Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (March 5, 1917)
THEMOBMIfG OREGOXIA2T, 3IOXDAT, .MARCH 5, 1917. SENATE IMPOTENT UNDER OWN RULES WE ARE WITH YOU. MR. PRESIDENT. UN HUH Trading Stamps An Honest, Money-Saving v- Discount Given to All Our Patrons T nun Wisconsin Senator Craftily Bends Others to Purpose at v Fateful Crisis. MAJORITY IS POWERLESS Action Necessary to Show Germany That Nation Is United in De fense of Its Citizens Is Pre rented by Technicalities. ST JOHN C ALLAN OXAUGHLIN. WASHINGTON, March 4. (Special.? Bow down and worship, ye people of the United States before the rules of the United States Senate. They are stronger than your will stronger than the will of nlne-tentha of the body which made those rules. The created Is greater than the creator. It ie a god, fashioned by men, yet which must be slavishly obeyed. Surely never such a spectacle has been witnessed as that which took place last night and-this morning In a legislative assembly, the greatest delib erative body In the world, as Its mem bers love to call It. To save themselves from the wrath of the people, In order to place the responsibility for the fail ure of the armed neutrality bill, 76 of the 96 members of the Senate deemed It necessary to resort to the extraordinary and unprecedented . method of signing a "round robin" declaring they would have voted for the measure If oppor tunity to do so had been afforded them. That opportunity was denied by the god that must be obeyed the rules of the Senate. La Follette Leader of Filibuster. In the course of the debate there were crimination and recrimination, criticism a.nd censure, charges and coun ter charges, confession of humiliated hearts and burning words descriptive of the disgrace brought upon the Sen ate and the Nation by those powerless to overthrow the mighty force bending the Senate to its will. There were walling and gnashing of teeth by men unable to act. But they drank the bitterness and gall. And the god that must be obeyed grinned. Back of the God that must be obeyed, holding him rigidly to his task of throt tling the desire of the President and the people was Robert Marlon La Follette, ,a Senator of the United States from Wisconsin. All through the night. La Follette used first and then another of the men with whom he was In fre quent consultation to prevent the Sen ate from sanctioning the desire of the j President of the United States to pro tect American life and American rights. Record Silent as to Detail. Only this morning, when he expected to do the dramatic thing his -usual pro cedure of carrying the bill on to the moment the Congress expired, was he forced to appear In the open, and then he found, ostensibly to his disgust, that Senator Hitchcock had taken the floor from him." He did register a single objection to unanimous consent to a vote'; he did declaim against the depri vation of his right to speak through the recognition by the chair of Senator Hitchcock, of Nebraska. He ld point to a desk plied with books and papers to which he intended to refer during the clostag four hours as proof of his industry and his capacity to talk that length of time. But he can afford to be satisfied. If he can find any satisfaction in his act, for he accomplished his purpose Moreover, he is free to tell his people anything he may desire and they cannot say . him nay for the reason that the record does not disclose in any de tail the attitude which his whisper ing conduct on the floor and his fre quent conferences In . the cloakroom and committee-rooms show him to have adopted. La Follette's sorriest triumph lay In the way in which he secured the serv ice of half a dozen tools who took the floor when he needed them and who carried out the directions of the god that must be obeyed. Possibly he would have avoided objecting to a vote had not conditions made it neces sary. Particularly did he encourage the men whom he was manipulating. Sometimes he would sit in his chair, nodding approval at the poor .dupe who was carrying out his plans. Oc casionally his lips could be seen fash ioning the word "Good," or the words "That's right," but not a sound -emanated from him at such times and so far as the record Is concerned, he said nothing. Able Men Made Dapei. It is a pity, a great pity, that able, honest men lent themselves to the use to which LaFollette put them. There were Clapp, of