The Washington times., 1917-03-04

9. -
Senate flibuster was proceeding. wal
speech by senator Owen of Okla
homa. He declared once again II
favor of adoption OF rule for clio
tuTe to shut Off debate. He holds
that the need for such "A rule has
been more strongly emphasized thar
ever by what has occurred.
showdown Demanded.
With startling suddenness, after
several hours OF filibuster tactics the
Senate at 3:s5 this morning. with
Ollie James in the chair, pushed
aside all eNtraneous matters 10 call q
showdown on the armed neutrality
bill
Il have a paper signed by eighty
three Senators who would vote in
favor of giving the President this
power were it not for the twelve who
block it,
Senator Clapp objected. on a point
of personal privilege.
This isi unfair and unjust TO me,
he said. There are many of us who
but who have waited patiently TO dis
cuss it thoroughly. I admit it places
us in a peculiar attitude"
Senator Hitchcock who had the
floor at this point refused to yield
further.
"ENasperating and procrastinating
debate has been called into play to
defeat this bill" said Hitchcock. Ia
Toilette. walking towards Hitchcock.
laughed aloud a. Inc sS.-Ie...,....
senate Fills Quickly.
When the Senate had been deserted
i've minutes previously, at least IS
per cent of the membership were in
their seats by this time.
Hitchcock, ignoring La Toilette.
continued:
I'VE propose to show that nine
tenths of the Senate is willing and
anxious to vote on this bill, so the
country may know that nine-tenths
of the Senate want to uphold the
President and are prevented from
carrying out their desire by twelve
Senators,
This informal vote is IS to 90.
Twelve of the % are opposed to the
extent of blocking the bill"
Hitchcock then handed the historic
senatorial round robin to Senator
Robinson who proceeded to read it
Gs it had been circulated.
Williams Explains Paper.
What does this paper mean asked
Williams.
I'VE can't vote being kept by legis-
lative impotence. We can't do a thing
but talk.
We can't vote any other way but
by this paper and putting it on the
Recrd, said Williams, that's what
this paper means. The document
meanf Mat IL any one is to blame, it
is not~Se who have signed it"
After a gordian knot cutting OF
parliamentary proceedings Senator
Hitchcock, in charge of the neutrality
bill, moved its immediate considera-
.tion. Opposition from Myers OF Mon
tana, and Clapp of Minnesota, was
swept aside by the Chair.
II wish to say" said Hitchcock,
that all Senators who car be reach
ed except twelve, want to vote on the
bill which will give the President
power to deal with the international
situation and show the world that the
Congress of the United States upholds
him"
Fall to Check F4IIbusteR.
Hitchcock made another request
that there be a vote by o'clock. but
Senator Gronna, despite voice strain
from reading many reams Of farming
propaganda, objected.
Senator Williams Of Missippippi. Demo-
crat. declared that ''one of the most
humilitatin spectacles in American his
tory will be presented IL this bill is de-
feated. II this bill is not passed Ger
many will say that the money-grabbing
Americans have done what we thought
they would do.
In face Of the Lusitania, we remained
calm. The President has finally awak-
ened to the fact that American honor
was at stake, but the Senate will not be
awakened TO this fact"
Party Lines BIotted Out.
The sentiment of the Senate was
obtained by means of a manifesto
passed through the chamber and
signed by members of all parties
This will be formally read into the
Record some time before noon
An organized filibuster, conducted
actively through the night by a few