The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1925-04-21

lean people from themselves, IL lS
necessary to put them at the eno
of session at the mercy or either
a Senate minority or OF any one
United States Senator.
1t is in effect and in changed
form the old argument upholding
the principles OF monarchtcal ana
despotic government the argu-
ment that minorities or sindi-
viduals know better what Is good
for the people than the majority
Of the people themselves.
All the lawful restraints the
people have imposed on them
serves should be and are found In
the limitations of the Constitu-
ton and not in the rules or the
Senate.
Any restraint upon the people
imposed by a Senate rule ID
usurped governmental power not
found in the Constitution.
Perhaps there was a time when
the discussion of incidental phases
of this question might have Gre
ated oratorical fog banks and
smoke screens around the real
issue. hiding it from the mind and
conscience of the American people,
puI 4OH JSdIS GAAG OAeS9S
has had the operations OF the
United States. Senate under his
eye, and he understands what Is
involved. He knows there Is at
question the possession, in cer-
tain circumstances, Of power by
ninorities and individual members
OF the Senate WHICH is greater, at
times, than the veto power exer-
cised by the President OF the
United States.
He realizes that these extra
constitutional powers which have
been gradually built up ana
which, from time to time, he has
seen exercised, are subversive or
the principles of representative
constitutional government.
Doesn't Curtail Regrets.
This reform dose not mean that
the right to be heard at length
upon any important question shall
be denied any Senator.
The purpose is not to prevent
Senator's from fully debating a
question but to make impossible
the prolonging Of debate to pre-
vent a majroity from setting q
question.
The purpose IL not to deprive q
minority Of the right 60 be heard,
but to bestow upon the majority
the full right to legislate.
The purpose is not to interfere
with the protection Of all proper,
rights Of q. senatorial minority,
but to prevent the improper use
of a minority right under the
Senate rules from rendering the
Senate itself impotent.
1t is important that these rules
give every Senator a square deal,
but it is imperative that they give
the American people . square
deal.
Under the Constitution. the two
houses of Congress make their
own rules. Since the Senate acts
under its constitutional right in
making its rules, the Senate and
the Senate alone can rectify them.
/ am of course aware that each
Senator realizes that to change
the present rule to provide better
cloture he must individually re-
linquish a potential right of OBJ
struction which at times he can
use, ether wholly to thwart the
will of the majority or compel an
unwilling majority to accept .
modification in legislation imposed
by him.
But knowing that this power
has been built up by the slow
capitalization of custom into
rules for which no party or any
individual Senator is responsible.
and with full confidence in the
patriotism and integrity Of Sena-
tors when they confront a ques-
ton of plain duty affecting the
interest of the nation, I have APP
pealed to them for their rectifica-
ton of rule % SO as to protect
the majority of the Senate in its
constitutional right to legislate.
Appeals to Citizens.
And more than this, now APP
peal to the citizens of the diff
ferent States to impress upon
their individual Senators by cor
respondence, by resolution, or Pc
tition their attitude on this
proposition. If the people believe
in this reform in government,
their belief should be reflected in
the attitude of the Senator's them
selves in rectifying the rule. The
United States Senate is respon-
sive to public sentiment, but
Senators must know that in the
States which they represent this
sentiment exists.
This appeal is not in a spirit Of
hostility. It is to form and pre-
sent an issue upon Nrlich a fair
test of public opinion can be
made. It is to the end that
those who are the source of gov
ernmental power may express
themselves upon q remedy in u
Ia uyfyI1 NOV