The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1915-10-12
STIRRING
THE SENATE
Changes in Rules Are De-
sired by the Admin
istration
TEST VOTE SOON
AFTER REASSEMBLING
Following This There Will
BE a Cloture Pro-
gram

Washington, Oct. l2.--The campaign
to limit debate in the United States Sen
ate will be pressed from the moment O
the reassembling of that body at moor
Monday, Dec. 6, 1915 Indeed, test
vote on motion relative to the rules
may be the first vote taken in the SEES
sion. The advocates Of cloture have de-
cided to maintain that the incoming Sen
ate viii be without rules until rules are
adopted, and upon this theory motion
to proceed under the old rules will be re-
sisted by the administration leaders,
who will have prepared set OF rules,
including one to limit debate, for adop-
ton. If enough votes to reject the old
rules can be mustered, OF course the SEN
ators favoring cloture will feel warrant
ed in going ahead with their programme
and will make cloture the immediate is
sue.
The theory here outlined is the direct
opposite of the practice which has gov
erned the Senate, for the upper branch
OF Congress always has been regarded as
a continuing body, whose sessions are
interrupted only In practice and not in
theory when one Congress succeeds an
other. This view has back of it the fact
that two.t thirds of the Senate always
holds over and that only one-third is
elected every two years Rules once
adopted hold over exactly as do commit
tee assignments and chairmanships, and
if by any stretch of ingenuity or auto
cratic power on the part of the presiding
ofiiser it could be decreed that the rules
had elapsed, so also, it would seem,
would the organization of the Senate.
Elder senators no doubt will regard as
highly fanciful this desperate plan to-
end the system whereby unanimous con-
sent must be obtained before the Senate
can take vote on anything; neverthe-
less such plan is in process Of incuba
ton and its champions are ready to start
up fight on the opening day.
A movement also may be undertaken
to substitute some other senator, per-
haps Martin OF Virginia, for John w.
Kern of Indiana, as chairman of the
Democratic caucus Mr.. Kern's success
as the so-called leader Of the Senate has
not been altogether brilliant, although he
commands the personal regard of all of
his associates. The Democrats are plain
~ dissatisfied with their Senate organ
ization, but it is both difficult and del. |
icate task to change it. The older men
are more especially disgruntled over gen
eral conditions, for many OF the most /
important measures considered by Con-
gress in the last two years have been 4
sent up by the president without any
advance consultation with them, while |
they have been called upon often to vote
against the sentiment of their own
states in support of some presidential
fayorite. Party obligation, however. has
proved to be a very useful instrument in
the hands Of President Wilson and he has
used il unsparingly TO promote his meas
ures. The president is understood to be
favorable to limitation of debate in the
Senate primarily in the interest Of the /
shipping bill, but on general principles
also 20 facilitate the enactment of ad.
bills. The western trip Of
Secretary McAdoo is said to be planned
primarily for the purpose 81 investigat-
ing problems relative to public buildings,
but he viii open his tour in indianapolis
this week with a speech discussing the
foreign shipping question. sud IL Is I'M
derstood that this will be the chief sub.
jet OF bis addresses wherever he goes.