Evening journal., 1922-12-27
DECEMBER 27, 1922
OUR SLOGAN;
ONE Goop PURPOSE SERVED

VVTHoLLY aside from its subject matter and its
w merits the ship Subsidy bill, wilmingtonans
doubtless noticed s serving good purpose II
s arousng the public the menace Of the hbuster II
IN. consideration of the ship subsidy measure should
result in change in rules OF the United States SEN
ate so that nhuster would longer be possible, that
in itself would gain for popular govern
msnt
Representative government Is upon the theory
that the majority rules It Is based upon the theory
that when a party is given control OF the legislative
branch Of the government it responsibility for
the carrying OF its platform and campaign pledges
and the responsibility the the defeat of all
measures Unless representative government means
this it nothing II clear majority elected by
the peopls denied right rule through obstruc
tive processes then we denial OF the things
upon which this government rests.
The nbuster is a denial OF representative govern
unsnt denial OF the right of the majority rule
II s the very essence rule OF minority
hut the rule of a handful hslf-dozen OF NAL
contents who take advantage OF qurk in senates
Legislative machinery block all legislative procedure
parslyze the legislative branch OF the government
such hlibuster is being conducted against the ship
subsidy
Unless the Senate can and does revise it's rules
prevent the OF the hibuster the future holds
hopss OF any psrty's proposed program becoming an
actuay prospect any constructive legislation OF
any Kind II a handful OF in the Senate ht TO
block all progress by the OF the hlibuster.
Irrespective OF whether in favor OF the ship
subsidy against it. all those who believe in the
jority ruling must the being invoked
prevent the from coming a vote. II the
Insasure bad and unpopular its opponents
claim. 1t will in all probability be voted down II
is taken. II it bad and unpopular and Republican
majority insists passing It, then It clear that
nothing should be more desirabs from Democratic
standpoint than the day when the may be
taken order that defeat OF the Republican party
may be more certain SO that from the standpoint OF
the sincere enemies of the bill, the hbuster is hypo-
critical and indefensible.
II by the uss OF the hlibuster f-dozen men can
the United States from reaching upon the
ship subsidy another half-dozen can prevent the
Senate from reaching a upon any other subject
any future time.
The House of Representatives has reformed lees
lative procedure to make hlibuster there inn
possible. This accounts in a large for the
patch with which the House proceeds. The has
not amended Its legislative procedure Public opinion
the dlatory methods the Senate irrespec-
tive of which party is in power Public opinion going
critical these methods until the Senate
reforms them. Public opinion does not stand back of
the nibuster. Public opinion not approve of
stretching Senatorial courtesy to a point where two or
three obstreperous ndvduals for spite or other
reasons hold the entire legislative branch OF the
and leave the country in uncertainty as to
what policies going to be into law or what
going be defeated. Such procedure is a
denial of the very fundamentals government and
they will not be tolerated much longer
The consideration Of the ship subsidy bin and the
hibuster which being on by few men for the
purpose of preventing the voting upon the ship
subsidy bill has to aceentuate the menace of the
hibuster. and to hasten the day when the Senate will
reform legislative methods