Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-03-09

ally) and that senator could speak
not more than twice upon the same
subject in the same legislative day.
Vice President Marshall had ruled also
that senator could not yield the noor
except for a|question. which ruling
eliminated the ancient device, whereby
other senators relieved the main
speaker by interfering long side re-
marks Of their own. The democrats
also adopted the scheme Of refusing
adjournment and recessing from day to
day. BY this means after senator
had spoken twice upon the ship pur-
chase bill Cor any one subject he could
not obtain recognition again until adj
journment had been taken. To illus
trate the difference between recess and
adjournment. it may be said that IN :
senate calendar for Nov. 2 bears the
legion: Legislative day Of Feb. 10.
calendar day Of March 2, 1915" This
shows that the senate from Feb. 10 to
March 2 merely took recess when
ever it has wanted rest. Sometimes
1T has continued in session two days
and two nights, many senators sleep
ing on cots in rooms adjoining the
senate chamber.
Effort 70 Force Action.
To get back to the present propo-
-sitlon. the senate committee on rules
has refused absolutely to bring in a
cloture rule. hence the movement out
side the committee to force action. The
committee selected by Leader Kern is
understood to consist of himself and
Owen, of Oklahoma, Martin. OF Vir-
ginia, store, Of Missouri, and Walsh, of
Montana. How two such veterans as
Stone and Martin find themselves en-
gagged in this determined movement to
break down the most cherished rule of
the senate is questioned. Stone is
chairman Of foreign relations, and it
will be recalled that when the ship
purchase bill was laid before the sem
ate he Overwhelmingly shouted to the
republicans, "the bill will pass for we
have the votes" This arbitrary sub
stitute for debate was bitterly resent
ed by the opponents Of the bill, and it
will be remembered that notwithstand-
ing the efforts of Stone and others to
shut off debate and force vote. the
criticisms of various senators demon
strated the bill to be SO defective that
it was practically withdrawn and an
OlACI SuOSlIlulcu Aol IL. oSiA1SOA AAsSA
tin Is chairman of the committee on
appropriations and thus the titnlar
leader on the democratic side, as Hale
OF Maine, used to be, but his leader
ship has consisted chiefly of gum shoe
work around the desks and in the cloak
rooms.
Wilson For CIoture.
President Wilson is understood to
1f lat, moi r.
ally he might, for it is obvious that
without cloture he will be unable to
force his measures thru the senate at
will as he has tried to do since ne
came into office. Most of the demo-
Gratis have been content to abandon
their rights as senators and their du-
ties as representatives of sovereign
states in obedience to the will of the
chief executive. Enough have not,
however, to make the passage of the
cloture rule this session impossible. 1t
is now proposed to get as many demo-
cratic senators as possible upon petit
ton and to re-enforce them with the
influx of new members at the next
session and then to bind the whole
party in caucus to vote for cloture
rule which shall make such filibuster
as that upon the ship purchase billim-
possible of success. With this sys-
tenn in force the minority would be de-
prived of it's most powerful weapon
and altho presumably reasonable time
for debate would be allowed, the pres
ident would need only to notify the
leaders what legislation he wanted and
the majority would automatically reg
lister his will. Thus the senate as
great deliberative body. as an effective
check upon bad legislation as vital
influence in the making Of federal law
would pass out of existence.
Great Political Asset.
Volumes might be written upon the
merits and dement's Of the ancient
unanimous consent rule of the United
States senate. Theoretically it would
appear intolerable that one senator or
any minority group of senator's should
be able to hold up the legislation. de-
manded by the country, or even by the
majority. Practically. the absence OF
cloture would seem to have killed more
bad legislation than it has prevented
good. Certainly in, the congress just
closing freedom of debate has served
worthy purpose in defeating a graft
ing river and ilarber bill. The common
saying at the capitol is that "the sue
cessful filibuster is always justified"
However this may be, the power con-
trolled by a senator in his ability to
block legislation has been one of his
greatest political assets. From one
point of view, the senatorial office Will
be cheapened by taking this power
away. That is to say, successful men
in the business or professional world
are attracted by positions Of power and
because of this attraction many Of the
ablest men the country mas produced
have aspired to seats in the senate.
Clearly, with the senatorships made
less important less men of large cali