Minnesota; Cummins and Kenyon, of Iowa; Gronna. of North rakota; Norrls. of Nebraska; Works, of California, Republicans; Kirby, of Arkansas; O'Gorman, of New York; Stone, of Missouri, and Vardaman, of Mississippi, Democrats. On these lies the blame for the fail tire of the Senate to give the Presi dent the legislation which, while not absolutely essential, was essential to show Germany, who proposed an alliance with Japan and Mex ico against the United States, the sol idarity of the American people. Ken yon and O'Gorman freed themselves from the record by never opening their mouths: they are in a position to make any public statement they please, even to say they would have voted for the bill, if political expediency indicates eucn a statement to be desirable. Nor is tneir silence surprising to those who know these men with the exception, perhaps, of O'Gorman. But on Ken yon and O'Gorman rests a responsibili ty equally as great as that which bur dens the shoulders of LaFollette and his other tools; for had they favored the measure, there would have been Detter cnance to secure action. If they should ever say to their con Btituents that If the bill had come to a vote they would have supported It, those constituents should ask: "Why, then, did you not sign the round robin?" What are the rules of the United Statea Senate which make that body irapoiem ana now am La toilette per ate them? Read them carefully: . "Rule XIX No Senator shall inter rupt another Senator In debate without nis consent, and. to obtain such onn sent, he shall first address the presid ing officer, and no Senator shall speak more than twice upon any one ques tion on debate on the same dav without leave of the Senate, which shall be aetermined without debate." "Rule XXI No request by a Sen ator for unanimous consent for the taking of a final vote on a specified date upon the passage of a bill or Joint resolution shall be submitted to the benate ror agreement thereto, until. upon a roll call, ordered for the pur pose by the presiding officer. It shall be disclosed that a quorum of the Sen ate is present; and when a unanimous consent is thus given, the same shall operate as the order of the 'Senate, but I any unanimous consent may be re voked by another unanimous consent granted in the manner prescribed above upon one dayjs notice.", .",.:(( ;;; , l... . - ; ,,,,, ;.A. J CONGRESS IS DEFIED Twelve Senators Defeat Will in National Emergency. CLOSING DEBATE IS BITTER Forces Are Led by La Follette and Supported by Stone Action Is Denounced as Most Repre hensible In History. (Continued From First Pare.) lng. Jones. Lodge. McCumber. McLean, Nelson., Oliver, Page, Poindexter, Sher man, Smith, Michigan; Smoot, Sterling, Sutherland. Townsend. Wadsworth, Warren, Watson and Weeks 30. Of the seven Senators not recorded. three, Gallinger and Goff, Republicans, and Gore, Democrat, were absent on account of sickness. Senators Llppet. Republican, and Johnson, of Maine, and Smith, of Arizona, Democrats, were ab sent from the city. Senator Culberson, Democrat, did not reach the Senate in time to be recorded. Hours before the end Senators who fought through the night to break down the filibuster conceived a way to thwart LaFollette's well-laid plans to occupy the center of the legislative stage at the climax of the bitter fight. Its execution brought the session to a dramatic end. with LaFollette light ing vainly for a ''chance to deliver a speech on which he had worked many days. He saw friends of the doomed legis lation Inflict the death blow which he planned. LaFollette's Opportunity Gone. Instead of LaFollette, Senator Hitchcock, leader of the majority in favor of the bill, talked out the waning hours of the session. Timing his op portunity to the minute. Senator La Follette entered the Senate Chamber shortly after nine o'clock this morning prepared to take the center of the stage for the last act of the tragedy. When the moment he had chosen ar rived he addressed the chair, but Sen ator Hitchcock prevented his recogni tion. The forenslo struggle which ensned seldom if ever had been equalled in the history of the Senate. Voices were straind to Bhrieklng, threatening fists were shaken at the presiding officer, while the crowded floor and galleries looked on "breathlessly. But the inci dent soon passed without violence. The chair recognized Senrtor' Hitchcock and LaFollette's