The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1917-03-09
SENATE ADOPTS
CLOTuRE RULE:
THREE OPPOSED
Death Blow Is Dealt FilibuSter
When 76 Vote for Cutting
Short Debate.

Washington, March 9-Woodrow
Wilson has succeeded in doing III
ninety-three hours what it took the
Senate itself SO years to do.
At 9 o'clock Sunday night, on the
eve of his second inauguration as
President Of the United States, Mr..
Wilson issued statement condemn
ing the ancient filibuster permitted
by the rules OF the Senate and de-
manding the adoption Of some form
of reasonable cloture.
At 5:54 o'clock last night, ninety
three hours later, the Senate of the
United States, by vote of 76 to 3
cast the rule permitting unlimited dis
cussion Of legislation into the discard
and substituted for it a cloture rule
whereby, on vote of two-thirds of the
members, debate can be limited to a
maximum Of ninety-sfN hours, or one
hour for each member Of the Senate.
This achievement, compelled by the
defeat of the Armed Neutrality Bill
by ga little group of wilful men, by
resort to the filibuster, is hailed as
one Of the most progressive steps
ever taken by Congress-
How They Voted.
The vote by which the epoch max
ing change in the rules of the Senate
was made was as follows:
For cloture, Observation-Disclosures
Ashurst, Beckman, Broussard, Cham
berlain. Gerry. Hardwick, Hitchcock,
Hellis Hughes, Husting, James,
Jones Of New Mexico, Kendrick,
King, Kirby, Lane, Lewis, Mcclellan,
Martin, Myers, Lawlands, Overman,
Owen, Pittman, Pomerene, Ransdell,
Reed, Robinson, Salisbury, Shafroth,
Sheppard, Shields, Simmonds, Smith,
OF Georgia, Smith of Maryland, Smith
Of South Carolina, Stone, Swanson,
Thomas, Thompson, Trammell, I'm
derwood, Vardaman, Williams and
Wolcott-45.
Republicans Senators Brady,
Brandegee, Calder, Colt, Cummins,
Curtis, Fall France, Frelinghuysen,
Hale, Harding, Jones, Washington,
Kellogg, Kenyon, Knox, Lodge, Nc
Cumber, Mclean, Nelson, New, Nor
ris, Page, Penrose, Poindexter,
Smoot, Sterling, Sutherland, Town
send, Wadsworth. Warren. Watson
81.
Opposed to cloture, Senators-Gron-
ma, North Dakota LA Toilette, Wis
consin, and Sherman, Illinois,.
Absent and not voting-Borah, Dill
bingham, Fernald, Gallinger, Goff,
Johnson of California; Smith of Mich
igan and Weeks, Republicans, and
'Bankhead, CuIberson, Fletcher, Gore,
johnson of South Dakota; Phelan,
Smith of Arizona; Tillman and Walsh,
Democrats-17.
Only a Ffve-Hour Debate.
The debate over the new rule con-
sumed little more than five hours. 1t
was more notable for the 'talibis'' Of
fered .nby some of the senators who
took part in the fil1buster that ended
with the defeat Of the Armed Neu-
trality Bill than for any arguments
for or against cloture itself.
Senator Stone spoke in favor of the
new c1oture rule, and Senator La Fol-
lette disappointed some Of his admir-
ers lby his failure to add to his old
time filibuster record. He spoke for
less that 20 minutes and devoted him
self mainly to the reading OF old de-
bates on cloture. One thing of peril
nent interest, he said, was this:
cit seems to me that the level Of
craftsmanship in our time does not
measure up to that Of 30 years ago.
The senator avoided any direct ref
erence to the ARMED Neutrality Bill,
but intimated that he would vote
against it when it comes up later on.