The Washington times., 1915-02-16
ONCE ADVOCATED BY LODGE.

The Senate was discussing the advis-
ability OF adopting a rule to cut or
debate. when somebody read from an
ancient article. written by the Senator
from Massachusetts,, advocating such
rule. A smile went around the Senate
when Mr.. Lodge, who Is now second
to none in the ardor Of his opposition
to cloture. rose to explain his position.
Senator Root smiled all over one side
Of his face. II he had smiled on both
sides the chair would undoubtedly have
raped the Senate to order and ad-
lninistered the stereQtyped rebuke for
undue hilarity and boisterous manifes-
tations Of approval or disapproval.
Not everybody remembers the detail.
But Senator Lodge was the author Of
the force bill" when that measure was
introduced in the House Of Represen-
tatves some quarter.century ssd asone; ;,,t ~
south Of Mason and Dixon's line to pic
ture the amiable Massachusetts man
with decorations of horn and long.
1orked tail.
Has Changed His Mind.
Under whip and spur. the bill passed
the House in short order. and was sent
to the Senate, Mr.. Lodge being then
member Of the House. As q clever
young statesman. he was grieved about
the deliberation with which the Senate
viewed his measure. He didn't see why
the Senate should require weeks and
weeks to talk about his little bill. while
never being willing to vote on it. TAX
Ing his ready fountain pen In hand, he
wrote some views about the Senate's
rule Of unlimited debate which doubtless
% tv~a I'D nrv q V1o a fGAll
for he is now on the other side of the
question. He thought the Senate ought
to have a way to make itself stop talk
ing. and ne advocated that view.
twenty-odd years. Mr.. Lodge has
changed his mind, as wise men are wont
to do and some other folks not to do.
He thinks cloture would be very unfor-
approval of Mr.. Lodge. said 1t would
be revolution.
Lodge Replies To Himself.
The immature views of Mr.. Lodge
having been brought into the discus
sion, Mr.. Lodge rose to reply to him
self, and his reply was a mastery
demonstration OF how things look DIFF
ferently from changing viewpoints.
For instance. In his adolescent period
Mr.. Lodge had pointed out that the
therefore, had been worn out; they OBJ
conform to modern modes Of thought
and procedure. They were so OLD tha'
they were kad!
Which sounds very reasonable:
But ten years later: speaking IN tnt
the pro-cloture side. Mr.. Lodge made
hpeech in which he showed that the un,
limited debate rule OF the Senate had
stood the test OF more than century
OF e.: perience; it had been tried In the
fires Of time; 1t had been approved b!
tho great men of the intervening gener
ations; in short, 1t was 30 old that Il
was unquestionably good!
Which likewise sounded very reason
able. 1t was when this contrast OF .po
sitions had been made perfectly cleal
that the Root smile threatened to breai
over into both sides Of the face.
Clay and Calhoun Brought In.
The development Of the debate caused
Mr.. Lodge to read some really ancien
history into the Record. Away bacl
IN the older days Henry Clay. as
senator, impatient at the impossibilit!
Of setting action on his measures. want
ed TO hnd a way to close debate. JUS
A. the Democrats do now. Thomas II
Benton wrote amusingly about the de
hate between Clay and Calhoun In thi
connection, Calhoun being a determines
opponent of cloture; and Senator Lodg
read excerpts from Benton s book 70
the edification of the Senate. Where
from 1t appears that Mr.. Clay was the
taking precisely the position and usin
the same arguments that Senator Jane
used today, and Senator Calhoun occu
pied precisely the attitude that Mr.. Roo
assumes now. Senator Lodge, havin
been emphatically on both sides, coul
feel comfortable. and did.
Senator Calhoun demanded to know
the Senator from Kentucky. Mr.. Cla!
intended to apply to the Senate tn
same gag rule that was applied in tn
House, and declared that he and hi
friends were lighting for great prir
ciples. which they would maintain a
to the gag: which was just about wha
Mr.. Root told the Senate some seventy
Ave years later.
Situations Precisely Alike.
Mr.. Clay returned the defiance, an
retorted that he was determined to brin
forward rule for the closure OF d.
bate; which was just about what Ser
ator james on yesterday told the Ser
ate he was ready to do.
II seems that in the ancient contrt
versy between Whiss and Democrats IN
Whig Senators conferred and deterInir
ed TO introduce a cloture MEASURE; pr,
cisely az II is now ruTnored the Demo
cratic Senators have about decided
do. The Democrats Of that day likewi:
counseled and determined that the
would fight to the last ditch, and IL IN
rule were adopted they would defy it.
exactly as the Republicans of today pul
pose. The two situations. separated b
and interval Of forty years are Or
cisely alike, even to the detail that
Senator from Kentucky leads the figf
Tor clOtuTe now az then. South Care
lima Is not 80 consistent. however, II
long time between these two cIotUI
nights and whereas South Carolina wa
ready 10 shed its blood scventy-ily
years ago for freedom to talk slwsy