Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-02-20
UNCLE SAM, ESQ.
Great FiIibusters and Fill
busterers.
By Oliver Owen Kuhn.

WheelS OF the upper house of Congress
that a given purpose may be achieved.
The Senate. with it's rule of unlim-
tied debate, as old as the body itself.
has been the worlds greatest dollhouse
for flibusters and filibusterers. They
have thrived in it's very atmosphere
Vicious legislation has been defeated
by these periods OF acute talking fever.
Good legislation has been forced on
the statute books. Much of nonde-
script character buried un7ier the sheer
volume of words. AS each of the long
list of men who have become famous
by the means of personally conducted
flibusters see it, right has prevailed
Whatever the merits and dement's of
such course of procedure, some of the
most dramatic scenes in the history of
the Senate have been enacted during
the course of these legislative dead
locks.
Among the many men who from the
earliest times have pitted their oratory
and physical
La Toilette Fight On e
of the Greatest. against A'o' .
might achieve victory in their coaten-
rious, the name of Robert NJ. La >Fof-
lette. that doughty senator, sent to
Washington from Wisconsin,, stands
out foremost, his fight -waged against
the Freeland-Aldrich emergency cur
rency bill being historic. But there
are others-Allen of Nebraska, Carter
of Montana, the fiery Carmack of Ten
essee. Owen of Oklahoma, a man noted
for his indomitable will in defending
those principles which he thinks are
right; Gore, who, though blind, is con-
sidered one of the most eloquent men
in the upper house; German of Mary
land. Burton of Ohio, Faulkner of
West Virginia and numerous others
But as filibusterers of all f1libusterers
these mems names are engraven upon
the fndestructible scrolls of the Senate.
1t was in May, 1908, when the Vree-
land-Aldrich emergency currency bill
came before the Senate for considera-
ton: This measure was bitterly OPP
posed by the democratic minority and
q few progressive republicans, headed
by Senator La Toilette, all of whom
considered it iniquitous. Senator La
what was to be his most famous speech,
it covering a period of eighteen hours
and twenty minutes. During the long,
weary effort he took little sustenance.
standing there alone fighting his own
party members for what he considered
principle and against a measure
which he deemed adversely affected the
public veal. He spoke on and on, and
it was not until he was almost in ply
steal collapse did he yield the floor to
Senator Gore of Oklahoma. who had
been previously picked for this duty.
Senator Gore SPOKE for several hours,
when he was to be relieved by Senator
Stone. The Oklahoman, not being able
to see. but believing that the Missouri
senator had come to relieve him, sat
down. Stone was nowhere in sight
By the time he was notified the astute
Senator Aldrich had demanded a roll
call. Senator Stone came hurrying into
N 1HA hut
first name on the roll was called-that
of Aldrich. The Rhole Island states
man seeing Stone approaching. quickly.
announced his vote and the La Toilette,
hlibuster then and there came to an
end, rule of the Senate barring;
further discussion when the ron Is
started. The incident was extremely
Senator owen of Oklahoma, who was
adverse to admitting New Mexico as a
state before
Owen Fibuster on Arizona. the con-
cA.A~ stitutio 8 Of
pie. carried his fight right up to the
closing moments of Congress. March 4.
1911. his determination not even being
swayed by the requests of President
Taft that he desist and permit appro-
priation bills to be passed before the
session died. Senator Owen also de-
clined all pleas of his colleagues. and
not until a promise was exacted that
New Mexico would not be admitted to
the Union before Arizons did he sur
render the floor. Although he spoke
but about five hours, his nlibuster Gre
a
Back in 1893 Senator W. V Allen of
Nebraska waged tremendous fight
against the silver purchase clause Of
the Sherman act. He spoke for a period
of fourteen consecutive hours.
The effort of Senator Carter of Mon
iana-and successful one it was. too
TO kill the rivers and harbors bill in
the short session of 1901 was peculiar
in that it had the tacit support of the
President. The measure was nearer an
obnoxious pork barrel than any pre-
vious one in the life Of Congress. 1t
would have drained the Treasury II en-
Scted. Fourteen hours before the Con-
Eress was to die Senator Carter obtained
<Ee floor and launched his barbs of In
4 ective at the vicious measure. He
Apoke for hours. but there was no sign
that he intended to surrender the floor,
even though he began to tire. Time
4eaped swiftly. Many OF his party col
leagues, interested in other legislation
with chance to pass. mustered their
greatest persuasive powers, but the
lighting Montaran refused to be curbed.
The fourteen hours passed. and at noon
ION that March 4. when the Vice Presi-
slents gavel fell heavily. announcing to
the Senate and the galleries that that
session Of Congress was at an end, SEN
ator Carter took his seat. The rivers
and harbors bill was dead. Today this
hlibuster Is cited as an example Of the
good that can be accomplished when,
merely from the standpoint Of political
expediency-ft is the will of tho majority
10 rush through legislation which may
not seem TO the best interests Of the
ration.
When the famous force" election
bin was called up for the considera-
ton OF the Sem
Famous Fight ate back in the
Over Force" Bill. s mrs. CON
Der 2s. 1880. TO be exact-there was a ma
tority in the Senate for the measure
There also was a minority which was de-
terfnined that such a bill should never
be enacted. The forces of Senator Cor
man gained the floor. and from the
very start held it through, the medium
OF relayed speakers until January 81