Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1893-10-12


With its mysterious melody,
"Irfnity! Infnity!"
Beatrice Clayton.
Have We a Sen ite or Rlt Pit2.
The United States Senate is illus
trious in record and tradition dur
ing full century tor its su omission
to the right without the enforce
ment Of might, but what is it to-
day? Is it citadel of statesman-
ship, or is it museum for political
freaks?
In 1861 when the appalling ques.
ton of civil War made the travest
men quail there was a large minor
ity in the Senate not in harmony
with the coercive views of the ma
tional administration. Some were
Intentionally disloyal, but others
believed themselves patriotic in as
suming that the Republic could
not survive civil war, and that it
was to be averted at every hazard.
Had oneshelf the men opposed
to the prosecution of the war for
the maintenance of the Union as
sumed that they had the right to
delay legislation indefinitely Con
gress never could have parsed a
bill providing for the enlistments
OF troops,or for their payment. These
measures were opposed with great
earnestness on the floor of the
Senate, but even in those 1evolu>
tionary days none dreamed that
any Senator could obstruct the
rights Of the majority.
In like manner throughout all
the tempestuous conflict between
President johnson and his party
in which the most important guess
ton of reconstruction hal to be
passed over the Presidential veto.
there was always opposition, in
able and impressive debate, but
no man assumed for moment
that he could hinder the majority
from the consummation of its
work.
The Senate is the highest legiss
lative tribunal OF the nation. and is
subject to the highest standard OF
parliamentary law. It has no rule
or law providing for cloture, or
for determining debate and voting
at a given time, but it needs no
such law. Its majesty is inherent
in the majority of its individual
membership, and never until the
present year has it ever been as
samed that the minority may des
liberately and arbitrarily control
the majority.
There is no rule or law, or sens
blance of rule or law, by which the
majority of the Senate is forbidden
to exercise its authority at any
time, and under any circumstances
consistent with its pleasure. If
Senator Voorhees, were to call to-
day for rising vote of the Senate
to instruct the President of the
body to put the VOORHEES, bill at
once to vote, aud msjoElty OF
the mem bere OF the Senate rose III
response to that cali, the President
would be faithless to his trust and
false TO every tradition of the Sem
ate if he did not obey its command.
1t is Idle TO say that the Senate,
that has no rule author 'zing or for-
bidding the Fastening of vote,
may not exercise its authority al
any time id its own way By a ma
jority OF its membership, and it is
quite time that the members OF the
United States Senate who have
lingering memories Of the grandeur
OF ilsrecord during the last Gems
tury. should look this auestiou
squarely iD the face and determine
it at once.
If1he United Safes S Ea;e, i,
a Senate, in the a'1scnca IF ali
rules ant:,of 2 ng es iioiddln5
cloture j, "a IA the power .. tic
| body TO "a vote vt any tine i:s
nal ;riLy OF lis ''aeta,b. rship, as{,
II II Is not su ii a e,a3 II has tten
tsessnefst;s,s ia.o :. ti.sg' ac-'ill raj
pit ~. ;rssaasa who aTo reveiiis III
llsif own shane. and have sxhansts
ei legitina ate and ii!egiiisuate
III ,lhods to bring rep' oace upon
,he greatest government of the
earth. = PAila Times.