The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1916-04-14
And May Not Be Taken Up
Again Until No
vember
NOW A MATTER
OF INFLUENCE"
Senate Action Now Hangs
on Orders by the
President

Washington, April l4.-Only absolute
orders from the White House will force
the Senate into action upon the nomina-
ton of Louis ID. Brandeis to be a justice
OF the supreme court OF the United
States. Hearings relative to the fitness
of the nominee were ended by sub
committee a month ago and the report
of the subcommittee, to 2 in favor of
! confirmation, has been before the full
committee almost two weeks. One or
two meetings of the full committee have
been held, at which no action was taken
and another meeting is scheduled for next
Monday. with no definite prospects that
the question OF making recommended
ton to the Senate will be brought to
vote. The situation apparently depends
in large measure upon the action of Sen
ator John X Shields OF Tennessee who
is understood to be unfavorablc to con
frmation and whose vote in favor OF Mr..
Brandeis is indispensable to friendly
report. The committee consists of 10
Democrats and nine Republicans. The
Republicans are all opposed to contrma-
ton and could Senator Shields Join with
them a motion to report to the Senate
a recommends ton to confirm would be
defeated Senator Duncan L. Fletcher
who was a member of the subcommittee
which heard the Brandeis ease and who
favored the nominee, is in South Amer
lea, but it is understood that both sides
were agreeable TO counting his vote for
Brandeis before he left. The action of |
Senator Shields is yitsllY important in
the committee on the judiciary and may
exert important influence in the Senate |
MIR. Shields for | years was an associate I
justice OF the supreme court OF Tennessee /
and for three years chief Justice, which |
office he filled when elected to the Senate I
in 1918. lie is very able man, who I
commands the respect OF members on
both sides and should he determine in
his own mind that he could not con-
vote to confirm the Brandeis
his course might decide the
action of several other senator's who are
now non commttal Senator OGorman
Of New York is another Of the same type
as Shields having also been an associate
justice of the supreme court Of his state;
md while it has been presumed that
GtiidlDl " wv man Abhiu NbiG LOT "a ih
vorable report, it is a fact that he II still 4.
weighing the whole case in his best iu
icial manner and that he fully appre
'iates the responsibility Of his position
senator O'Gorman is not especially re
sponsve to pressure from the White
House and circumstances can be ina gined
which would lead him to disregard the
,srnest desire OF President Wilson that
lction on the Brandeis case be taken !
oon.
1t is evident that favorable report g
N the nomination will not come easily O
nut OF the committee on the judiciary, ii
{ comes at all. The nomination may be
eported to the Senate without recon-
nendation. in which case several senators
would feel free to exercise their own
Judgment. whereas under other circum- t
tances they might follow the lead of c
he committee But intermnabe debate {
: bound TO follow in the Senate when j
he case is placed before that body. II @
) an open secret that although the Sen a
te may eventually vote to confirm. it q
ill try to take its own time before vot "
lg and that If the senators have their +
-ay this time will not come until at il
last after the elections in November. Il
ut President Wilson is unwilling that a
elton should be postponed so long and If v
he committee on the judiciary reports
c may exert his influence to secure
Dte. Legitimate debate would consume
re time of the Senate for many weeks
eforc vote could be reached. but fill o.
lstering in legislative session is exceed
gly difficult and, az a matter OF fact, it Al
frowned upon BY both sides. More.
Ter, the shadow of cloture still over u'
lngs all the activities Of the Senate and
accountable in large part for the rea- u'
nable speed with which that distin-
lished body is dispatching its business
he whole Brandeis case, az il stands, r.
erefore, is one of influence" If the /
on the judiciary reports ia n
'rably or at all and if President Wilson Il
DDS the Senate into action, the nomna- Il
On of Mr. Brandeis may be confirmed | \
is summer. II neither of these things \
opens. President Wilson might as well \
thdraw the nomination