The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1917-03-15
BY ARTHUR w. DUNN.

ClOture-tne Closing or debate, the aD-
solute destruction of the fllbuster-to
become a rule In the senate.
Upon it's face the proposition seems
reasonable. Why should not n legisla
tive body have the power 10 bring a
measure TO n voter Why should one
nan or a group of men have the power
TO hold up Il session OF congress, defeat
important legislation, unless the con,
tentionS FOR which they stand are
granted?
Why, IA dozen unanswerable PROPOSE
tions OF that character can he pre-
scented. Then why not cloturef
Because There Is a Remedy.
The real answer &c all the unanswer
able questions Is that there Is IA RENE
dy and that flibusters kill more bad
legislation than good Legislation.
A successful flibuster must have tile
support of public opinion. That does
not apply to a tilibuster started a few
days before Il congress ends, but dur
ing u long session of congress.
The remedy for a filibuSter which Is
not supported by public opinion and
which kills a measure I'm a short SEES
sion when the term Of a congress ends
Is the immediate call OF an extra SEES
sion of congress. If public opinion ia
yors the legislation 1t will pass, for
there can be two years OF continuous
session and a vote forced.
What 10 Feared.
One thing which opponents of clio
turc fear Is that a majority may some
time force unreasonable and unjust
legislation That has been attempted.
There Is a large element In the west
ern states which fears conservation
legislation, believed to be detrimental
to its interests. There have been prop.
o~sitions in regard to postage rates for
newspapers and periodicals which pub
fishers thought We're unjust, and many
other instances could be cited.
1t i. the fear hat at some time some
J thing will be put over.
Topics For Talk.
The senate has topics for talk In the
question of revising the rules wheth
er the senate is a continuous body.
whether the senate can transact legis-
lative business.
These questions involve preeedents
of more than 100 years-the constitu
ton and legal construction. With SO
many lawyers these various subjects
of senate conversation continue with
out limit.
Many People lndorse This.
Congressman Madden of Illinois sup
ported the armed neutrality bill, but
In doing SO voiced II widely developed
sentiment In this country in saying:
II am opposed to sending American
soldiers TO fight on European battle
fields. | am opposed to seeing Grape
on any American door due to the loss
of American life on European battle
fields. j do not want to witness the
sorrow of American mothers on ac-
count of the loss of their sons on the
blood stained fields of Europe. fighting
for a cause that does not concern
America. ! am opposed to this nation
sitting at the counsel table to mark
the boundary lines of European ma
tons. am opposed 10 any American
European alliance, and | want the
United States TO stand alone In the as
sertion Of American rights, and after
that has been accomplished | want
America to withdraw"
Story From the Far West.
One day Congressman Albert John
son of Washington told the house an
interesting story of the activity of
government officials In his state. 1t
appeared that n COW had strayed on Il
government reservation and was inves
tigated by government officers, ms was
shown by the following story:
THE three Investigators n~avigated
the Quinault river; they loitered near
the beautiful and balmy Pacific ocean
beach; they pursued that cow through
the Quinault valley; up and down they
went, and finally their investigation
led them to conclude that the home
steader's COW, which had gone Over
this imaginary line In this little valley.
had eaten 45 cents worth of grass.
Thereupon they rendered a bin for As
cents for the destruction of grass on
the forest reserve. They went back
and forth OF the railroads at this SO a
day rate, or whatever 1t is for sub
sistence, In addition to railroad and
Pullman fare, and one of them made
another trip In there to collect As cents,
which the homesteader declared he
would not pay
Mild Haxing.
Discussions in the senate these days
may be considered a mild kind of haz
ing for the new senator's. They are
In duty bound to listen to the long
speeches. If they should absent them
selves they might be offending sena-
tors who will he very useful to them
ut some time In the future.
- sSEEG >.