opportunity was snatched away. Ten minutes before the end. Senator Hitchcock had made hia last appeal for unanimous consent for a vote on the bill. LaFollette objected. The Nebraska Senator, prefacing his closing remarks with a portion of President Wilson's address to Congress asking for the authority about to be denied, solemnly said:' "It Is unfortunate and deplorable that 12 men in the Senate of the United States have it in their power to defeat the will of 75 to 80 members by one of the most reprehensible filibusters ever recorded in the history of any- civilized country." Senator Hitchcock paused yhlle his words echoed through the chamber. La Follette stolidly glared toward the Ne braska!!, who presently added that per haps he should apologize for the vio lence of his words. y "You are perfectly safe," LaFollette returned without rising from bis chair. "No one can answer you." No one did. for the noon hour had struck and the Sixty-fourth Congress was ended. Leaders Try to Prevent Defeat. Before the manifesto' was presented, many Democratic and Republican lead ers worked unceasingly to prevent the inevitable defeat of the bill. After midnight they practically abandoned the fight and prepared the manifesto to record the real sentiment of the Senate on the subject. The defeated Senators determind to make Senator LaFollette pay for his coup by sacrificing the crowning fruits of his victory. The plan to prevent him from delivering his address to the Sen ate was made quietly in the cloakrooms and the time was fixed for 10 o'clock this morning, when most of the Sena' tors would be back in the chamber ready for adjournment. LaFollette, looking fresh and eager, entered the chamber while Senator Owen was speaking. When Senator Owen started to take bis seat both Hitchcock and LaFollette addressed the chair. Senator Saulsbury, presiding, under the rules, would be compelled to recognize- the man who addressed him first. The chair recognised Senator Hitchcock, but LaFollette Interrupted. Point of Order Defied. "At 8 o'clock this morning," he said, "when I sought recognition I was told that when the Vice-President left the chair he had left a list with the names of two Senators upon it who might be recognized before I could be recog nized. They are Senators Owen and Hitchcock. I recall that sometimes these lists are disregarded by presid ing officers and I would like to know if I am to be recognized." Senator Robinson immediately made a point of order that it was not a proper Inquiry -under the Senate rules. "I do not care," LaFollette shouted, "what point of order the Senator makes." The Arkansas Senator Insisted on ad dressing the chair again and LaFollette moved out Into the center aisle and down Into the well before the clerk's desk. The almost deserted Senate chamber quickly began to fill. Democrats has tened in to enjoy the spectacle of a filibuster pitted against a filibuster. LaFollette. quickly sensing the situa tion, raised his voice almost to a shriek1 and shaking his forefinger menacingly at Senator Saulsbury, shouted: I will continue on the floor until I complete my statement unless some body carries me off the floor, and I would like to see the man' to 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. hia point of order be sustained and that LaFollette be forced to his seat. Senator Saulsbury promptly sus tained the point of order and LaFollette. as promptly appealed from his ruling. Senator Robinson quickly moved to table LaFollette's appeal an undebat able motion and there the coup against LaFollette was clinched. "The ayes and noes'." shouted Senator Ashurst. His name heads the list and always starts the rollcalL "Ashurst," called the clerk, while La Follette frantically appealed for the recognition which he saw was doomed. Ashurst responded with a roaring 'Aye." The motion carried, 63 to 18. Thus beaten In his plan to talk the bill to death,, LaFollette was forced to sit and hear Hitchcock discuss the measure until Congress expired. LaFollette Renews Objection. Shortly after 11 o'clock Senator Hitchcock proposed an agreement for a vote on the House bill at 11:30. Sen ator Stone said he objected to the bill. but not to voting on it. as often as the request Is made," said Senator LaFollette. "The Senator from Wisconsin is con stantly violating the rules of the Sen ate, Interjected Senator Williams. "Of course." was the