Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1925-04-22
(WATERVlLLE LOCAL NEWS
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III the past as both it's. existence and
exercise are wrong at the present
time. Who can justly claim that the
protection of the country against
nasty legislation demands not only
Il concurrence IN Legislative action Of
the TWO houses of Congress, the veto
lower OF the President OF the United
states and the power OF revision py
the Supreme Court Of the United
States nut, in addition, a power dur
ing the end Of a session of Con-
sress On the part OF a minority, OF
even at times vi one, of the 50 SEN
ators 10 block and destroy legisIa
Ton by consuming time necessary
tor decision by prolonging debate
until the session ends-a power the
existence Of which the Constitution
of the United States does not con-
tempIate-a power which at times
puts into the hands of minorities
and individuals the ability to modify
or control legislation by barter? The
reserved power OF tine States in the
Constitution does not include this
rover OF one or the States to elect a
Senator who shall control a majority
or even all of the other States.
No argument is sound to the effect
tnat, TO protect u majority of the
Senate and of the American people
from themselves, it is necessary to
put them at the end of a session at
the mercy OF either Senate
minority or Of any one United
States Senator. 1t is in effect and in
changed form the old argument up
holding the principles of monarch hal
ana despotlc Sovernment-the argu-
ment that mlnOrltieS or individuals
Know better what is good for the
people than the majority OF the peo-
pie themselves. All the lawful re-
, stralnts the people have imposed on
themselves should be and are found
In the limitations of the Constitu-
ton and not in the rules of the Sem
ate. ANY restraint upon the people
| imposed by Senate rule is a
! usurped governmental power not
found in the Constitution.
Perhaps there was time when
the discussion of incidental phases
or this question might have created
oratorlcal fog banks and smoke
screens around the real issue, hiding
| IT from the mind and conscience OF
the American people, but for years
the average citizen has had the
operations of the United States SEN
ate under his eye, and he under
stands what is involved. He knows
tbere Is at question the possession,
| IN certain circumstances, of power
Dy mlnorities and individual mem
Ders 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 and
| which. from time to time. he has
seen exercised, are subversive of the
principles of representative con-
stitutional government.
This reform does not mean that
the right to be heard at length upon
| any important question shall be de-
| MED any Senator. The purpose is
not to prevent Senators from fully
debating question but to make i'm
possible the pro!onging of debate to
prevent a majority from settling a
question. The purpose is not to de-
prlve minority of the right to be
heard, but to bestow upon the ma
Jcrity the full right to legislate. The
purpose is not to interfere with the
! protection of all proper rights of a
: senatorial minority. but to prevent
the improper use of minority right
under the Senate rules from render
ing 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 a square deal
! Under the Constitution, the two
houses of Congress make their own
rules. Since the Senate acts under
re yyft -;erI,t =,
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 relinquish a
potential right of obstruction which
at times he can use either wholly to
| thwart the Will of the majority or
compel an unwilling majority to ac-
| cept modification in legislation i'm
posed by him. But knowing that
! this power has been built up by the
Slow crystaliza ton of custom into
rules for which no party or any in
dlvidual Senator is responsible, and
! with full confidence in the patriotism
and integrity of Senators when they
| confront a question of plain duty af-
fecting the interest of the nation. I
Rave appealed to them for their
fectification of rule % so as to pro-
tect the majority of the Senate in its
constitutional right to legislate.
And more than this. l now appeal
to the citizens of the different states
to impress upon their individual
! Senators by correspondence. by
resolution or petition their attitude
On this proposition. If the people
/ believe in this reform in government,
their belief should be reflected in
the attitude of the Senators them
selves in rectifving the rule. The
United States Senate is responsive
to public sentiment. but Senators
| must know that in the States which
| they represent this sentiment exists
This appeal is not in spirit of
hostility. 1t is to form and present
an issue upon which fair test Of
public opinion can be made. 1t is to
the end that those who are the
source of governmental power may
express themselves upon remedy
in a lawful way.
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