Mount Vernon signal. (Mt. Vernon, Ky.) 18??-current, 1917-03-09


by Senator La Toilette and encour-
aged by Senator Stone, Democrat,
Chairman of the Foreign Relations
Committee, in a flibuster denounced
by President Wilson's spokesman as
the most reprehensible in the history
of any civilized nation, defied the will
of an overwhelming majority in Con-
gresS up to the last minute and de-
nicd to the President a law authoriz-
ing him to arm American merchant
ships to meet the German submarine
menace.
Unyielding throughout &c hours of
continuous session to appeals that
their defiance of the President would
be humiliating to the country; uncom-
promising in a crisis described to
them as the most. serious to the ma
>tiOn since the Civil War, La Toilette
and his small group of supporters re-
fused a majority of their colleagues
an opportunity to vote on the armed
neutrality bill, and it died with the
SiXty-fourth Congress, at noon.
To fix the responsibility before the
country, rs Senators, 80 Republicans
and 46 Democrats, signed a manifesto
proclaiming to the world that they
favored the passage of the measure.
This declaration, embodied in the
record of the Senate, referred to the
fact that the House Thursday night
had passed a similar bill by vote of
403 to 13 and also recited that the
Senate rule permitting unlimited de-
bate gave a small minority opportu-
nifty to throttle the will of the ma
iority.
The text of the manifesto is as fol-
lows:
The majority of United States Sen
f-ators favored the passage of the Sen
ate bill authorizing the President of
che United States to arm American
merchant vessels, similar bill hav.
ing already passed the House by
vote of 400 to Is. Under the rules of
the Senate allowing unlimited debate
1t appears to be impossible to obtain
"A vote previous to noon, March 4,
1917. when this session of Congress
expires. We desire the statement en-.
tered on the record to establish the
fact that the Senate favored the legis-
iation and would pass it if vote
could be obtained"
Those Who Reneged.
Thirteen Senators declined TO sign
the declaration, but one of them, SEN
ator Penrose, of Pennsylvania. Repub-
slican, announced he would have voted
for the bill had opportunity been af-
forded him. The u who went on rec
ord with the IL members of the House
II against granting to President Wilson
{ the authority he asked from Congress
In the crisis were:
Republicans-Clapp, of Minnesota;
. Cummins, of Iowa; Gronna, of North
= ID kota; Kenyon, of Iowa; La Toilette.
of Wisconsin,; Norris, of Nebraska;
4 Works, of California.
s'Democrats-Kirby, of Arkansas;
{ Lane. of Oregon; O'Gorman, of New
! York; Stone, of Missouri; Vardaman,
,sof Mississippi.
/ Associated with them in opposition
= 30 the armed neutrality bill were the
: against the House bill.
Republicans-Benedic of Califor-
5, mia; Cary, of Wisconsin; Cooper, of
y Wisconsin; Davis, of Minnesota; Hell
gesen, of North Dakota; Lindbergh,
d. of Minnesota; Nelson, of Wisconsin;
Stafford, of Wisconsin; Wilson. of Illi-
}. nois-9
Observation-Disclosures, of Missouri;
Shackleford, of Missouri; Sherwood
of Ohio-3.
Socialist-London, of New York..
Lineup of the Patriots.
The 76 Senators who signed the
manifesto were:
Democrats Ashurst, Bankhead
Beckham, Broussard, Bryan, Cham
/ berlain, Chiffon, Fletcher, Hardwick
Hitchcock, Hollis, Hughes, Husting
James, Johnson of South Dakota
Kern. Lea, Lee, Lewis, Martin of Vir
ginia, MARITIME of New Jersey, Myers
Newlands, Overman,, owen, Phelan
: Pittman, Pomerene, Ransdell, Reed
Robinson, Salisbury, Shafroth, Shop
pard, Shields, Simmons, Smith o.
Georgia, Smith of Maryland, Smltf
/. of South Carolina, Swanson, Thomas
Thompson, Tillman, Underwood
walsh and Williams-46.
Republicans-Borah, Brady, Bran
,deee, Catron, Clark, Colt, Curtis. Dill
bingham, Dupont, Fall. Fernald. Hard
ing, Jones, Lodge, McCumber. Nc
Lean, Nelson, Oliver, Page, PoindeS
ter Sherman, Smith of Michigan
Smoot, Sterling. Sutherland. Towr
send, Wadsworth, Warren, Watson
and Weeks-3o.
OF the seven Senators not recorded
-three-Gallinger and Goff, Republic
ans, and Gore. Democrat-were al
sent on account of sickness Senator
Lippit, Republicans. and Johnson, Q