The sun., 1897-04-27
Mason and tho Senate Rules.

Tho rules of the United States Senate
have frequently been made the subject Of
censure, and lately the new Senator from
Illinois, Mr.. WILLIAM K. MASON, the sue.
cessor of Gen. JOHN NJ. PALMER, made q Wig.
orous attack upon the procedure in the upper
house Of Congress, to the enthusiastic ap-
proval of the galleries. What Mr.. MASON
objected to in his speech he described as
minority control" There was, he said,
q majority Of insurgents In the Senate; a
majority ready to act, but held back by
the minority in control. 1t was time, he
thought, to do away with 1.-THE barnacle
rules" the rules which, to insure free
speech and full discussion, permit prac-
tically unlimited debate.
Is such an objection soundi Is It justifa-
blef Is it based on a correct knowledge Of
factsi Is it opportune1 1t happens at
the present time that there are in the
Fifty-fifth Senate moro Republicans than
members Of any of the other groups into
which the Senate Is divided, and with
the organization of the Senate pro.
posed it is believed that the Republicans
will be able ultimately to give effect to their
policy. The present Senate, when all its
seats are filled, will comprise AZ Republi.
cans, 81 Democrats, z Populists, 8 silverite
Republicans, and gold Democrats. The
Republicans, therefore, while most numer-
Gus, will not be numerous enough before tho
next Senatorial vacancies to control the
Senate without the cooperation of one of
the other groups. Their own strength as the
plurality party in the Senate is ineffective.
1t may please some superficial and impress
sionable observers to believe that the in
terests of the country in matters of Fed.
eral legislation would be safer and the Sem
ate prepared more advantageously for busi-
ness II debate In the Senate were re-
stricted by such rules as govern the House
of Representatives. But should, for any
reason, the present "insurgent majority"
as Senator MASON, a member of it, describes
his fellow Republicans, be overpowered by
an alliance of Populists and Silverites,
what obstacle to their extravaganza would
be interposed by Senate deprived of Its
present power of opposition to recklessness2
The function of the Senate in the po-
litical economy of the Government of the
United States Is not to initiate or to
expedite radical legislation, but to pro-
tect the interests of the people by
policy of discussion and debate Fresh
members are generally the severest critics
Of the Senate's customs, or of what they de-
scribe as its "barnacle rules" Upon this
question the wisest and most feeling coun-
sci has come from the Vice-President who
preceded Mr.. HOBART, the Hon. ADLA1 Ew-
ING STEVENSON, in the last words which he
addressed to the Senate:
"Of those who clamor against the Senate
and its methods of procedure it may be
truly said: They know not what they do
In this chamber alone are preserved, with.
out restraint, two essentials of wise legisla-
tion and of good government: the right of
amendment and of debate. Great evils often
result from hasty legislation, but rarely from
the delay which follows full discussion and
deliberation. In my humble Judgment, the
historic Senate, preserving the unrestricted
right Of amendment and of debate, main.
tanning intact the time-honored parliamen.
tary methods and amenities which unfail.
ingly secure action after deliberation,
possesses in our scheme of government a
value which cannot be measured by words"