Evening journal., 1915-02-20

Senate resorting to cloture to choke
off debate on President Wilson's Ship
Purchase bill. Senator Gallinger, of
New Hampshire. brought the names
of Senators Thomas +. Bayard ana
George Gray. of this State, into the
debate on Wednesday and showed
that when they were Senators they
had protested vigorously against clo-
ture i'm the Senate. The following IS
taken from the Congressional Record
MIR. GALLINGER. II Will be re-
called. Mr. President, that from lf9S
to 1906 tho previous question was a
mart of the rules of The Senate, during
which time il was used only on three
occasions. IN 1906 it was dropped
oui of the rules. and the several mo
( tions enumerated in Rule XXI OF our
present code were the only motions
I that could be made during the pen
dencv of question to wit.
!. To adjourn.
.. TO adjourn TO day certain or
that when the Senate adjourn 1t shall
he to a day certain.
3. To take recess.
4. To proceed to consideration OF
executive business.
r. To lay ON the table.
&. To postpone indefinitely.
z. TO postpone TO a day certain.
8. To commit
.. TO amend.
Which several motions shall have
precedence as they stand arranged
This absolutely settles the cOntro'
vcrsy as TO whether or not the preVi-
Gus question can be resOrted to in INC
Senate II is absolutely and unquali'
ncdly forbidden by our rules. Ih'
Senator from Kentucky (Alr. Jamesl
insists that It can be used because gen
cral parliamentary law sanctions d
and ON yesterday he went TO the cX
tent of saying that il was included
in Jencrson's Manual which was
part of the rules of the Senate. II Il
proper TO observe that Jefferson
Manual has never. been made par
of the rules of the Senate. The HOus'
of Representatives has adopted Jei
fersons Manual. but the Senate ha
never done so. There are many rule
i'm JefTerson's Manual in conflict witt
the rules of the Senate and 1t rs alb
sured TO claim that il is a part OF ou
IS
Manual. on page 80. says, 'ln the sen
ate of the United States the Presi
dents decision is without appeal
which we all know is not correc
statement. and there arc multitude
of other so-called rules in Jeherson
Manual. that are in open conflict wit
the code of rules which the Senate ha
adopted for its guidance.
From 1896 to 1S4l no effort wa
made to effect q cloture by the use G
The previous question or any othe
q similar parliamentary device. ln tha
2 wear Senator Clay. of Kentucky, at
tempted it. Senator Hoar of Massa
$ chusetts. in his Instructions TO th
b. Youth of the Country, says:
' AN attempt was made by Mr. Cla
during the Presidency of John TylC
4 10 introduce the hour rule and tt
= prcvious question into the Senate. tn
Democratic minority threatened fore
bic resistance Some of Mr. Clay
principal friends fiinched from n
support and the plan was given up.
During that controversy Senate
I Clay had a spirited debate with Sen;
tor Silas Wright of New York. wh
strongly opposed the proposition.
Tn this connection il may be intei
G esting 10 quote what two distinguish
{ ed Senators from Missouri said on 'h
10 subject. Mr. Benton used, IN sui
e stance, the following words:
Z 81 will take this opportunity TO sa
o a word on this menace, so ofte
b thrown out of design TO stifle d'
] bate and stop amendments to bills
9 this chamber. I consider such an a
b tempt as much Il violation of the Col
70 stitution and the privileges Of III
chamber as il would be for a militai
II usurper to enter upon us at the hea
g of his soldiery and eXpel us from OF
seats"
t Senator Benton continued:
THE previous question and the oI
j. sedition law are measures of the san
d character and children of the san
= parents and intended for the san
purposes. They are TO hide light,
enable those in power TO work
d" darkness. TO enable them TO prOcoC
v unmolested. and to permit them
: establish ruinOus measures withol
r stint and without detection The II
/; PRODUCTION of this previous questiC
into this body I shall resist as | wOu
e resist its conversion into bed Of ju
+ tice of the old French monarchy fl
=" the registration of royal cdicts.
" these beds of Justice. the parliamo
): formed into bed of justice the kim
before the revolution caused the
edicts to be registered without deba
and without amendment The king o
h dercd it. and il was done; his wo
/, became law. On one occasion. Wh'
4. The parliament was refractory. Lou
,- XIV entered the chamber. booted al
,r spurred. a whip in his hand and sto'
~ on his feet until the edict was regi
n, tered. This is what has been done
tho way of passing bills without d
bate or amendment in France
Senator Bcnton's colleague, Senat
Linn. opposed The measure in ihe i'
Z low vigorous language.
~ "Mr. Linn said it was an old See
" tish proverb that threatened peor
y live longest He hoped the liberti
v of the Senate would vet outlive {
y threats of the Senator from Ke
Z, lucky"
vi Equally. | hope. Mr. President th
the Senate will outlive the threats
tho Senator from Missouri (Mr. Rec
and the Senator from Kentucky IN
ne James). uttered few days ago. 7
80 Senator from Missouri was decided
- sanguinary on that occasion, spea
lg ing as follows;
r. "Mr. President. the hest that can
1T said in defense Of the filibustering IA
cd tics pursued by Senators on the 9th