Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1891-01-01
CLOTURE RULE.
The Tug of War on the Elections
Bill.
SENATOR EDMUNDS on THE RULE.
Necessity Claimed For Its Adoption So
That Business May Be Transacted-The
Probabilities Depending Upon
Senate Attendance.

! pubGcans hope to have full attend
ance with their majority increased by
the arrival of the two Senators from
Idaho. Then will come the tug of war.
The first fight viii be over the adoption
| Of Senator Aldrich's amendment to the
rules giving the majority power to close
debate. If the Republicans have
quorum present-and they have five
more than a quorum on their side of
the Senate-it will be comparatively
| plain sailing. If they have not, the
struggle may be prolonged until the en-
durance of the Democrats is exhausted,
or arbitrary measures are adopted by
the Republicans.
Senator Edmunds in an interview on
this subject this morning, said: The
constitution provides and every con-
stitution of government that is to be
carried on must so provide that the ma
jority of any legislative body has to do
its business. 1t necessarily implies that
no minority, whether of one or any
other number, should or could unduly
| obstruct the expression of the will of
the ma ajority. 1t is not q question Of
whether particular measure should be
passed or defeated, but it is a question
whether the majority of Legislative
body can have the power to come to the
disposition of any subject that is
before it, otherwise than at the
will of a minority composed of one or
more. In times of extreme public dam
ger every lover of his country would
agree that a traitOrous minority should
not have the power and could not, If
there be any thing in the power of ma
jorities, to indefinitely delay action
which the emergency might require to
be made as has sometimes happened.
The just liberty of debate Which every
representative of a constituency,
whether the whole people of state or
the people of a Congressional district
has, ought to be continuously main
tanned, but liberty is one thing and lib
erty of obstruction and preventing a
Legislative body coming to any resolu-
ton whatever upon the subject before
it, is quite another.
The rule proposed is not a rule to
compel particular determination of any
question. 1t is a rule to provide that
u4lNl W lliI lAlC MA EOAllN NOAiSiNlSl ~ W
reasonable general debate, that ma
jority, whatever may be its opinion in
respect of the disposition to be made of
the measure, shall be enabled to dispose
of it one way or the other, saving to
every member of the body the right to
express his own opinion upon it within
a given time. How any man of any
party can find fault with such a provis-
ion | am unable to understand. The
common parliamentary law has al
ways been that no man is to speak
impertinently or beside the question,
superfuouSly or tediously. This COM
mon rule of parliamentary law is based
upon the considerations | first men
toned, that parliamentary body hust
be able to act, not to act in a particular
way, but to act in one way or the other
in spite of the determination of any
minority of its members that it shall
not act at all. have always been, and
am still opposed to any such thing
as previous question, as it
has been within recent years in
stituted-that is, a previous question
which instantly terminates discussion;
or, if any time be given, put the power
of giving members of a legislative body
right to speak at all into the hands of
the managing member of a committee
or of a presiding officer. The pro-
posed rule precludes such possibility.
l think, with a Senate of more than
eighty members, that if such rule had
been proposed when no serious ques-
tions were pending or foreseen, as i'm
mediate, it would have received almost
unanimous approval"
In answering the question whether
he believed the country would sustain
the Republicans in passing such rule,
overturning the precedents of the SEN
ate for the sake of passing an elections
bill, Senator Edmunds replied: 81 have
to say, in the first place, that what the
country, with the information it gets
from partisan newspapers of all kinds,
may think in respect to the pro-
priety of such a rule is entirely
immaterial to me in the sense of affect
ing my conduct in doing what think
is my duty in the promotion of the gen.
eral public interest. am sure that the
country, when it understands the pre-
else scope and force of such rule, that
means that the representatives of the
country may have the power to do what
the country thinks ought to be done one
way or the other, after every member
of the minority shall have had the op-
portunity to state his views, will be
more than satisfied that its representa-
tives Of people and States in the Senate
have done wise and right thing"
The nature of the proceedings in the
proceedings in the Senate this week
will be determined by the attendance.
If no quorum is present there will
probably be adjournments from day to
day. II there Is a quorum counting
the Senators on both sides of the cham
Der, the debate on the elections bill will
continue and one of the features of the
discussion viii be a speech by Senator
Hoar, the sponsor Of the bill In the Sem
ate. Should there be quorum of Re-
publicans during-the week-something
hardly probable-then may be expected
transformation of the light slir-
mishing which has been In pro-
gress for month into heavy engage
ment of the political forces, for it is the
intention to press the new cloture rule
introduced by Senator AidrIch as soon
as a safe Republican majority can be
assured
It is not expected that any business
will be transacted in the House during
the coming week There Is a possibili-