The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-03-18

galleries rang with mastery peals of
eloquence as the gifted Missourian
finished properly"
Leland Stanford of California WAS
the Republican Senator who was the
last to desert his party, and his vote
ended the long fight, Senator Stewart
of Nevada was with the Democrats from
the first. Senator Stanford at that
time was a great chum of Senator
Daniel Of Virginia. who still serves his
state in the Senate. Daniel felt that
the liberties Of the South would be de-
stroyed if that bill passed. He worked
ford was good party man, and al
though he had no sympathy for the
force bill, he hesitated to desert the
administration. At last he gave in and
the next day the force bill was dead.
Most of the Senators were half dead.
While there may some time be an eff
fort to control the congressional cleo
tion machinery in the states by the
Federal government, 1t is to be doubted
If tho cloture rule ever will be resur-
rectsl.
In the force bill fight every advaut-
age was taken to cause delay. Three
days were spent in debating the ques-
ton of approving the Journal Of the
previous day. To prevent any recur
renee of this trick the Republican
recess from day 20 day instead of ad
journing. Throughout the fight, how
ever, the Democrats stoutly maintained
that they desired to more fully discuss
the merits of the bill, and would not
admit that they were. flibustering.
In the other two cases of famous
bills which have been downed by a
combination of lungs and time-hmit,
the Senators merrily admitted that it
was their purpose to talk until the
Congress expired. Senator Carter, after
he had been speaking for a trife of
seven hours against the rivers and har-
bors bill and had six to go, replied to
a criticism from Senator Pettus: "This
bill will not pass unless my strength
fails before IL 'clock, and / am in
pretty fair state Of health"
Six years later, to the day, the same
Senator Carter INDUCED in some crit
icsm Of Senator Carmack for flibus-
tering against the ship subsidy BILL and
Senator Pettus, by recalling the col
loquy of 1901, mildly intimated that it
was not polite for dwellers in glass
filibustcr was without any pretcnsion
whatever He intended to kill the bill
and iutimated his intention when he
tackled the Job, Other Senators helped
him by reading long extracts from vari-
Gus drv v,as-dust documents, but when
Carmack was on the floor he kept the
Senate laughing. He accused the other
side Of attempting to prolong the de-
bate, and warded Off unpleasant COM
menf by wit and irony, all the while
sticking to the main question Of killing
the bill rather than of discussing IT.
There is undoubtedly much force in
the argument advanced in favor of
cloture rule, that the majority has the
right to rule and should not be subject
to the control Of the minority. On
the other hand, Senators point TO the
House of Representatives. where, under
the rules which have steadily increased
the power of the Speaker, not even
vestige of the right Of debate remains
except by grace Of the Speaker. A
Georgia representative went into Speak
er Cannon IS room in the Capitol TO see
him on important business. The Speak
or was asleep and the Georgian did not
dare awaken him, because 'Uncle Joe
might get mad, and never let another
bill of mine SEQ the light of day
To the layman it seems that the SEN
ate has too few rules, the house too
many. IF either house ever changes
this condition it will be the House of
Representatives. Tho Senate is 'tsot
talking, talking. without let or hind,
rance.
Personal stories will be told by Mr..
Hasldn In The Tribune Of Tuesday.