The Monticellonian., 1917-02-08
HINTS AT CLO7URE
WALSH RESOLUTION MAY CAUSE REVOLUTION IN METHODS
 OF THE SENATE.
LOOKS MILD BUT HAS TEETH
Plans to Limit Debate in the Upper House Really Have Been Removed From Party Consideration and May Carry.
By GEORGE CLINTON.


 lution in the methods of conducting business in the senate? In other words.
 is the upper house of the United States to adopt a cloture rule which will limit debate?
 Ever since the day in 1908 when Senator La Toilette of Wisconsin, Re l publican, and Stone of Missouri and Gore of Oklahoma, Democrats, at tempted to talk currency bill to death there has been agitation in be- 1 half of the adoption by the senate 1 of rule which would enable the up l per house to reach vote on any subject whenever majority of the members desire to reach it.
 Year before last Senator Owen of l Oklahoma endeavored to bring the senate into q mood to adopt such q rule. The upper house of the national i legislature is an extremely eonserya- l tive body so far as the conducting of l it's own affairs is concerned. Many i of the senators not only dislike to have the rules changed, but they are afraid to have them changed. Even some of the proponents of rule limit ing debate have not been without fear that some day their own rule might serve to plague its promoters.
 Senator Walsh of Montana, who was the western manager of the Wilson campaign prior to the recent election, has introduced q resolution in the up per house which on it's face has q milk-andwater expression. However. masked by the lips of the face is pretty strong set of teeth. If the Montana senator's resolution shall be adopted cloture is likely to be the re- suit and clOture means that thereafter Il majority of the senate can set an hour for a voting on any measure and cut off all debate thereon.
 Resolution Looks Harmless.
 Here is the Walsh resolution. Ut is the sense of the senate that with out action on it's own part the senate is dissolved at 12 o'clock meridian. March |"
 This looks harmless and it takes an analysis to show just what it means. The upper house always has gone on the theory that as legisla- tive body it is continuing. that it does not end at the close of the session which brings an end to the house of representatives. This snpposition is based on the fact that only one-thfrd of the members of the senate are elected during any one year, while the other tw0-thirds continue to hold office from session to session, and that therefore, unlike the house. two-thirds of the senators terms not having ev pired, the senate continues as an ac- tive legislative body, even after a con gress, so far as the house is con cerned, goes to its death on every sec ond March 4th.
 Now, of course if Senator WalSh'S resolution is adopted it means that when the senate meets for the first time after March f. it is in effect a new body and that therefore it must adopt new rules. In this case all the rules will be adopted by major ity vote, and therefore simple ma iority could put into effect coture rule As things are today it takes two-thirds vote to effect revision of the rules, and this two-thirds vote cannot be secured. If the resolution of the Montana senator therefore pre- vails. there may be an entirely new condition of things in the senate at the next session of congress.
 "Litte Bunch" Will Have Power.
 Five or six members of the next house of representatives will have a responsibility on thei. shoulders that, as someone has put it is as "heavy as the whole Union." It will be within the power of the half-dozen or scant half dozen to throw the control of the house to one or the other of the great parties.
 Of course this presupposes that no Republicans, because of personal ami mosties. will refuse to vote for their party's candidate for speaker and that no Democrats for like reasons. will refuse to work for their party's can didate. This matter has been dis | cussed prior to this time, but every day brings some change in the situa- ton. AS things are today, it seems there will be 215 Democrats and 215 Republicans in the next house of rep resentatives, with the bare chance that the Republicans may gain one and the Democrats lose one. Even If this shall happen, however. "the little bunch" will still carry the burden, if they consider 1t burden, of the balance of power.
 During the last campaign I travelled as correspondent through part of the country with a leading member of the Progressive party who was, however, supporting the candidacy of Charles F. Hughes. This leader intimated that unless Hughes were elected he hoped that the congress in both branches would remain Democratic. This view of the matter in way, of course was partisan, for the thought was that if the Democrats were in full control they could be held responsible for mis- takes, and that if the Republicans were in the majority in one or the other of the houses of congress while there was Democratic president in the White House, it would be easy enougl, for the Democrats to charge .-~~-~~~- -~-~~-~--~~~-oo~~~~~~