Omaha daily bee., 1917-03-06
MANY SENATORS
OPPOSE CHANGE
WILSON WANTS
Republicans and Large Number
of Democrats Believed to Be ,
Firm Against Limited
Debate Plan.
MATTER BEFORE CAUCUS
President With Attention He
Centers on Situation Big
gest Favorable Factor.
DENIS WITHOUT a LEADER

Washington, March 5.-With Presi-
dent Wilson's, demand for change in
senate rules to make impossible in the
future such filibuster as the one by
which handful of members defeated
the armed neutrality bill fresh in their
minds, senate. democrats will caucus
tomorrow OH program for the spe-
cial session., The session, called pri-
marily. to pass upon appointments to
Office, began formally today and will
get down 10 business tomorrow. -
Senator Owen, who has been the
chief proponent of limited debate
rule for many years, is prepared to
bring the subject of cloture before
the caucus and thirty-three senator's,
most of them democrats, have signed
an agreement to 'support,the rule he
proposes.
Many Will Fight Plan,
If the caucus decides. to stand be-
hind this proposal and make it The
chief issue of the session, the senate
may spend the summer in Washing
ton, instead of disposing of its4work in
few days, as usual. Many senators
who have participated in various such
fights in the past believe it would be
more difficult to, get the senate to
agree to limited debate rule than it
would be to get declaration of war
against Germany or to pass the armed
neutrality bill that died yesterday
because the rules say seantQr cannot
be taken from the floor When he
wishes to keep on talking.
There has been no caucus among
opponents of cloture, but republicans
in the cloak rooms today predicted
. that, the minority party almost to, a
man would oppose such a rule and
openly declared that there would be
democrats to side with them. :,
Presidents Influence.
The biggest present asset of those
who want change in the rules is the
president and the public opinion his
statement denouncing the present
rules is expected to arouse. Never be-
:ore in the history of the many sug-
yestiens that have been made for such
change has president. openly
aligned himself in its favor, nor has
public attention generally been called
to what he considers a faalt in its
method of procedure. X
The president is expected to con
tinue his insistence for change, but
even optimistic champions of cioture
think it will be difficult to keep public
interest centered OH such a question
A majority can force open, debate, but
to do SO would offer opportunity for
public discussion of the present situa-
ton and possibly strengthen the
European opinion that the. congress is
divided in supporting the president in
his international policy. y&
Filibusterers Are Bitter.
The republicans, aside from any
personal views they may have about
the presidents statement and its in.
tent to force change in the proceed
ure of the legislative branch, will op.
pose the proposed rule just as minor.
'ities always oppose it, because un-
limited debate is one of their most
potent weapons. The progressive re,
publicans who participated, in the
killing OF the armed neutrality bill are
. understood to be, exceedingly bitter
over-the presidents statement de-
nouncing them. 1t is pointed out, too
that they often have profted by fill
busters and some of them were pre-.
pared to employ one this year agains,
the river and harbor bill if it ever
had reached the senate floor.
Democrats who may. oppose the
change in rules remember that the