The Washington herald., 1921-02-01
Senator Penr0se Presents
Petition to Restrict
Debate.
DEMOCRATS BALK
AT ACTION FEB. Is
BOrah Says He Will Keep
Measure on Calendar. I'm
til End of Session.

The test of strength on the emer-
gency tariff bill in the Senate began
yesterday, and ends tomorrow at l
o'clock The petition for cloture,
circulated by Senator Boies Penrose,
with thirty-four signatures. was pre-
sented to the Senate yesterday aft
ernoon after it had become appar-
ent that the Democrats would not
agree to a vote on the measure
February Is.
The program of the Republican
leaders to abandon tariff legisla-
tion for this session when cIoture
fails ran into Il snag. Senators
Porter D. McCumber, of North Da-
kota. and William = Borah, of
Idaho, announced on the floor that
they would endeavor to keep the
measure before the Senate until a
vote could be obtained.
POmerene Gets Floor.
Senator Penrose's efforts TO OBJ
tain unanimous consent for vote
on the bill resulted in the usual
deluge of Democratic oratory. After
two members of the minority had
arisen to say that they would not
oppose the motion and stayed on
their feet to denounce the bill gem
orally for lengthy periods, Senator
Atlee Pomerene obtained the floor.
He denounced the bill as foreign
10 both Democratic and Republican
principles because it was a break
fast-table tax" and warned the Re
publicans that the passage of the
bill would be the handwriting on
the wall for the Republicans" In
addition, he announced that he
would object to a unanimous con-
sent agreement for a vote.
4 at is becoming more obvious every
moment that there is no intention.
because OF a eeFtPin gIRup in -tae
Senate. of permitting this so-called
emergency tariff bill to become a
law" said Senator Penrose when
Senator Pomerene had concluded.
4 feel that l have made every eff
fort, today. and heretofore, to Sc
cure the consent of these gentlemen
to agree 10 a day fixed for voting
on the bill.
Claims Majority.
Clearly a majority, and in fact
nearly twO-thirdS vote, is entitled to
have an opportunity of voting on a
measure of this great general i'm
pOrtanCe, which already has been
passed by the House, with many
Democrats as well as Republicans
voting for it.
Feeling that unnecessary delay
will be incurred by any further ef-
fort on my part and that of the ma
jority to secure unanimous consent
for vote, offer the following clo-
ture resolution"
Senator Oscar Underwood, Of Ala
bama, in a speech that followed
presentation Of the cloture petition,
charged that the Republicans were
endeavOrinE to impose the gag rule
to take money out of the pocke cts
of the tOilcrs and to give il to the
monOpolies. He said that though a
few farmers might benefit. the sugar
barons and New England mills
would profit more.
Senator Borah, who announced
that he could not support cloturc
although he would support the tariff
bill, questioned the good faith of
the Republicans making the move.
lie asked the direct question if the
tariff bill would he dropped after
the Cloture vote had been had and
was assured by Senator McCumber
that as far as the latter was con-
cerned every effort would be made
until the end OF the session to pass
the measure.
BOrah Wants Vote.
"CIoture is not a fair test of the
strength of this BILL" said Senator
Borah. Men who are opposed to
cloture on principle are for this
bill. We are applying the test of a
two-thirds majority for passage of
this bill and yet there is a clear ma
jOrity for it. 1t is manifestly un-
fair to get almost a two-third vote
and then abandon this bill. NV
idea is that the majority for this
bill can and should keep it before
the Senate constantly. The supply
bills can wait until the special ses-
sion and il we push this bill 1 pro-
dict it will pass before the end of
the week"
The Senators, all Republicans who
signed the cloture petition, follow:
Ball, Brandegee, Calder, Capper,
Curtis, Dillingham;, Elkins, Fall,
Fernald, France, Gooding, Hale,
Jones, Wash. Kellogg, Kenyon,
Knox. Lodge, McCumber, Mclean,
McNary, Nelson, New, Page, Penrose,
Phipps, POindexter, Sherman, Smoot.
Spencer. Sterling, Sutherland, Town
send, Wadsworth, Warren. Willis.