Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1922-11-21


SOC box, 6 for $3.50, trial size Csc.
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ity. which has an opportunity TO file
a minority report.
A great deal of criticism of this
practice is heard in speeches on the
noof OF the Senate. accusing the ma
conferences; but these. like many
other speeches. are made for bun
II is well understood that
the presence OF the minority would
not assist the majority in framing it's
report, but that its captious opposi-
tion would be designed to interfere
with and retard the work of the ma
jority.
Another rule which. although not a
rule of the Senate. has for obvious
the action of Senator as if il were,
is that of the party caucus by whose
action q measure is made a party
measure, in order to secure the sup
port of all the members Of the party.
The rule is the same upon both sides
Of the Chamber and is that a two
thirds vote is required to make eau
Gus action binding. From its opera
ton. however. all Senators are eX-
cluded who state that it would cause
tneil 10 Niotdte CONSCIENTIOUS con-
viction. pledge which they have
previously made to theiy constituents.
instructions of the legislatures of
their States or their oath to support
the Constitution of the United States.
These grounds of excuse it will be
seen furnish means for relieving the
conscientious obJector or a Senator
who has publicly bound himself to
another course of action or is under
instructions from his State ~ gisla-
ture or feels that he would violate
his oath of office by voting with his
procuring unity Of action where there
is unity upon the general purposes
OF q measure. | knew it 10 be applied
but once and that was in the case
could not have. been passed in its
present form. If at all without the
aid of this rule. Senator's who were
aGreed upon the necessity of legis-
lation to remedy the many defects
in the archaic National Banking Act
of the proposed legislation. thar it
was apparent that without united
action in the face of determined op-
position. no bill could be passed.
These differences did not grow out of
matters OF conscience nor pledges nor
instructions, nor did they concern in
any way a Senator's oath of office,
and therefore the bill which the party
caucus had agreed upon could be
made a party measure. Senator Owen,
who was Chairman at this time of
the Committee on Banks and Banking.
had been strongly opposed to the rule
OF binding Senators by caucus action;
but with the majority members of his
Committee hopeleSsly divided upon
many features of the bill, he saw the
wisdom of the application OF the rule.
and was glad to avail himself upon
the floor of the Senate OF the united
action of his party. The usual GUS
tom pursued by the opposition TO q
bill is to offer all sorts of alluring
and attractive amendments with tie
hope of dividing the supporters of a
bill, but when bill has been made
a party measure, they are bound to
vote down all amendments, and stand
for the bill as reported. It sometimes
happens, and did happen in the case
of the Federal Reserve Act. that
some OF the amendments are after
ward considered by the party caucus,
and members instructed to vote for
them.
There are rules Of the Senate which
make service in it most delightful.
One is that of Senatorial courtesy.
A written rule provides mat no Sen
ator shall impute to another any con-
duct or motive unworthy or unbecom-
ing a Senator. While, under a thinly
Disgusting veil of horid rhetoric. this
rule is sometimes violated, yet, upon
the whole, a Senator who INDUCES IN
any asperSions upon the conduct or
motives of another is quickly called
TO order, and unseemly and personal
debate, which characterizeS other
bodies, is seldom INDUCED in.
a Senator who would call up bill
in the absence of another Senator who
he knew intended to oppose its pas
sage. without giving notice of his in
tended action, would not retain the
respect of the Senate.
The true character of Senators, 7
think. can be no better shown than
rule that an appointment to office in
his State which a Senator states is
personally obnoxious TO him will not
be confirmed by the Senate. Such
appointments are submitted by the
Committee to whom they are referred.
which the office is to be Allied
whether they are members OF the
party i'll power or not, ana II Que OF
them should fail to give his approval
il personally obnoxious to him. it will
not be confirmed; the reason given
being that no Senator will be sub
mitted to the affront of such an APP
pointment in his own state.
While / saw thousands of appoint
ments made to Office from States rep
resented by Senators not members or
the party in power. to only one q
these was the objection made. and it
was rejected by the Senate. To one
other appointment this objection was
made by senator of the party in
power, on ground that TO me seemed
uutenable: but he was sustained by
the Senate.
In this very hasty review, in which
Il was only possible to touch upon q
very few of the many written and UNI
written rules of the Senate, it may
seem that | have formed rather low
opinion of the Senate as parlia =
,nentary body; but this is not true.
The members with whom | was asso-
cisted were men of high character.
lofty natriotism and true American
ism. from whatever section of the
country they came. They Were truly
representative of the great Nation
from whose States they were drawn.
RI they seemed partisan and the re
suits to party. rather than to Nation.
apparently weighed more heavily
resentative of that same spirit which
States display. with whom party sue
cess is a most controlling incentive
and by whom party loyalty will al
ways be expected OF its representa-
tives as long as our Government con-
tinues to be a government by party.
When they forget partisanship and
view questions of great National i'm
portance in the clear sunlight of pure
patriotism. unclouded by selfish or
sectional interest, their Senators will
reflect this spirit.
mn rSu1n1n