Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1914-01-01
FOR CLOTURE RULE
CURRENCY BILL DELAY IN THE
SENATE PRoVoKEs LEADERS
OF THE MAJORITY.
MAY ADOPT THE HOUSE PLAN
Shutting Of OF Unlimited Debate.
However, Would Be Strenuousiy
Opposed by Many Senators,
of Both Parties.
BY GEORGE CLINTON

HaShlngton-The somewhat lag
gard consideration of President Will
sons currency bill may be the cause
OF forcing an issue on the senate of
the United States, that of the wisdom
OF the adoption of a eloture rule SINH
lar to the one which has been in oper-
alton in the house of representatives
for years out of mind
Is the Glass-Owen currency law. for
| as such it will be known although it
might have Wilson" imprinted on it.
to bring about change in the pro-
cedure OF the senate of the United
States? Is the senate to lose its
name as the most deIiberative body
n the world, or is it to be allowed to
go on in its old way, way of talk
at times seemingly unending, talk
that 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-
bate to 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.
Once Threatened by Republicans.
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 a threat that un-
| 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
istration 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 Of Mis-
souri, was in his seat ready to take up
| the talk at the point where the Okla
homan should drop it. Stone was not
there. There was a lapse, and the
| vice-president put the bill to a 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
| bill have been doing just exactly what
| they condemned in La Toilette, Stone
! and Gore on another occasion. Now
the Democrats are doing the con
demning 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 it could be limited in it's
| scope, but this admittedly is impossi-
| BILE No party majority in the senate
| would dare to rule that certain bills
| should be voted on at a certain date
| and that debate should be restricted,
| as any one chose to engage in on
| other measures. Such an elastic rule
would bring trouble in a minute, not
| only from the minority, but from mem
| bers of the majority, perhaps few in
! number, who either wish for for full
| expression on q clotured bill or else
wanted cloture on some bill to which
| the rule was not applied.
There is some Democratic opposi-
| ton to the application in the senate
| of the house rule for closing debate
and forcing a vote, but in the main
| the leaders seem to be in favor of a
| change which will enable the present
| majority to get all Of Mr. Wilson's
| legislation through in due season.
Most Of the Republicans will oppose
such a change in the rules. The ques-
| ton Is whether the Democrats will
attempt to make a party measure of
| their plan and to force it through by
a party majority. If they do this, Mr..
| Wilson's legislation will be expedited
| in its passage, but if they refuse to do
| it the country can expect just as long
a senate on the antitrust bill as they
| had on the tariff and longer debate
| than they had on the currency.
suffragists Must Wait
While many leaders of the suffrage
movement are camped in Washington
s.nd have announced their intention
| 10 stay here until congress shall act
| on the subject of suffrage amend
ment to the constitution, there seems
| to be no likelihood that the house
committee on rules will give any con-
| sideration, for at least month. to
the plea of the suffragists for a regu-
His Mule Up Tree
Henry Coleman OF Sheepside, n. j.,
went out to look for his pet donkey
Exile. He found Exile perched in the
| top of cedar tree
Now, how" said Farmer Coleman,
did that pesky mule shiny way up
there?"
| He was scratching his head when