The Washington times., 1915-02-12
END N SIGHT TO
UNLIMITED DEBATE
U. S. Senate Plans Revision Of
Rules to Block Ruse Of the
0bstructionists.
CONTINUED from First Page.)


President; move the previous pre-. Gus cues. .n,s
once regularly before the body and Sec
onded 1t must be put without delay. II
the majority votes for 1t. 1t requires
that the main question is immediately
nut to a vote, and the roll call deter
mines the fate of the measure.
But there is no previous question un-
der Senate rules. That is the parlia-
mentary statement of the Senate's curl
Senator takes his seat after talking on
spending bill. any other Senator may
rise. get recognition. and proceed to
talk as long as he .pleases. There IL
no Limitation on the length OF speeches.
So long as Senators are ready and Will
ing to get up and talk, nothing can be
done to stop them and force the vote.
Legislative Day.
This is modified, however. by the
rule that no Senator may make more
than one speech on the same cues a
tion in the same legislative day: This
modification provides the only chance
to bring a vote; for a legislative day
is not an astronomical affair, but a
ate remains in session. it does 80 un-
der the date Of the legislative day on
which the session started. 1t took
pope. backed by the governmental
authorities Of the civilized world. to
year: but the marvellous phenomenon
Of day" ntty-four hours long Is
accomplished by the rules of the Sem
ate without q strain.
a minority is bitterly opposed. One
man after another talks at great
length against the bill. and presently
the majority realizes that a hlibuster
is extended so far that 1t becomes
apparent there Is determined purpose
to prevent q vote. the majority must
then resort to the continuous session.
adjourn, the friends OF the measure
vote against adjournment; and II they
win. the continuous session Is on.
This is simply test OF pnysicaI
on talking; when one is exhausted.
another must be ready to take MS
place. II they can keep 1t going until
the rest Of the Senate Is worn out
with the necessity of sticking around
viii viii finally have to adjourn from
sheer physical breakdown. An ad-
iournment brings that legislative day
TO an end; when the Senate recon.
venes, all the filibusters are restored
to their privilege of making another
speech during the new legislative day.
and SO on.
Ruses of the Orator.
The ruses of the unlimited talker are
familiar. Time was when a speaker do
ing a ten-hour or fifteen-hour speak
ing stunt would solemnly send to the
clerks desk q document to be reao as
clerk furnish a voice for an hour or
two to spell" the speaker. Likewise,
there was the privilege of having con-
frere rise, interrupt, and demand q roll
present: during the roll-cail the wearied
speaker got a breathing space, munched
a sandwich. and went out to smoke for
a few moments. But as filibusters nave
grown more frequent and disastrous tne
Senates procedure has tended more and
more to restrict these psivileges or inter-
ruption. Filibustering orators are re-
uuired to do their own talking, ana the
roll-cafl is not SO willingly oroerea.
4 few years ago there was famous
filibuster against ship subsidy Dill.
handled in the closing hours of shor!
session by the late Senator tarmack o.
Tennessee. Hour after hour he unroileo
humor, eloquence. He was as fresh to.
ward night as he had been at noon but
his Democratic allies didn't propose to
leave him unaided. One Of them rose
senator Stone, IL recollection Is not re-
miss--begged the privilege Of asking
question thanked Mr.. Carmack elaborate
ly when the permission was sraciousiy
granted. and asked something ike TINS :
Il should like to ask the question.
apropos of his observations a moment
ago il he has had his attention directed
10 the following very pertinent artlcle
IN recent number OF the North amer
lean Review" and thereupon Senator
Stone in all gravity and the most pain
full. time consuming deliberation, pro-
ceeded to read the whole article!
Unanimous Consent.
Flu, that sort Of thing Is not re-
cherce any more. During the river and
fnr
Kenyon was talking diligently in the
Senator Ransdell, in seeming innocence,
asked him a question. Somebody OBJ
jccted, saying that there must be con-
sent. not only of the Senator holding
the floor. but of all other Senators pres
ent. before a question might be asked:
Senator Robinson was in the chair. and
sustained this point; which meant that
tho Interpolation Of question an hour
Senator Robinson had evidently been
nut in the chair for the very purpose
Of making this ruling; for he was load.
cd" He had right at hand the record
force bill, and from it he read Of an
exactly similar case. in which the point
had been made that there must be
unanimous consent to an interruption.
and Vice President Morton had sus-
tanned the point. Thereupon Mr.. Rob-
inson. adopting the seeming precedent.
ruled that Mr., Kenyon might not be
interrupted. as there was objection.
That ruling attracted the attention of
some Of the wise old parliamentarians
They pulled down the dusty volumes of
the Record. and overnight found that.
while Vice President Morton had made
the ruling. and the Senate had at the
moment acquiesced. the very next day
Senator Cockrell Of Missouri had risen
to point Of order. demanded to be
shown. and protested against such a
precedent being written into the Sem
ste's procedure. Thereupon Mr.. Vice
we ident Morton delivered q little lee
ture which in effect reversed himself!
Planned Senate Coup.
So the Robinson ruling was brought
before the Senate later. while Mr..
pomerene was in the chair. Again the
privilege of interrupting was asked.
Mr.. Pomerene declared that he did
not agree with the ruling by Mr..
Robinson. and submitted to the Senate
The question whether a Senator must
have unanimous consent to interrupt
The unvarying practice Of the Senate
had been that If the Senator holding
the floor was willing. the interruption
could proceed.
The Senate thereupon voted to re.
verse the Robinson ruling. Just as, dec.
AIDES earlier. 1t had forced Morton to
ieNerse himself,