Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1914-01-02
CURRENCY BILL DELAY IN THE
SENATE PRovoKEs LEADERS
OF THE MAJORITY.
MAY ADOPT THE HOUSE PLAN
shutting Off of Unlimited Debat.
however, Would Be strenuously
opposed by Many Senators.
of Both Parties.
BY GEORGE CLINTON


VI forcing an issue on the senate of
tne United States. that of the. wisdom
oI the adoption of cloture rule SINH
lar 70 the one which has been in oner-
atlon IN the house of representatives
for years out of mind.
is the Glass-Owen currency law for
as such 1t will be known although it
might have Wilson imprinted on it,
20 Drlng about a change in the pro-
cedure of the senate of the United
states? Is the senate to lose it's
name as the most deliberatiye body
I'D the world, or is it to be allowed to
go on in its old way, way of talk
az times seemingly unending, talk
mat on more than one occasion has
caused the death of bills which the
people would have preferred to be
endowed with life?
Leading Democrats in Washington
are advocating the adoption of SEN
ate rules which will give the majority
the power to fix the day on which a
bill must be voted upon, to limit de-
pate 10 any measure and to make GER
tain that March and March 4 in the
years of short sessions. and the last
two days of the years of long sessions,
shall not witness senators spelling
one another" in speech in order to
compass the failure of some piece of
legislation to which three or four of
them object.
Onra ku
Republican leaders are criticising
sharply the plan of the Democrats to
limit senate debate. Republican lead
ers are saying that never did they
threaten or even suggest that the
right of free and unlimited speech
should be denied to any senator of the
United States, The old party men
have short memories.
BY coincidence it was the last cur
rency bill which was passed by the
United States congress which brought
from the Republicans threat that I'M
less opposing senators should forego
their intention to talk the bill to death
it might be necessary for the Republic
an majority to adopt the cloture rule
Of the house and to prevent such a
talking to death occurrence in the
future.
1t was during the Roosevelt admin
lstration that the Aldrich currency bill
was passed Senators La Toilette, Re-
publican, and Stone and Gore. Demo
Gratis, were opposed to the bill and
they entered into a compact to relay
one another in speech until the close
OF the session, so that the bill could
not be put TO. a vote. This compact
conspiracy, the Republicans called it
failed only because Senator Gore
was blind. He thought Stone CT Mis-
souri, was in bis seat ready to take up
the talk at the point where the Okla
homan should drop 1t. Stone was not
there. There was lapse, and the
vice-president put the bill to vote
and it was passed, only a few hours
before the close of the session would
have brought It's death.
The Republicans on this currency
bin have been doing just exactly what
they condemned in la Toilette. Stone
and Gore on another occasion. Now
the Democrats are doing the con-
demnirg and it is the give and take"
of the party systems.
.-. Would Arouse Opposition.
There are Republicans and Demo
Gratis both. who maintain that cloture
for the senate would be a good thing
provided Ii could be limited in its
scope. hut this admittedly is impossi-
HE. No party majority in the senate
would dare to rule that certain bills
should be voted on at certain date
and that debate should De restricted,
while giving sanction to as much talk
as any one chose to engage in on
o&her measures. Such an elastic rule
world bring trouble in minute, not
only from the minority, but from mem
hers of the majority. perhaps few in
nnmber who either wish for for full
expression on clotured bill or else
wanted cloture on some Dill TO which
the rule was not applied.
phare Is some Democratic opposi-
ton to the application in the senate
~ the house rule for closing debate
and forcing a vote, but in the main
tha leaders seem TO be In favor of
nhanqe which will enable the present
majority to get all of Mr.. Wilson's
hesitation through In due season.
1rost Of the Republicans will oppose
Zach = change in the rules. The ques-
ton i whether the Democrats will
atfemut TO make a party measure of
heir MAN and to force it through by
a marty majority. II they do this. Mr..
Wilson'S Hesitation will be expedited
IN its massage. but IL they refuse to do
n The country can expect just as long
senate on the antitrust bill as they
bad an the tariff and q longer debate
.,,,,, thev had on the currency.
suffragisss Must Wait.
while many leaders OF the suffrage
movement are camped in Washington
aid have announced their intention
- stav here until congress shall act
- the subject OF a suffrage amend
,nsnt TO the constitution. there seems
!, be no likelihood that the house
committee on rules viii give any con-
sfSeration. for AT least month. 10