Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1908-06-03

fate is more likely to overtake q bill
when the House is republican and the
Senate democratic, oi vice versa.
But the great trouble bill may
have in the Senate is due to the fact
that in this branch Of Congress there
are no rules governing debate. In the
House, when the committee on rules
says G. at debate on certain bill
shall end Friday afternoon at
O'Clock, and the House votes to up
hold the rule, that means that at the
hour mentioned the vote will be taken
and the bill passed or defeated.
In the Senate, however, debate can
not be stopped. Everything proceeds
by Unanimous CONSENT" the only
rule is that Of Senatorial courtesy"
which means that as long jas single
senator desires to talk . vote cannot
be taken.
Suppose our imaginary bQl limiting
railroad speed has passed the House.
When the Senate took y zap IL was
found that while . lar6s majority
were in favor Of tho billa perhaps .
dozen senators were bitt&oy opposed
to its becoming law. -, Of these
dozen senators could tain sswsek eor
longer, IL he cared to, and E,lt will
be seen that these few me1as ont Of
4SO-have the power to defeat the
wishes Of the entire Congress.
But. to come back to the bill which
had passed the House and was under
consideration by the Senate Commit
tee. It is probable the committee
will change the House bill. cutting
out or adding paragraphs and chang
ing it in various ways. After the
amended bill has been reported to the
Senate it is debated and finally voted
upon If there has been no serious
objection.
Then the Chief Clerk of the Senate
takes the House bill which the Senate
has amended and passed and goes to
the House chamber and announces that
the Senate has passed House bill No.
-. with some changes. and says that
the Senate asks the House to agree to
the changes that have been made.
At the proper time the speaker an
nounces to the House what the Senate
has done and asks the House il it will
agree to the changes made by the
Senate. II the House votes ''yes. -
then the bill is printed on heavy,
tough paper and signed BY the Presi-
dent OF the Senate. speaker OF the
House and the President Of the United
States. It is then law.
II, a. is usually the case. however,
the House does not agree to the
changes in the bill made in the SEN
ate, the bill is sent back with mes
sage that the House will not agree to
the Senate changes and asking that .
conference be held. II the Senate
agrees that the disagreements between
the House and Senate shall be decided
by . conference. then the President Of
the Senate and the Speaker of the
House appoint three members Of each
branch who retire TO . room and try
to compromise the differences 60 - to
agree on some kind Of bill.
Usually the conferees are able to
agree and then they report to the Sem
ate and House and advise that the
compromise agreed upon be accepted.
This is almost always done. II the
conferees cannot agsee. then the bill
dies and ali the work and debate goes
for nothing.
After tho Senate and House agree
to accept the report Of the conferees
and Z bill has been signed by the
President Of the Senate and the
Speaker Of the House. an official takes
the bill to the White House and lays
IL before the President. II he signs il
the bill becomes law Of the land. or,
il he fails to sign it after lapse Of
ten days before adjournment Of Con-
aress. the bill becomes . law without
the Presidents signature.
II the President does not think the
bill should become law he sends 1t
back to Congress with his objections
in writing. This action by the Presi-
dent is called "veto," but he seldom
exercises his power in this way. When
. vetoed bill 10 returned to Congress
the question Is: shall the bill become
. law even without the signature of
the President? II two-thirds Of the
of the Senate and House vote
yes" the bill becomes q iaw-it has
been passed over the Presidents veto.
II two. thirds Of the members of Con-
gress do not vote in favor OF the ve-
toed bill. it dies. Only few times
in the history Of the country has q
bill been passed by Congress over the
veto OF the President.
After the President has signed the
bill or allowed it to become law at
the end of ten days without his