The Washington herald., 1915-12-03
OUTLOOK IS BAD
.fORCLOTURERULE.
Committee Now Favors One
Hour of Debate for Each
Senator.
DISCUSSION ACADEMIC
Southern Democrats Fear Republicans
Might Pass Force Bill" Should
They Return to Power.
DIS SCUSSION ACADEMIC

Democratic Senators In party CONFER
ence considered plans for revising the
rules and limiting debate. from 2 O'Clock
yesterday afternoon until nearly O'CLOCK
and then adjourned until 10 o'clock this
morning The outlook for a cioture res
olution is not very promising.
The special cloture committee brought
In an amendment yesterday considerably
less drastic than the proposal reported
Wednesday night This amendment would
allow each Senator to avail himself OF
the privilege Of debate for one hour on
any pending measure on which the SEN
ate had voted to close debate. II each
Senator took advantage Of this privilege.
II would assure more than ninety hours
Of debate after cloture had been applied
and before q vote were reached. This
miebt mean anywhere from two weeks
to q month Of debate. for the average
length of q daily Senate session Is six
hours. Heretofore, the friends Of cloture
have refused to concedo more than two
days Of debate.
Speeches were made In the conference
Yesterday by Senator Williams. Senator
Walsh, Senator Owen. Senator Hard
wick and others. The merits OF cloture
were not discussed. but the debate was
addressed mainly to the question wheth-
er the Senate IL or Is not "a continuing
body." The effect Of an affirmative
answer to this question would put the
advocates of cloture at a parliamentary
disadvantage because the Senate could
proceed to business at once Monday with
out giving consideration to the adoption
Of q set Of rules.
Senator Owen and Senator Walsh IN
sist that the Senate il not continuing
body and that its performances since II
was first organized have been the re-
standing form Of rules. except for the oc-
casional amendments adopted from time
to time.
Senator vardaman. of Mississippi. d.
rected the attention Of his colleagues yes
terday to the fact that considerable
money had been appropriated and fmpor-
tant legislation passed in the history OF
the Senate under the acquiescence In the
theory that the Senate is continuing
body. and the Senator from Mississippi
expressed the opinion that 1t would be
rather embarrassing at this time to as
sumo that all this business had been
transacted In cheerful disregard Of sci
OF rules such as usually govern parlia'
mentary bodies.
.Force Bill" Feared.
The debate was largely academic
There is much sentiment against cloture
but IL has not yet come to the surface
The merits of the cloture resolution have
not come up for discussion The Repuo-
licans, with very few exceptions. are op-
posed to II. and the number Of Demo
Gratis. especially In the South. who are
fea rful Of the experiment is increasing
daily Visions Of a Republican Congress
passing a Federal elections law. such as
the historic force BILL" should they
come into power In 1916, Is very disquiet-
ing to Southern Democrats. 1t was re-
ported yesterday that one Southern Sena-
tor was very frank in expressing himself
as he left the conference.
It am not in favor Of cloture. There
are too many niggers In my State.
There is being continually dangled be-
fore the eyes Of the Southern Senators
the effigy Of the Force bill, and there is
some basis for their fears. Republican
Senators say that II a closure rule is
adopted as soon as the Senate become:
Republican a Federal elections law viii
be passed that will guarantee to the
colored voters in the Southern States the
elective franchise. The anxiety of the
Southern Senators has been whetted per.
ceptibly by the opinion Of the Supreme
Court knocking out the 'grandfathers
clause" legislation passed in many South
ern States to limit the exercise Of suf
frage by ignorant colored men.
Republican Senators were planning yes
terday to get together today for an in
formal conference on the subject oi
cloture and the general legislative pro
gram The regular party conference viii
probably be called for tomorrow aft
ernoon or Monday morning and will b
! a formal affair. The informal gatherini
\ for today Is expected to pave the way
for the formal affair that will select thu
minority officers and make plans fol
| committee assignments.