Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1894-12-14
I HE S EN- TINEL.
Friday Morning Decem Der IA, 1894.
TIE GROWTH or THE sENATE


1t is fair to presume that nearly every
we'll informed person throughout the length
and breadth of the land is aware Of the fact
that when the present Senate rules were
adopted for the government Of that body it
was composed of twenty-six members, and
hundred years ago member OF the Sen
ate was regarded as clothed with such de-
gree Of dignity and appreciation OF his ex-
allied position that anything like fillibuster.
ing in order to defeat a pending measure
was unthought Of. OF course, it was held
as fair and legitimate that every question
coming before the Senate would be fully
discussed before reaching a vote upon its
merits-certainly nothing was more foreign
than that any studied and systematic effort
on the part of the minority would be re-
sorted to in order to delay or defeat the ma
jority.
With the development of the country, the
increase Of population and the consequent
addition of new States, the Senate is now
composed OF eighty eight members, nearly
four times as many as constituted that body
when the government was organized. 1t
will be perceived that it has grown to be
quite as unwieldly as legislative body as
was the popular branch of Congress when
first organized, and the gradual introduction
and infusion of the House fillibustering into
this higher deliberative body demands
change of the rules Of the Senate so that
vote may be had when il is the desire of the
majority to accomplish legislation.
For more than fifty years after the organ.
izaton Of the government it was regarded
as SO far beneath the dignity of Senator to
obstruct legislation that it was never at
tempted, and at its first introduction as an
apparent purpose to delay the action OF the
Senate, Mr.. Davis, then a Senator from
Massachus etts, made the declaration from
the floor of the Senate "lhat if such methods
should be adopted in that body, the pre-
yious question must be incorporated among
its rules" The Senate, however, seems to
have drifted SO far from its old and honored
custom until the fillibustering spirit has be
come one of its incorporated methods when
it is the desire of the minority to hinder the
will of the majority.
The Philadelphia Times, Democratic
journal, in recent expression of its opinion
upon this very subject, forcibly remarks:
"The time has come when the Senate
should, in justice TO itself and with equal
Justice to all parties, provide some wise and
conservative measure TO hinder systematic
obstruction of the majority by the minority.
There should be no such summary and arbi
trary rules as are necessary in the House
that now contains nearly 400 members and
thus requires even arbitrary rules to accom-
plish legislative results; but the Senate
should adopt rule providing for a full and
fair discussion of every public question, and
make it impossible for the minority to ex
tend discussion simply for the sake OF de
ieating the purposes of the body.
And the time is proptious for such re.
form in the Senate rules. There is no great
party question that is likely to be benefited
or injured by such rule during the remain
der of the present Congress, and considerable
men of all parties must feel the absolute
necessity Of SO changing the rules as 10 abol-
ish forever all ideas OF filibustering in the
first legislative tribunal of the nation. 1t is
due to the dignity of the Senate; it is due
to the 100000 of people Tor whom the
Senate legisates, and it is due to the nation
that important measures desired by the ma
joriiy of the Senate should not be hindered
by methods which are disgracefu to the
body"