Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-03-06
May Mean Summers Work

may tiCdI CuEk!NlCI > NOTk
IF the caucus decides to stand behind
this proposal and make it the chief
issue Of the session, the, Senate may
pass the summer in Washington in
stead Of disposing Of its work in a few
days as usual.
Many senators who have participated
il various such fights in the past be
lieve it would be more difficult to get
the Senate to agree to a limited debate
uilC than it would be to gat dccIara-
tiOn of war against Germany or to
pass the armed neutrality bill that
GiCd yesterday because the rules say
senator cannot be taken from the
floor when he wishes to keep on talk
ing There have been no caucuses
among opponents of the rule. but Re
publicans in the cloak rooms today
predicted that the minority party al
most to Il man would oppose such a
rule and openly declared that there
would 10 Democrats to side With them.
The Presidents Stand
The biggest present asset Of those
who wish q change in the rules IS the
President and the public opinion his
statement denouncing the present rules
is expected to arouse. Never before IN
the history of the many suggestions
that have been made for such change
has a Presidenf openly aligned him
self in its favor, nor has public atten-
ton generally t0en called TO what he
considers a fault in its method Of pro-
cedure. The President is expected to
continue his insistence for q change,
~, aJ,,, hons nf ri
ture think it will he difficult to keep
public interest concentrated on such 2
question. The majority can force open
debate, but to 90 50 would offer OPP
portunity for p3iblic discussion of the
present situatiof3fnd possibly strength
en- the European opinion that Congress
is divided in supporting the President
in his international policy.
Minority Opposed
The Republicans aside from any per
sonal views they may have about the
Presidents statement and its intention
to force q change in the procedure Of
the legislative branch will oppose the
proposed rule, just as minorities al
ways oppose it. because unlimited de-
bate is one of their most potent weap
participated in the killing Of the arm
ed neutrality bill are understood to be
exceedingly bitter over the Presidents
statement denouncing them. 1t is
rointed out, too, that they have often
profted by flibusters and some of
them were prepared to employ one this
wear against the river and harbor APP
preparation bill if it ever reached the
Senate floor.
democrats who may oppose the
change in rules remembered that the
time may come when they may find
themselves again in the minority. 1t
was fiIibuster which Senator German,
q Democrat, used many years ago to
defeat a force bill on Negro enfran-
chisemcnt and that fact has never been
forgotten.
Some senators do not regard a fight
over the rules at this time as particu-
larly opportunc, because they say there
is no one who actually can lead ma
FORTY, no matter what title may he given
him or whether the President puts the
power Of his backing behind him.
Is New Senators
There are 16 new senators and how they
will stand on cloture rule nobody def
nitely knew tonight. 1t is regarded as
probable that for the time being they
viii for the most part line up with their
respective parties and apparently their
coming will make little difference in
rules fight.
If 90 or 40 senators are opposed to a.
change since the Senate must operate
under the rules that now exist until it
can change them. they would be able to
talk about as long as the Senate cares to
stay in session. invoking the very tactics
which the President wants to bar in the
future.
Confirm Nominations
Unless the rules fight comes up at once,
the Senate will probably proceed when
the President returns for confirmation
fr.n4;.,.d -, pane 5-Col AZ