The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-07-24
Frederick Haskin's I etter]
TO CHANGE SENATE RULES

WashinGton, D. G., July e.
Something must b done Ab0at TIE
United States senafa. It to MOT
functioning proDerly. n gTsat many
people have insisted That this b
the case for . vssy long tina, but
nov senators ars becoming critics
Of themselves and their own instt
tuition.
As . law-maHing factory the sen-
ate 10 entitled to IN efficiency rat
ing that would shock pfoAuction
experts. henry Ford, who says
that the rate Of production 10 the
most important factor IN industry.
would probably have taken the sem
ate apart and put 1t together again
q an entirely diilersnt kind Of ma
chine had he been elected . mem-
Der when he e0asht the toga that
Nr. NeWbeEsy now wears. That Is,
provided he cosld have f0und . way
10 introduce Ford methods and In
novations into An establishment
that seems to have been organized
to prevent Just that sort % thing.
Waste motion il the problem the
efIiciency experts tackle first when
they undertake to speed up . man
nfacturing plant. Waste words--or
waste wind-aeems to be the prin-
cipal tropble with the senate. At
any rate, senatorial leaders who
are addressing themselves to the
question Of how to dispose Of the
legislative program before the cleo
ton are agreed that the first thing
70 be done IL to find some way Of
limiting debate and forcing action
within q reasonable period Of time
on important measures such "a
tariff and the onus. Hence the
amending Of the senate rules ID
now under consideration.
Cloture was at first proposed, but
It failed. This requires . two thirds
vote and can not be brought about
10 long Is any considerable minor
ity desires to continue the discus
sion OF . given measure. With q
subject such Is the tariff before the
senate 1t Is . foregone conclusion
that the debate can not be ended
until the opposition has talked
itself out or has decided that It will
be good politics to let the bill pass.
Thus the necessity Of changing the
rules is indicated. This can Be
done by q majority vote Ut any time
and it is taken for granted that the
Republicans can muster sufficient
strength to turn the trick.
Would Avoid Besnerang.
Accordingly the problem il how
to frame q new rule that will &C
complish the desired end and NOT
60 too far, that will command the
necessary votes to put 1t through
and that will not prove to be q
boomerang II the time should come
when control Of the senate Is re-
versed and the Republicans are in
the minority instead Of In the ma.
jority. This calls for political
genius and wisdom of q high or
der. 1t also calls for caution. and
despite the emergency it Is unlike
~ that immediate action will be
taken. Senator James E. Watson
of Indiana, who is looked upon In
some quarters as the successor Of
the late Senator Penrose - the
real Republican leader. has the job
in hand.
President Harding indicated clear.
" what he thought of the situation
, in congress as a whole and in the
senate in particular when he de.
nounced legislation by blocs. Sec
rotary of War Weeks-snd he, too
was formerly senator - spoke
right out in meeting and said thu
fundamental trouble is the lo~
standard of craftsmanship result
ing from the recent primary. Chair
man Adams Of the Republican ma
tienal committee fixes the respon
sibility on the Democratic minor
ity.
Senator Watson and other lead
.ers who feel the responsibility fol
the party's legislative program be
lieve that the trouble is q combina
ton of what the president and thu
national chairman have criticized
That is to say, they attribute thu
procrastination Of congress to thu
powerwielded by minorities. wheth
er political or special interest il
character.
It is to be expected that the sen
ators and representatives Of tn
opposition party will do all tina
they can to obstruct legislation II
which they do not believe. but a
the present time there is . farm
bloc minority, an anti bonus minor
ity, an anti-ship subsidy minority
a reclamation minority and minori