The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1906-03-09
No CL0IURt IN SENATE
MEASURES VOTED ON
BY UNANIMOUS CONSENT.
RATE BILL DEBATE TO BE LONG
The Thankless Role OF Reformer.
GrosVenor Gets Mixed--House Mem.
bers Discuss the Possibility OF over.
riding the Speaker.

Washington, March s. Special, -
There was never less disposition shown
IN the senate TO block legislation than
In the present session. There has not
been the least trouble about securing
II vote on disputed bills. Once let II be
demonstrated that II majority wants II
bill and after there has been rcnsonn.
bic debate there IL no objection TO
agreeing upon II time 10 take Il vote.
These important measures TO which
there has been strong opposition have
come to II final vote by the unanimous
consent method the ship subsidy bill,
the pure food bin and the statehood
bill, the latter yet to be voted upon,
however - and such agreements are
always binding In the senate. All of
these measures In times past have
been held UP and talked TO death, but
the sentiment In the senate in favor OF
them has been growing, and the oppo.
neuts have considered II wise not to
resort to obstructive measures.
Ends CIoture Talk.
This method of disposing OF disputed
measures ends nll cloture talk. No sen
ator even considers II worth while to
suggest n change OF rules limiting de-
bate or providing for n previous qucs-
tlon which would bring II bill to n vote.
AS long AS n good working majority
can secure a vote by the easy means
which have been used in the case OF
these disputed measures there will be
no Idea of ClOture. OF course there will
be much longer debate on the rail
road rate bill, and II II should continue
for a month or more pressure will be
put on by its friends with u view Of
forcing vote, but even then cloture
will be out of the question.
Would Be Called a Crank.
why don't you point out the extrav-
agance Of the army, such as four dlvl-
slons, dozen departments, several
war schools, etc, which simply make
places for major generals and briga-
dier generalsY
The question was addressed to Rep
resentatlve Prince of Illinois, who re-
piled:
81 have done my share In showing
up these things, but If you keep at 1t
all the time you are called u crank.
Even ones friends become dlsgusted
If you are constantly hammering ut
these things, especially when nothing
can be accomplished by It, This being
n rcformcr Is II thnmklcss task, and,
what Is more, it is discouraging. What
Is the use of pointing out these Unequal.
tiles and opposing them If you cannot
accomplish nnythIngW
And Prince is right The fact is
that every time any man opposes grn Fl
or tries TO root out some useless EN-
ployec in the government service he
finds thnt lie Is disturbing frlcnd's
friend aud makes an enemy.
Grosvenor Tangled.
"Mr. Chairman" said General Grosve
nor one day when the military commit
tee and the appropriations committc
were contesting for jurisdiction, 81 find
myself about as tangled up as l ever
was in my life. Never since / have
been member of the house have
been so mixed up. have been taught
to follow the lead of one of these
great committees, but which leader
shipY"
He went on to elaborate his trouble
over the collision between these com
mttees, adding: "And am lost There
is where | am. If | can get u chance
to vote on both sides of this question
I am going to do 1t In the interest OF
the consistency which / have always
maintained. Il could be happy with
either were t'other dear charmel
| away"
! Can the House Assert Itself?
A group of congressman were discuss
ing the probability OF smothering the
statehood bill If 1t should be amended
by the senate.
"Oh, l do not think that will be
DONE" said one, "and don't believe
the speaker could do 1t II he wanted
to-"
You know there Is a belief that the
in opposition to the speaker" remarked
another.
THAT was what Reed always claim
ed" said Champ Clark, who listened tC
the conversation. II always had my
doubts about it, but when the house
Insisted upon passing the Hawaiian
annexation resolution. to which ltecC
was opposed, he showed me how 4
could be done and how useless ii wa,
to hold out against a determined ma
| jority At that time, however the
chairmen of all the house committees
were in league against Reed and were
keeping out all other business so as t
have nothing but the Hawaiian resolu
ton considered, and there was nothins
for him to do but yield"
Should Speaker Cannon desire Il
shelve the statehood bill he will have
the chairmen of all the important com
mittees with him.
| Must BE Slipped In,