The Washington herald., 1914-07-07
Gag Rule IN the Senate.
By JAMES cREELlfAN.
How swiftIy dime ehanees menl

How swiftly time changes men!
The sacred irredueible principle Of yesterday be-
comes the wornout, discarded idea Of today.
Until the United States Senate attempted by pro-
onged discussion to delay the passage Of the WILSON,
Bryan bin repeating the exemption from Panama
Canal tolls of American domestic shipping, the oppo-
sitiou being led BY the Democratic Senator from New
York the right of Senator to unlimited debats was
held BY Democrats to be inviolable.
Then Mr.. Bryan gave the signal for coture rule
in the Senate, and Senator Owen, one Of the reeog
nized spokesmen Of the Wilson administration ac-
tuaIly asked his associates to pledge themselves in
writing to vote such a rule.
Yet the Democratic theor, Of unrestrained debate
In the Senate wasbased on the sacredness Of State
! sovereignty
All Democrats have passioaately defended the
Federal principle represented by the Senate as dis
tingished from the national principle represented By
the House Of Representative
The members of the Lower House of Congress
speak and act for the people directly while the SEN
ators are in sense ambassadors representing the
State as sovereiguties,
This has always. until now been the Democratic
doctrine, pure and unde6led. ~
And the right of Senators to speak without limit
like the right of each State regardless of size or
population, to be represented by two Senator's has
10 Oc OIdtc sovereignty
Ia necessary means through which minority may in
emergencies resist oppression by majority.
Nothing could more dramatically emphasize the
sudden and general drifting away of political parties
in the United States from their old ideals and tradi-
tons than this Democratic plan to make the Senate
rapid-action body, powerless to delay legislation by
extended debate ~.
Quite aside from the merits or demerts of gag
rule in the Senate, the suggestion coming from
Mr. Bryan with the undoubted approval of President
Wilson, indicates profound revolution in Demo-
cratic thought .
Taken in connection with the enormous concen-
traon of power in the hands of the executive branch
of the government and the partial reduction of Con-
gress to position subordinate to and dependent on
the Presidential will during the Wilson sdministra-
ton the proposed cloture in the Senate does
such violent breach of Democratic tradition.
thunderstorm seems a small thing at Niagara
Falls. .-
But with the Senate standing as the last surviving
element of federalism in the structure of the national
government, what a. tremendous vista is opened up
by Mr.. Bryans scheme through which the privilege
OF Senator to speak may be shut off by majority
Well do / remember the towering anger of the
late Senator James K. Jones, then chairman of the
Democratic National Committee and Democratic leader
in the Senate Republican threat to limit debate
in the Senate of expediting legislation.
II was in 1000, almost fourteen years ago. when
Mr.. Bryan fresh from his second national defeat
and Woodrow Wilson was professor OF Jurisprudence
and politics in Princeton University
l had given a little dinner in honor of retiring
Democratic Senator, and Senator JONES' as the party
leader in that body was of the guests.
In the course of conversation | said that had
reason to believe that the Republican majority in the
Senate intended to pass cloture rule in order TO put
end to oratorical 6libustering by the Democrats
Such an outrage is impossible it simply can't be
DONE" said Senator Jones' with resounding thump
of his hand on the table
But what could you do if cloture rule were
passed and attempt made to enforce III" asked
The white-haired Democratic leaders gray eyes
suddenly famed his great jaws grew rigid and his
face reddened under the stress OF his emotion
I'VE. would resist by force" he said. I'VE would
tear out chairs from the floor and beat down any
who attempted to interfere with Senator's right
OF free and unlimited speech We would seize any
presiding officer who tried to carry cut such an un-
constitutional plan and throw him out of his chair"
The Senator's usually placid and smiling counte-
nance filed with wrath
NO. sir" he said, you will never. see a cloture
rule enforced in the United States Senate while there
is a Democratic Senator alive and with strength |
enough in his body to strike blow in defense of the
right of his State,
But that fourteen years ago. and that seems |
a long, long time-almost another age-as things |
move now. |