, 1922-12-31
Defeats Popular Government.

WHOLLY aside from its subject matter and its
W merits, the shipping bill is serving one good
purpose, 1t is arousing the public 70 the menace OF
the flibuster. If the consideration of the shin
measure should result in a change in the rules Of
the United States senate so that a filibuster would
no longer be possible, that in itself would be a tire
mendous gain for popular government.
Representative government is based upon the
theory that the majority rules. 1t is based upon
the theory that when a party is given control of
the legislative branch of the government i: assumes
responsibility for the carrying out Of it's platform
and campaign 1'edges and the responsibility for
the passage or the defeat of all measures. Unless
representative. government means this 1t means
nothing. If n lie; : majority elected by the people
is denied the right to rule through obstructive PRO
cesses, then we have a denial of the very things
upon which this government rests.
The fnibuster is n denial of representative gov
ernment. II is n denial of the right of the ma.
jcrity to rule. 1t Is the very essence of the rule
not even Of n minority, but the rule OF a handful.
a mere half-dozen of malcontents, who take ad
vantage OF a quirk in our senate's Legislative ma
Ichincry to block all Legislative procedure. to para.
I'VE the legislative branch of tho government. Such
a fnibuster is being conducted against the ship
subsidy measure.
Unless the senate can and does revise its rules so
ms 10 prevent the use of the filibuster. the future
holds no hopes of any party's proposed program
becoming an actually; no prospect of any CON
structive legislation of any kind IL n handful of
men in the Senate see fit to block all progress by
the use of the filibuster.
Irrespective of whether one Is in favor of the
ship subsidy or against II, all those who believe is
the majority ruling must condemn the methods
hNlHE II ~ DTtNtnI II measure from com
ing TO a vote. If the measure Is as bad and unpop-
iular MS its opponents claim, it will in ali probab-
ilitv he voted down, If a vote. is taken. II It is bad
and unpopular and n Republican majority insists
upon passing it. then it is clear that nothing should
he more desirable from n Democratic standpoint
than to hasten the dav when the vote may be taken
in order that the defeat of the Republican party
may be more certain. So that from the standpoint
of the sincere enemies Of the bill, the filibuster is
hynocriticnl and indefensible.
If Inv the use of the filibuster a half-dozen men
can prevent the United States senate from reaching
n vote upon the ship subsidy. another halfdozen
men can prevent the senate from reaching a vote
upon any other subject at any future time.
The house of representatives has reformed its
legislative procedure so as TO maxi n filibuster
there impossible. This accounts iI a large meas
ure for the dispatch with which the house pro
ceeds. The senate has not amended its legislative
procedure. Public opinion condemns the dilatory
methods of the senate, irrespective of which party
is in power. Public opinion is going to grow more
critical of these methods until the senate reforms
them. Public opinion does not stand back of the
filibuster. Public opinion does not approve of
stretching senatorial courtesy to the point where
two or three obstreperous individuals, for spite
work or other reasons, can hol5 up the entire leg
i~slative branch of the government and leave the
going to be enacted into law or what measures are
going to be defeated. Such procedure is a denial
of the very fundamental of our government and
they will not be tolerated much longer.
The consideration of the ship subsidy bill and the
f%ilibuster which is being carried on by a few men
for the purpose of preventing the senate voting
upon the ship subsidy has served 20 accentuate the
,Lenace of the filibuster and to has,sr the day when
the senate will reform its legislative methods.