When Woodrow Wilson put forth his proposal to arm American merchant vessels in February of 1917 his reasoning was simple and straightforward: the threat of German U-Boats following Germany’s declaration of unrestricted naval warfare was a threat to American citizens.
The chief opponents to Wilson’s bill were a group of anti-war Republicans who believed that trade with the British was unnecessary and not worth preserving at the risk of angering German U-Boats. The de facto leader of this group, Wisconsin Senator “Fighting Bob” La Follette, arranged a filibuster to stall the bill with only three days remaining in the 64thCongress.
The chair refused to recognize La Follette’s right to speak, but his cohort nevertheless spoke at length and stalled consideration of the bill for long enough to allow the bill to expire without passing it. The speech La Follette had prepared was later submitted to the Congressional Record. It contained many points that would have prolonged the debate had he been allowed to proceed.
According to La Follette, the chief benefactors of Wilson’s bill would include the British owners of the American Line, a shipping company lobbying for its passage. La Follette’s arguments were complex and convoluted, but all returned to a locus of foreign influence over American government affairs and undue exercise of authority by the President of the Republic.
He further argued that Congress was not being given sufficient time to debate the consequences of the bill – a situation he deliberately aggravated with his filibuster.
DAVE DOES HISTORY 
Leave a comment