reply. '"So are you you have not been recognized at all.' He then declared his objection again. "I still desire to be heard. ha added. "The Senator has been heard." inter jected Senator Smith of Georgia, but LaFollette dissented. "Did the Senator from Georgia Bay that that was not true?" asked the Wisconsin Senator, rising again from his seat. "Yes." "The Senator from Georgia states a falsehood when hs Bays that," LaFol lette rejoined. Senator Smith rose to his feet but smiled and later the two exchanged opinions to the same effect but in dif ferent and milder language. Objection Maintained to Last The talk was resumed by Senator Hitchcock while Senator La Follette and Senator Norris, his chief lieutenant In the fight, sat and watched. At 11:43 with only 17 minutes of the session remaining, Mr. Hitchcock again pro posed a unanimous agreement for a vote at 11:45 o'clock. "I object." said La Follette. rising to his feet and smiling. The roll was called under the rules and 88 Senators answered. The clerk read the proposed agreement as the rules required. "I object." said the Wisconsin Sen ator, smiling. A minute later he objected to Senator Hitchcock retaining the floor longer Decause no contended business had In tervened the calling of a quorum and that having already spoken twice on the situation pn the one legislative day the rules required him to yield the floor. Senator Robinson, then presid ing, quickly ruled that there had been no such intervening business. Before It got to a ruling a motion was carried to grant Senator Hltchqock the "right to continue. By that time less than five minutes remained of the life of the Congress, and Senator Robinson, still presiding, interrupted Senator Hitchcock on the stroke of 12 to declare the Senate ad journed sine die. IS L President' Needs Legislation for Effective Action. NATION . FACES DISASTER In Statement .to People, Wilson At tacks Group of, Wilful Men, Who Made Nation Contemptible. m New Rules Advised. tContlnued From First Pa ge. industry have both failed, though they have been under consideration through out the sessions of two Congresses and have been twice passed by the House of Representatives. "The appropriations for the. Army have failed, along with the appropria tions for the civil establishment of the government, the appropriations for the Military Academv at Wf. P?- and the general deficiency bill. It has provea impossible to extend the pow ers of the Shiptiiner Board to mnt. Via special needs of the new situation into which our commerce has been forced or to increase the gold reserve of our National banking system to meet thi unusual circumstances-of the existf.-g financial situation. Senate Remains Paralysed. t would not cure the difficulty to call the 65th Congress in extraordinary session. The paralysis of the Senate would remain. The purpose and the spirit of action are not lacking: now. The Congress is more definitely united in thought and purpose at this moment, I venture to say, than it has been with in the memory of any man now in its membership. There la not only the most united patriotic purpose but the objects members have In view are per fectly clear and definite. But the Sen ate cannot act unless its leaders can obtain unanimous consent. Its major ity Is powerless, helpless. In the midst of A crisis of extraordinary peril, when only definite and decided action can make the Nation safe or shield it from war Itself by the aggression of others, action is Impossible. "Although as a matter of fact the Nation and the representatives of the Nation stand back of the executive with unprecedented unanimity and POWER AGKING THE more practical bank "connection"', for one who is regularly receiving and paying money, is the Commercial or Checking Ac count. It represents banking for both Business and Financial reasons. We feel that the patron grains more conveniences through this department, and that the Northwestern National-is afforded greater scope in co-operating with him. Resources Over Ten Million Dollars . J-iVZi iM ii SSI dBr 4ft ti Hi Sli I -el mi siiiih: " "a Bl Si ui 1! II "I II 9 83 II 83 Bl II UuThfiNorthwestern mm mm$ Fi H i i mm SPECIAL TODAY 50c P b e co on sale o Q now at '..,uC 26o Colgate's Tooth- Of" taste now at. faUC 6o Kolynos on ialOA now at only bUC 60o Java Rls Pow-oiy der on sale at ul C 60c San tiseptlc Lo- AtZ tlon on sale at. ...... C Non-r f B0cOdor-yt r spL.OUC ono 4tC Senreco Tooth Paste O C on aale now at. auC ?5o Castile Soap on A Q sale at ti7C (2.50 Hair Brush 4 4 Q now at. .......... D X x7 J2.25 Ivory H a i r tf 1 OQ Brush now at. . . . 