The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1917-04-28
iCLOTURE RULE IS
ADOPTED BY SENATE
Change in Rules Limits Debate in
Upper House.
THREE VOTE AGAINST CHANGE
Way 10 Now Clear for an Extra ses-
sion to Pass Measure Aiming
American Merchant YES
sells. ...

washington, Mufcn b.-lHe HllUus-
Her is dead.
The senate IL now almost as free to
net on Legislation as the other great
tieliberatlve assemblies Of the world.
The obstruction to the presidents
Legislation Is effectively cleared OF the
difficulties OF which he so frankly and
Indignantly complained.
The way seems now completely open
by sufficiently defined constitutional
power and through possible congress
sional legislation for the president TO
go forward, arm the ships and do any
hhing else that may be necessary in
hhe national emergency.
Extra Session Near.
Senator James Hamilton Lewis reso-
Tuition declaring II the senate's sense
that The presidents power Is equal in
defending our foreign commerce as In
protecting our domestic trade will still
further clear the awy.
And now there Is no longer any OBJ
struction In the way of the presiden-
rial action in pressing international
affairs or In calling an extra session
the gigantic appropriation bills which
ARE literally clamoring for enactment.
II was just three minutes before six
by the senate clock-that the ven
erable rule hiding the malignant germ
Sf "flbuster" was wrapped In the
winding sheet of conservative "cloture
and laid TO It's eternal rest.
Abolish Debate Rule.
For Ill years. Rule Do has gov
erned the senate. 1t was born in the
session of 1906 when the power of the
previous question" was bled to death
by the earlier statesmen.
Under the cloak of rule D., more
than seventy measures Of fatal legis-
lation have died by the dirk OF the
lfilibuster-a windstorm of speech.
1t was not debate nor discussion.
Ut was killer of time. Men read
Into these timekllllng filibusters mat
ter without relevancy or bearing.
William Alden Smith once read into
the shipping bill flibuster the greater
portion of the Psalms Of David and
part Of the Lamentations Of Jeremiah.
Expect Call Within Week.
Day by day the word has come to
the Hill that the president was wait
ing for "cloture" before he was will
ing TO consider action on the armed
ships and the special call of congress.
Now that his wish Is granted and
he has cloture, he is Ill In bed under
Grayson's iron orders. He cannot stir
for several days. The slight touch Of
fever with his cold Is the basis Of the
martial law under which his admiral
nominee" physician has laid him.
1t is the belief there will be action
all along the line at least by the be-
ginning Of another week-armed ships
and n clear call for the Sixty-flfth
congress.
Three Oppose Change.
The vote on the resolution to curb
debate on bills was 20 ayes and 3
nays Here are the names OF the
three senators who voted against the
amendment to the rule under which
two-thirds Of the senate can fix a time
for n vote:
Gronna Of North Dakota.
La Toilette OF Wisconsin.
Sherman of Illinois.
March 20 for Converting Date.
Senator Mclean Of Connecticut con-
centrated attention on the special ses-
sion by n resolution asking the presi-
dent to convene the congress not later
than March 90 This Is two months
earlier than any the president had
previously considered.
Stones speech was brief. not more
than fifteen minutes. La Toilette spoke
an hour and ten minutes. Stone was
quiet and lOw-voiced. La Toilette was
fiery, impassioned and dramatic. The
hulk Of his speech was reading extracts
from speeches against cloture by Tur-
generation Of senator's.
Calls President Iron Hand.
He referred to the president as the
''Iron hand" and declared that with
in three years the congress had shriv-
eled to be n rubber stamp"
Let me Introduce these eminent gen.
tlemen in order, with the vital utter
ance Of their speeches.
Senator Stone said
II am in sympathy with the cloture
resolution. II may not be as would
have written II. ] doubt If two-thlrds
would be ms effective check rs IL
should be-. But when the senate is d.
ivided as II is now on political lines II
seems 10 be the best solution.
IT would favor majority vote. /
have been for that policy for some time
and have labored with others to estab-
bish II.
II will vote for the resolution even
though It should be used TO bring about
the passage Of the bill I was not in
sympathy with"