The Sentinel=record., 1917-03-09

Washington, March S.---After more
 than loo years under rules permitting debate limited only by the physical endurance of senators and the proyi- sions of the constitution the senate
 tonight by vote of 76 to 8 put power
 in the hands of two-thirds of it's mem.
 bers in the future to limit discussion and to say when a vote shall be taken
 on a pending measure.
 Never while ihe amendment is in
 the senate rule book can little group of wilful men," as President Wilson called those he held responsi. ble for defeat of the armed neutrality bill, prevent vote upon a bill before the senate if two-thirds of their col. leagues will otherwise. The organized filibuster as recognized in the senate 1 is dead
 Action came unexpectedly after six
 hours debate on the new rule, draft. ed by a bipartisan committee. Al though both democrats and republi-
 cans had approved the change in eau GUS and Senator Martin, the majority floor leader, had given notice that the
 senate would be kept in continuous session until vote was taken, nearly
 everyone looked for much longer discussion.
 Senators LaFollette and Gronna, two of those who opposed the armed neutrality bill, and Senator sherman
 who favored it, cast the negative votes. Senators, Cummins, Kenyon
 Kirby, Lane, Norris, Stone and Yard aman, who were against the armed neutrality bill, voted for the amend
 ment Colleagues of most of the sen ators absent announced that if they had been present they would have sup ported it.
 The exact use of the rule will not become apparent until it is enforced, | but it probably cannot be successfully used to prevent the spectacular one 1 man filibusters by which senators
 
 ing hours of a session to a legislative
 grave Such filibusters probably can. ' not be prevented unless they are fore
 seen. but an organized affair which must be planned two days or more ahead of a sessions end can be dis
 posed of easily
 In brief, the new rule provides that
 on petition of sixteen senators 10 close debate on a pending measure ] the senate by a twothirds vote on the
 following day but one may limit de- bate thereafter to one hour to each
 senator. It includes provisions to pre- vent dilatory tactics and the introduc-
 tion after cloture is ordered of amend
 ments not germane to the pending
 bill
 Many senators who favored the change do not look upon it as Cl0 ] ture rule such as prevails ill the house
 of representatives where rules com
 mittee with a majority behind it can , set limits upon speech and the hour | for a vCte Others who fear that the
 action tonight merely forecasts a more drastic change in future dec(ar- 1 ed that it was but the entering wedge tic change in the future declared
 that 1t was but the entering |adge
 and that the days of the senate as the
 only legislative body in the world where there can be full and free dis | cussion are numbered
 Before the debate today continued
 long it branched into discusslon on i, the armed neutrality bill and the pres | idents statement about the twelve
 men he held responsible for a failure
 tc get vote upon it. There were
 some btted criticisms of the president and of the newspapers Senator Cummins declared that any man in
 the senate or out idf high or low"
 who said he attempted or conspired to
 prevent a vote on the bill deliberate. ! ly falsifies"