The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1923-01-03
MAJORITY SAYS RULE WILL BE
ADOPTED TO STOP FlLlBUs-
TERlNG BY MINORITY.
ANY MEASURE CAN BE KILLED
Furthermore, a Few Senators Can
Force Congress Into an Extra Ses-
sion. Under Present System, Because
Legislation Hasn't Been Enacted.
BY EDWARD 3. A

ARR(P ~ ~
to put through the legislation that 1t
desires.
1t is now suggested, and it seems
that the suggestion may bear fruit,
that shortly aftefs March a the sen
ate, If it shall continue in special SEES
sion, shall be asked to modify the
rule which allows unlimited debate.
Without any intention of irony it
might be said that these endeavors of
the senate to find means to gag Itself
make an old man of one.
Years on years the same thing has
ally nothing, ever has come of it. 1t
Is true that by invoking a so-called
cloture rule the senate al stop de-
bate on a given subject, but before
this rule can be put into force ii must
receive the sanction of so large a num-
Der of the senators that 1t virtually is
barred from getting such sanction.
In the senate today the dominant
party has a majority of "a votes. 1t
wanted to put through what Is known
as the Dyer anti-lynching bill. 1t has
been compelled to forego the endeavor.
A filibuster was started against the
bill and its opponents forced its pro-
ponents to call the legislation off.
Can Force Extra Sessions.
Opinions will vary as to the virtue
of the flibuster against the anti-iynch-
ing bill. 1t makes no difference, how
ever, whether one approves or disap-
proves of the legislation, the point
Is that senators who choose to talk
and keep on talking can prevent the
passage of any legislation, wen If it
has back of it 81 the weight of public
opinion.
To put it ins another way, an appro-
priation bill which every senator
agrees should be enacted into law can
de defeated by flibustering tactics en-
ployed, not really for the purpose of
killing the particular bill, but to force
congress into an extra session because
the bill failed.
No one in Washington believes that
senste ever will adopt a rule
z&f IKE 1t possible to shut
gan be shut off in
sudh rules have failed
u sanction IN the past. The senate
always has been going to gag itself,
! and never has gagged itself.
The Dyer antilynching bill having
been blocked, the senate is confronted
with the necessity of passing com
paratively few measures. OF course
the appropriation bills must be attend
ed to, but in addition to these the
chief looming things are ship subsidy
and the extension of legislation gov
erning agricultural credits.
The ship subsidy bill may be
blocked by a filibuster. This POSSIBLE
ity or probability has been recorded
from time to time ever since the sub
sidy measure was sent over to the
senate with the sanction of the house
stamped on it, but there is nothing
today to make it appear that subsidy
will be allowed to receive the senate
sanction unltss the wholly unexpected
happens and its opponents shall make
up their minds not to enter into the
race of talk.
Could Win II Allowed to Vote.
Administration leaders in the SEN
ate say that If the subsidy bill shall
be allowed to come to a vote, it will
be passed by a small majority. In
fact, a poll of the senate made by the
majority leaders shows that a suffi-
Gent number of Republican and Dem
ocratic senators will vote for the bill
to put If throughput are they to
be given a chance to vote for it?
Naturally. the opponents of the sub
sidy measure say the country does not
want to have 1t enacted into law and
therefore any tactics intended to pre-
ven its coming to a vote are justif-
able. The proponents of the measur
say the country does want legislation,
and that flibustering tactics against
its passage are unjustifiable If not
wicked.
The salient thing is, once more, the
power WHICH II uilIlOr1ty VI StfidtOTS
have to prevent a majority from
carrying out its will. If it be granted
for the sake of argument that the sub
sidy bill is a bad measure, yet there
remains the truth hat a good measure
tomorrow or the next day can be
blocked in the senate If four or five
men make up their minds that they do
not want to see it written into the
statute books.
It is promised today, by the propo-
nents of a rule to make voting on a
masure possible in the senate, that
they will carry their campaign through
until such a rule is adopted.
Harding and the Bloc Plans.
One sharp line already has been
Drawn between the fields of endeavor
Of the recently formed blocs in con-
gress and the Republican administra-
ton. The White House has taken ex-
ception to one of the plans of what is