Evening star., 1925-03-05

ministration. So aroused was the coun-
try over use then made of the Senate
rules, and so aroused were the Sen
atoTs themselves, that an amendment
to the rules--the so-called cloture rule
was adopted on March 8, 1917.
This cloture rule, however, is the
mere shadow Of cloture. II has been
invoked but once, though threatened
a number of times. 1t was invoked to
, bring to an end the interminable de-
bate on the Versailles treaty and the
League of Nations covenant. To OBJ
tain cloture two-thirds of the Senators
voting must agree. A motion for clo-
ture must be presented to the SEN
ate, signed by 16 Senators, and on the
second day thereafter that the Senate
Is in session the motion must be voted
up or down. IF the necessary two
thirds vote is cast, then debate is
limited to one hour to each Senator
thereafter, a total of SO hours, should
every Senator avail himself of his
privilege under the rule.
it's title--the greatest deliberative body
in the world. The freedom of speech is
untrammeled in the Senate. But .the
privilege at times has been abused.
Sometimes, it seems, the Senate's duty
to transact public business is forgot
ten in the desire for talk. Is there any
conceivable reason why Senator
should be permitted to talk about hog
cholera when the subject before the
Senate for consideration and action is
a treaty with Great Britain, for ex-
ample? Yet this is the effect-and un-
fortunately too often the practice
under the existing rules Of the Senate.
Granting for the sake of argument
that the right of free and unlimited
debate should be retained in the Sem
ate, there are at least two reforms
which would work toward more eff
cient and prompt action by that body.
One calls for a change in the Senate
rules themselves. The other calls for
an amendment to the Constitution.
By amending the rules Of the Sen
ate so that Senator must confine
his remarks to the precise issue
actually before the Senate, a great
step forward would be made. 1t is a
common occurrence in the Senate for
a Senator to rise in his place and
launch into a discussion of subject
as foreign to that actually before the
Senate as the North Pole to the South.
BY amending the Constitution and
the laws of Congress itself, SO that
there shall no longer be a short ses-
sion'' of Congress every two years,
the great opportunity for filibustering
tactics will vanish. Twice the Senate
has voted overwhelmingly in favor of
or, rather, the leadership of the
House-has refused TO allow the pro-
posal TO come to vote in that body.
The proposal was fathered by Senator
Norris of Nebraska, and is designed
to do away with lame duck" sessions
of Congress. Under it Congress would
meet in January of each year and
would continue in session until it con-
cluded it's work.
BY these two reforms much could
be accomplished, and the right Of un-
limited debate in the Senate still con-
tinue. It is true that a filibuster can
be maintained in a long session of
Congress, but in the end it must prove
futile, IL the ma ajority insist upon
keeping the debated measure before
the Senate.
The propriety of Vice President
Dawes attack upon the Senate rules
at the time Of his inaugural has been
questioned. The Vice President took
the only opportunity offered him to
make a speech in the Senate. He has
no right of debate, nor has he a vote
in that body. except in case of a tie
vote Thomas Riley Marshall while
himself Vice President described the
Vice President of the United States as
the greatest listener since the Sphinx
set itself down in the Lybian Desert"
Mr.. Dawes probably was not so con-
cerned with the proprieties as he was
with the need of accomplishment,
when he deliberately attacked the
rules OF the Senate on the first time
he faced that body. Mr.. Dawes has
a reputation for direct attack. When
he assumed the office of director of the
budget, he called in all the high exec
utive officers Of the Government and
laid down the law to them. When the
Army was under attack before a con-
gressional committee, Mr.. Dawes de-
Tended it, earning the sobriquet Hell
and Maria" on that occasion.
1t may be that the Vice President
has taken a step that will make his
stay in the Senate unpleasant in
measure. But it was a courageous
step.