Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-07-15
Text of Resolution.

That debate or dilatory motions Which
in the opinion of the Senate are intended
| to prevent a majority of the Senate from
| exercising the full and free right to con
! troll any matter pending before the Sen
ate. either in Legislative or executiv.
sessions. may be terminated by vote
of majority of the members of the
Senate upon notice given by the Senate
Provided, however, that this rule shall
not be invoked to prevent reasonable
debate by any Senator who requests ar
opportunity to express his views upon
such pending matter within q time to be-
fixed by the Senate.
THE notice given by the Senate unde,
this section. except by consent, shall not
be less than a week, unless such request
be made within the last two weeks vi
the session..
The Oklahoma senator declared tn,
rules of the Senate have been such a.
to prevent action, to put power in the
hands of u small fraction or of a single
Individual. to obstruct legislation with
out reason. and to prevent action by
Congress in response to the nationa
will.
And many a good bill mas died i'm this
way" he added.
Cites Abuses of Rule.
The Senate of the United States has
rules for it's conduct the senator con.
tinued, that make it almost impossible
to get bill through, except by unani.
nous consent, where resolute minority
is opposed to the passage of the bill
Under the so-called privilege of freedom
or debate group of senators can hold
up any measure indefinitely by endless
talk In relays and by use of dilatory mo-
lions, moving no quorum. moving to 'ad-
Journ, moving to take a recess moving
n dow foi,
hour or so from Martin Chuzzlewitt' or
Pickwick Papers, ana reading a few
chapters of 'Huckleberry FINLAND this
puerile conduct is dignified by the false
pretense of being freedom of debate,
when. in point of fact, it is nothing of the
kind
1t is the minority veto under the pre-
tense of freedom of debate, under the
false pretense OF freedom of debate, under
the ridiculous pretense of freedom of de-
bate. under the contemplate and odious
pretense of freedom of debate.
This thoughtless rule of unlimited free
dom OF debate was adopted in 1906. when
there were twenty-siX senator's. who met
TO discuss their common affairs. when
only very few bills were brought before
the Senate and who had no conception
that unlimited freedom Of debate really
meant minority veto.
"Hoary-Headed Reprobate."
Now that the Senate has ninety-six
members. representing 10000, 900 people
when its interests are OF the most gil
santic Importance, when its modern prob
lens of stupendous consequence are de-
manding prompt and virile action, when
hundreds Of important bills are pending
this hoary- headed reprobate rises up and
strikes a posture of inScrutable wisdom
and admonishes the world not to touch
this sacred principle of unlimited free
dom of debate. The venerable age Of
this foolish precedent will not save il
from the just charge of imbeciity.''
Senator Owen cited the cloture rule In
vogue in France, Germany, Austria-Hun-
gary, Austria, Belgium, Denmark and
other foreign countries. and concluded:
Every one of the forty-eight states Of
the Union. while permitting freedom of
debate. has set us the wise and virtuous
precedent of permitting the control Of the
majority. l remind every senator in this
body that in his own state his legislative
assembly, whether in the house or In the
senate, does not permit a minority veto
under the pretense of freedom of debate.