3 A 10c Skat on sal at 1 Q three for 1C 10c Flash on sale t JQ three for ;..1C 10c Ivory Soap on sale at three for AtC 10c Palmoltve Soap on T sale now at. C $1.00 Othine on saleQl now at only OOC 60c Stlllman Freckle OQ Cream on sale at . . . . O mJ C i ( I EB I EBB KM I KB AUTO DAYS CDdMGCO Rock Island CHAMOIS ?ade on tanned skins, for nol- 01 uiiwilo: Sheepsw o o 1 Forms the kind that are hard to wear out. that stand rough use and yet are soft and lshlng. Auto 1 Tff Size now at will J mm Smaller non-scratching. now at. Auto Slie $2.00 $1.50 wnni now at.. ll uub Smaller Size c 1 a 1 1 y autos.. . now at. 115 innnnfiniiiiBifH-iif hihbiii miRanHni MB H Hal HI spirit, the Impression made abroad will, of course, be that it is not so, and that other governments may act as . they please without fear that this Govern ment can do anything at all. .We can not explain. . The explanation is in credible, v Only One Remedy Presented. "The Senate of the United States is the only legislative body In the world that cannot act when Its majority is ready for action. A little group of willful men. representing no opinion but their own, have rendered the great Government of the United States help less and contemptible. "The remedy? There is but one rem edy. That is the rules of the Senate shall "be so altered that it can act. The country can be relied upon to draw the moral. I believe that the Senate can be relied upon to supply the means of action and save the country from dis aster." At the same time the President au thorized the further statement that what rendered the situation even more grave than it had been supposed that it was. was the discovery that, while the President, under his general constitu tional powers, could do much of what he had asked Congress to empower him to do, it had been found that there were certain old statutes as yet unrepealed which raised insuperable practical ob stacles and virtually may nullify his power. Old Law Stands In Way. The old law referred to by the President was passed by Congress in 1819 and referred to the resistance of American merchantmen against the attack on privateers a id privates, but excluded from vessels which might be so attacked "a public armed vessel of a nation in amity with the United States." Technically Germany Is not at ,war with the United States and subma rines are "publio armed vessels" of Germany. The President's statement followed a conference at the White House be tween Mr. Wilson. Secretary McAdoo, Postmaster-Genersl Burleson, Colonel E. M. House, Vance G. McCormlck, and Secretary Tumulty. ACCIDENT CURES OLD HURT Girl Hit by Anto, However, May Die From Other Injnries. VAULEJO, Cat. March 4. Being knocked down and dragged more than 80 feet by a runaway automobile to night cured 19-year-old Lucile Hamil ton of a hip trouble that made her a cripple for 10 years, but the same doc tors who discovered the hip correction declared that the young woman prob ably would die from the Injuries she sustained to her skull and spine. She was struck by an automobile that had been left standing on a steep grade and which started on its downward career when some children playing with the steering wheel turned the wheels out from the curb. Postofflco Messenger Injured. Forrest Wilson, 1024 East Main street, special delivery messenger for the Postoffice Department, was severe ly injured last night when the motor cycle which he was riding skidded at Crosby and Larrabee streets and threw him heavily to the pavement.- He was removed to St- Vincent's Hospital. His Iniurles are thought not to 'be serious! The Trail of a Check. A bill Is paid by check to order of John Smith. That party must Indorses same, that Is, acknowledge receipt of payment, by placing his name upon back of check. In due time the one who drew check receives it, canceled, from his bank. Thus he has both record of transaction and evidence of payment. National Bank KorthweaternBankBld"- PDrtlan.d.Ore&ot - BAGS AND PURSES 60c Woven Shopping Bags, with lining to hld O Q your packages OS7C 2uj Woven Shopping 1 Q . Bags now at 1JG $3.50 and il.09(n a r Handbags at i94? $1.60 Ladle s'i in Purses now at. ..wlalj 75o and S6c Coin A Purses now at 75o assortment Coin o C Purses now at U7 L (- CUR LINE OF MOULDINGS Includes Some ' VERY EXatlSITE DESIGNS, Our Workmen Are Experts. BRING THIS COTJPON - Ana itecelve 50 EXTRA STAMPS with every cash framing order of J1.00 or more in our Art Dep't, Basement, all mis week, March & to 10. TAKE SCIENTIFIC "J. B. THE MOST SAFE KEEPING Monthly Size $1.50 miCTCDSMade uugiLllil 1 espe- for . . . . 