
carries me off the floor, and / would like
, to see the man do it,
| Before LaFollette could conclude the
| sentence, Senator Robinson leaped to his
| feet and stamped down the aisle on the
Democratic side shouting demands that
his point of order be sustained and that
| LaFollette be forced to his seat
| Senator Salisbury promptly sustained
| the point of order and LaFollette as
promptly appealed from his ruling. Sen
ator Robinson quickly moved to table
LaFollette's appeal-an unbeatable mo-
tion-and there the coup against LaFol-
lette was clinched
The ayes and noes" shouted Sena-
| tor Ashurst. His name heads the list
and always starts the roll call AS
hurst" called the clerk. while La Fol-
lette frantically appealed for the rec
ocnition which lie saw was doomed.
Garry Motion So to IS
| Ashurst responded with a roaring
| Aye"
The motion was carried 50 to Is.
Thus beaten in his plan to talk the
bill to death, La Toilette was forced
to sit and hear Senator Hitchcock dis
cuss the measure until Congress ex-
pired.
FESTIVE under the restraint the Wis
consin senator drummed on his desk
chewed an unlit cigar and interrupted
fvnH Nv xt,st
constitutional rights At least three
times. however, when an unanimous
| consent agreement was proposed for a
vote before noon he objected. He APP
pealed unavailingly to Senator Hitch
cock to give him an opportunity to be
! heard.
Shortly after II o'clock Senator
Hitchcock proposed an agreement for
a vote on the House bill at 1870. Sen
ator Stone said he objected to the bill,
but not to voting on it,
Il object now and will object again
as often as the request is made" said
Senator La Toilette.
THE senator from Wisconsin is con-
stantly violating the rules Of the Sem
ate" interjected Senator Williams.
of course" was the reply $50 are
iEou-You nave not been recognized at
all" He then declared his objection
again. Il still desire to be heard" he
added.
The Lie Passed
THE senator has been heard" inter-
Jected Senator Smith of Georgia, but
Mr.. La Toilette dissented
Did the senator from Georgia say
that was not true?" asked the Wiscon-
sin senator, rising again from his seat.
YES"
1.-THE senator from Georgia states a
falsehood when he says that" La Fol-
lette rejoined.
Senator Smith rose to his feet, but
smiled. and later the two exchanged
opinions to the same effect but in diff
ferent and milder language
Hitchcock Resumes