Evening star., 1925-06-28

iils ~ dlS dl STAKE IN the eleCtlO1l
i!iI " " next year, some of the Re
iIiil publican leaders are not
jliH little perturbed because o
lIlfhe attacks leveled by the Republican
iiiNice President, Gen. Dawes, at Repub
Ican Senators who are opposed to ma
jority cloture in the Senate.
The Vice President is making gooc
his threat to take the issue of the Sen
ate rules to the people. His last ad
dress on the subject was delivered ir
Manchester, n. H., the home of Sena
tor George Moses, Republican and
President pro tempore of the Senate
who is leading the opposition to Gen
Dawes proposal for a revision of the
Senate rules. According to the dis
patches from Manchester, the throns
which gathered to hear the Vice Presi-
dent loudly cheered his attack on the
Senate rules and his demand for ma
jority rule in that body. Neither Sen
ator Moses nor his colleague, Senator
Keyes, nor any of the New Hampshire
delegation in the House attended the
meeting.
One Speech a Month.
The next address on the subject of
the rules by Gen. Dawes will be deliv-
cred in the West some time in July
according to the best informat ton
one address month during the con-
gressional recess in widely separated
parts of the country. His first ad.
dress on the subject after his breath
taking inaugural speech in the Senate
chamber was in Massachusetts, and
this was followed by his talk to the AS
sociated Press I'm New York. Then
came the speech in Alabama and that
in New Hampshire.
laS
opened fire on the rules he was vigor-
ously criticized by many of the Sena.
tors, Republicans and Democrats alike
His critics were confident that his at
tack on the unlimited debate permit
ted in the Senate was to be only a
nlne-days wonder, and that it would
pass away and be forgotten, as have
many other attacks on the Senate
rules in the past But il hasn't hap
pened that way. Gen. Dawes has had
no little encouragement outside the
Senate. And now members of his own
party are beginning TO wonder what
Will be the effect of his campaign
among the people or fate of Republican
Senators who are opposed to change
In the rules and who must stand for
reelection next year.
Fight for Senate Control.
The Republicans have a job on their
hands to retain control of the Senate
In the next Congress. Twenty-Five of
the Senators who come up for re-
election are Republicans and only Z
are Democrats, and the last are from
rock ribbed Democratic States of the
South, where Democrats are sure to
win. The margin of control by the
Republicans in the present Senate is
none too great. If Gen. Dawes stirs
the voters in the States against Sena-
tors who support the present unlimited
debate of the Senate, with flibuStering z
possibilities, it may be just the amount
OF opposition required to defeat some
of them at the polls. it is feared.
There is the chance, to he sure. that
the Senate will amend its rules look
ing to prompter action at its next ses-
sion. In that event the issue raised
by Vice President Dawes falls to the
ground. There is the chance, too. that
with the reconvening of Congress other
matters of Importance will occupy the
public attention and the fight on the
Senate rules will be forgotten.
So far the Democrats have been as
caustic in their comments on the
Dawes proposal as have the Repub-
licans, or more so. There has been
no split along party lines. But the
senatorial race next year is to be
fought out Observation-Disclosures is no
national election to help pull the Re
publican ticket through in some of
these doubtful States and anything
may happen.
Test i'm Legislation.
There is. however, a disturbing
possibility in the performance of the
Senate at its next session, when i'm
portant measures urged by President
Coolidge come before it. How is the
Senate going to act, for example, on
the administra tons taX-reduction
plan? How long will it talk about
taxes, and how long about the World
Court proposal? If the opponents of
the administration undertake to pre-
vent action by flibustering tactics
or unduly long debate. will not Vice
President Dawes receive more and
more support for his crusade against
the rules among the people who put
President Coolidge in the White
House by the greatest plurality a
President ever received?
Vice President Dawes is discuss
ing the Senate rules in non -parti-
san way just at present, although
admittedly he is seeking to build a
back-flre at home under Senators
who are against change in the
rules. If he keeps up the work and
the people really get interested in
the question and favor his plan. it
may not take long for it to develop
into a political issue. Already in
California a candidate for the Sen
ate against Senator Shortridge who
comes up next year, has announced
as part of his platform the Dawes
plan for amendment of the Senate
rules.
On Record Against CIoture.
Glance al the list of Republican
Senators who are to come up for re-
election in States where the fight