75q Up ALDZS STPrJTAI HBHIlBBiiailBliailIIIIIBBHIBBBBMI CO ED WON BY STUDENT MISS ROBERTA KILLAM, OF PORT LAND, ENGAGED TO ALASKAN. Announcement of Betrothal Is Campus Surprise of Oresron Edward Bar wood Is Brldea-room-to-Be. UNIVERSITY OF OREGON, Eugene. Or., March 4. (Special.) The exchange of a diamond ring and fraternity pin as a climax to a college romance last night set the campus atune with the midnight music of serenaders. It was the members of Kappa Sigma Frater nity and Delta Gamma Sorority cele brating the betrothal of Miss Roberta Klllam, of Portland, and a member of the staff of the Oregon Emerald, col lege paper, to Edward P. Harwood, of Cordova, Alaska, managing editor of the Emerald. ' Following the serenade each house feted the principals and telephones were kept busy with the exchange of mutual congratulations. It was not until the wee sma hours of the morn ing that the final echoes of the Jolly crowd died away and "Ed" flatly re fused longer to pass the treats around. Mr. Harwood fs the third successive managing editor of the Emerald to have become engaged 1-n the Junior year. Delta Gamma honored their new "brother today with a dinner and to morrow the couple will run the gaunt let of campus congratulations. The news of the betrothal came as a complete surprise to the friends of the principals. CLUB TO DISCUSS PLANS New Jjaurelhurst Home "Will Be Topic Wednesday Night. Plans for the new Laurelhurst club house will be Informally discussed at a smoker of the men members in the present club rooms at East Thirty ninth and Ankeny streets on Wednes day evening of this week. The architects have completed plans for a new building to rise on the site of the present one; and It is hoped to begin actual work early this Spring. The new clubhouse is to cost 40.000 or $50,000. and will be financed by the members. Plans for financing the en terprise will be formed at Wednesday evening's meeting. The Laurelhurst club now has . S00 members on its rolls and has out grown the present quarters. Tentative tv n 3 iviessades Every&ocklicU. Last year the Western Onion transmitted one tmn-', dred million messages. 273,954 telegrams ras an average day's business, 11,415 an hoar's work, 190 cleared the wires every minute. Every time the clock ticked 3 messages were received and delivered by WESTERN UNION THE WESTERN UNION TELEGRAPH CO. Authorized Sales and Service Sold on Easy Terms Complete Stock of Parts THE PACIFIC KISSELKAR BRANCH Broadway at Davis St. ! (S) Mot Satisfied Customers Made Every Day by TJnlna the KENNEY NEEDLE SHOWER Ask anyone who owns one how he likes it. Invarlablv the answer will be: "I would n't be without it." New model the best yet. Attaches to any bathtub faucet In five minutes. No tools needed. No splashing. Complete $7 .50 MM mm 3 INTERNAL BATHS WITH 1 M. JO.Jti L. CASCADE" AND PRACTICAL WAY OF CLEAN IMERKALLT. Payments if Desired. 5a EH 11 WfST RW2K plans for the new home call for one of the most modern and most serv iceable community centers on the Pa cific Coast. Hats from Italy Made by the famous Borcelino firm, have been for years considered "par excellence among extremely critical dressers. Not long ago a much-traveled New York banker, of Na tional reputation, expressed his surprise that a genuine Borcelino -hat could be bought here in Portland. He didn't know us I We have Just received fire colorings of the most attract ive soft Borcelinos we have ever shown, all of the most beautiful texture and fine ness. -Green, dark gray, pearl, with matched band, pearl with black band and cocoa. The war has made it diffi cult to get Borcelino orders filled, and this importation will be all we can expect to receive for several months. They are now, more than ever, a real hat luxury. The price remains the same as heretofore Five Dollars Buff um &' Pendleton Co. 127 Sixth Street. 30 easy steps from Wash ington Street. F. N. Pendleton. Winthrop Hammond. ' Ea mm MAE SHALL 4-70Q -HOME A e!7l J , w r - tr is I s r 5r