The Washington times., 1917-06-13
Must We Be Talked to Death?

The news that the Administrator
is growing disturbed at the delay in
the passage of imperatively needed
legislation is a polite way Of express
ing the fact that the country is grow
ing exasperated. Its patience is be-
ing stretched to the limit. The long
debate over the espionage bill has
been succeeded by discussion in the
Senate over the measure giving the
President necessary power over the
common carriers to facilitate the
transportation of war supplies. 1t
has been impossible thus far to fix a
time for a vote.
In this connection Senator Reed of
Missouri made yesterday an .uncon-
scious but remarkable confession
which throws a food Of light upon
the main purpose, not to say the
sole purpose, of protracted debate
in the Senate. In opposing the fix
ing of time for a vote he said: Il
think that that is the very way to
empty the chamber, namely, to agree
On time for a vote. ....... g.
That being interpreted means that
even long-winded Senators lose in
terest in their own verbosity when it
is known that it will not delay legis-
lstion. The long-distance champions
of garrulous conversation, when they
find that they cannot wear out the
majority to some measure Of com
promise in the interests Of speedy
action, give up the race. There
never was a palmer case made out
for the present rule Of unlimited de-
bate in the Senate that its whole OBJ
ject is to delay legislation to which
q verbose minority is opposed. There
is no object in debate when it will
not delay a vote.
The three billion dollar appropria-
ton bill for the army and navy was
held up for days with the result that
the Government may possibly save
100000 in the purchase Of the
jamestown and Pine Beach tracts Of
land and may very probably lose far
more in the condemnation proceed
ings that must now be 'resorted to.
This is no time to be penny-wise
and pound-foolish. The nation. &C.
tually breads the discussion in the
Senate of the food control bill, with
the opportunity it gives Senators
with a partisan or patronage griev-
ance against the President to exploit
their views, ostensibly in the interest
Of the country which they are willing
70 betray.
It may very well be that the
passage Of the measure may come
too late to prevent the absorption Of
the food supply by the spectators.
Herbert Hoover is known to be IN
tensely uneasy about the situation.
The very imagination is fatigued
at the contemplation Of the debate
over the war revenue bill
A bill now before Congress favors
the daylight saving scheme which is
put into action by turning the clocks
back an hour during the long days
Of the year. It may possibly come
TO a vote when it is time to turn the
clocks forward again.
The measure is comparatively IN
important. Other measures are of
infinite Importance to the. life. and
honor of the country.
Only the conveyance Of popular
condemnation on recalcitrant' oppon-
ents of the will of the majority can
save the country from being talked to
death. Senators and Representa-
tives should vote as they please, Of
course. But let the House and the
Senate, especially the Senate, be al
lowed to vote. In ostensibly resist
ing what they are pleased to call the
assumption of undue powers by the
Executive the takers are doing
their feeble best to minimize the
prerogatives Of. the legislative de-
partment by bringing it into uni
verSal contempt.