Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1893-10-26
COMMUNICATED.
soururRN SENATORS AND cLorURE.

The action Of the Southern Sena-
tors who are opposing the adoption
of anv rule to limit debate in the Sen
ate seems to be dictated chiefly by
their experience with the force bill.
The successful fight against that
measure. they claim, could not nave
baen w,yad had cloture existed in the
Senate at that time; and in view OF
the possibility that they may mere
after be confronted by just such a
contingency as before, they decline 10
tie their hands by consentins TO It's
adoption now. This seems plauslote
enough il we can stop here; the con
sequences Of our actions, however,
cannot be suspended where we Will,
but they ua3old themselves in an end
less chain of effects. And to estimate
the wisdom OF the course pursued by
these Senators, We must follow 1t out
to its natural consequences.
Stated another way, their position
is this The party has given solemn
pledges upon three great questions,
which it must carry out III legislation:
They refuse to adopt the only method
by which this legislation can be car
ried through, because this would leave
q weapon in the hands OF their oppO-
nepts which NAV one day be turned
against them. Could there be more
fatal confession of weakness than this,
or a more complete Justification OF
the time-worn Republican taunt that
the Democratic party Is party OF OPP
pOsition, Of obstruction; incompetent
to conceive and adopt consistent
policy on any great question, ana III
capa BILE of carrying out such poHcy
when it is thrust upon them by force
Of circumstances? But this i not the
worst OF il; such obstruction at tue
nresent time is not only a confession
OF weakness and ilCeriOrity, but lit
tie consideration will show that 1t is
pOwerless to effect the end at whic h
II aims, namely, to leave the Demo
crafts in q position to Kill obnoxious
LEGISLATION sought TO b. carried by a
future Republican III U)rity
Judge Thomas N Cooley, oar fore
most authority on constitutional
law, has lately expressed the opinion
that the Senate has no power 10
adopt rule or set Of rules whose ell
fect-direct or indirect-wiIl be &c
prevent the majority from expressing
their will in practical legislation, that
such rules after having been adopted
are void. and not binding upon the
Senate, aud that it Is not only the
right but the duty OF tl- S'ntre 60
| change those rules, even though the
| change can only be effected by dlsre
| garding the rules themselves. More
| than this, the most Important feature
OF the debate on the proposed amend
nents to the rules, up TO this writing
! October 2D is that no one has been
| found willing to affirm that the Sen
ate can adopt an express rule which
will give the minority power to put
veto on tho expressed will of the ma
| ioritv, and if this cannot he done oil
| rectlv, neither can it be done indirect
ly by allowing indefinite obstruction
| for the purpose Of preventing vote
! In the light OF these considerations,
suppose the fears of these Southern
| Senators realized, and the RepubIl-
| cans in the majority in the Senate,
! Can any one doubt that they vii
| adopt cloture in some form or other
when it becomes necessary to the
! passage of some measure that forms
an integral part of their policy oil
! Capitalization and paternalism in gov
eminent, whether it he u force bill
or a prohibition tariff ? Where ther
will be the right of obstruction fol
whose preservation these gentlemen
! claim that they are contendinG now
But even this is not the worst fea
| ture in the case. Not only is theil
conduct powerless to effect its alleged
purpose, but it tends almost inevita
| III 70, a nrt thA - A nj
affairs which they most dread, anC
by the dread Of which this conduct is
! inspired. The Democratic party be-
| fore entering on the last campaign
gave these express pledges: to repsa
! the Sherman law, to repeal the fed
! eral elections laws and TO reform the
tariff. 1t was put into power upor
the strength of these pledges and up
on the faith of the people in its desire
and ability 10 redeem them. If OBJ
struction is permitted, by its OWL
couutenance and connivance, to xii
the silver repeal bill, can any out
doubt that the Republicans will make
use of the same tactics to prevent the
destruction of their pet system o
federal interference with elections
and the reform of the tariff, the sup
| DOTI OIL WHOSE JciltUCldIl6S dlOllC III
for so long kept their party alive
Then, when the Democratic party
goes to the country, discredited by {
confessed inability to act and diShOn
ored in respect Of all its pledges, cal
there be shadow of hope for its sue
cess? The Republicans, returned t
power under such circumstances, vii
profess, if they do not believe, tina
the wisdom of their policies ha
been indicated after two trials o
opponents, and we shall have an ere
Of force bills and MckinleyiSm run
mad.
1t is unnecessary, for the purpose
Of this argument, to discuss the rela
tive value Of the various policies pu
forth upon the silver question. It.
object is only to indicate the fata
effects of continued failure to act il
some way. 1t may be that the pas
sage OF the repeal bill will split the
party us is prophesied by Nj. Thorn
as b. Reed; it may be that its defea
would ALLEVIATE the sound money meI
of the party, whether they favor hi
metalism or the gold standard. Blu
it is certain that after it has ccted ii
one way or the other it will still hav
fighting chance of remaining il
power While it is equally certain
that il it fails to act at all, by permit
ting obstruction to prevent a vote
such incapacity must bring inevita
bic defeat at the polls and ever
threaten the very existence of tn
party.
The situation may not yet be s.
bad, the losses already suffered so ir
retrievabe, as to make us willing t.
justify fully the forcible language o
Henry Wattsrson in a recent editoria
on thi. subject, but we must admi
that he has al least a color of right
to utter his oracular warning Of tn
time when these Southern, and SC
called Democratic, Senators mus
learn in sober earnest that there is
people to condemn and God to pun
ish alike the faithless AID the incOm
petsnt."
BENZ. TRAPNELL.