Evening star., 1925-05-15
States Own Position.

Vice President Dawes. | see, said
Senator Curtis. expresses a desire to
hold monster mass meeting in Kan
sas and hopes | will be there to see
the people of my State react to his
proposal to reform the Senate. If Mr.
Dawes has created the impression
that | am opposed to anything that
will clothe a Senate ma jority with the
power that a ma jority is entitled to
exercise, miSapprehension has been
caused. | happen to be the author of
rules designed to accomplish that
very thing | tried it when Senator
Knox was chairman of the rules COM
mittee, and | tried IL again when |
became chairman. First | attempted
TO give d mere majority Of the Senate
eloture power. Only two Republicans
supported me-Neson of Minnesota
and Hale of Maine. Then | tried TO
secure the Endorsement of a rule pro
yiding for cloture by three-tifths vote.
Again there were only three Repub-
hcan votes in support.
The Vice President has gone about
this whole business in the wrong way.
am not sure that he or anybody else
knows exactly what it is he is driv-
Ing at. | see it called the Dawes
plan but if any plan exists 1t has
not been brought to my notice. When
7 say that Mr.. Dawes has gone about
matters in the wrong way ! mean that
he has chosen for attack the only
rule the Senate now has whereby un-
limited debate can be shut off
namely. rule %. 1t seems to me the
more logical method would have been
to tackle first the = hat undoubt-
edly does exist and the abolition
of which there is Il iurge and justi-
fable demand | refer to the habits
of certain Senator's, whose names will
occur to everybody, of deliberately
and ruthlessly killing time.
The Rules to Amend.
"These men talk endlessly, at times.
under rules that do not bar sheer ir-
relevancy. Those rules ought to be
amended. | think they can be amend
ed. | am sure the country insists
that they shall be amended. 1t is the
practices permitted and condoned
under those rules that are the real
Hme-wastinG features of Senate pro-
cedurc rather than legitimate, though
extensive, debate over measures of
genuine national Importance"
Senator Curtis was asked to specify
what induces him to fear that there
is no chance for adoption of changes
in rules of sweeping character In the
Senate as now constituted.
with the exception of Senator Hale
of Maine and myself, the Republican
membership of the rules committee"
Mr. Curtis replied, "iS regarded as op
posed to changes. The other Re
publican members are Senators Moses,
Watson. Johnson and Dale. With the
exception of Senator Underwood. the
Democratic members of the commit
tee are believed to be solidly opposed
to changes. If this lineup in the
rules committee is a criterion, it is
apparent that coalition of anti
change Democrats and Republicans
can Illustrate any move to do away
with rule %. It cannot be made
too clear to the country that rule %
does provide for ending debate under
certain conditions. 1t does not do
all Of the things that Vice President
Dawes is talking about, but it in
fact provides ways and means for
preventing debate from running to
wholly interminable lengths. Rule %
was invoked in the closing days of the
late session in order that after nearly
% years of futile discussion a vote
could at last be taken on the Isle of
Pines treaty. Debate was limited, a
vote was taken and the treaty was
ratified"
The administration leader in the
Senate may be presumed to know
President Coolidge's mind on the issue
Mr.. Dawes mas raised II may De
here said, in passing, on unquestion-
able authority, that the President was
taken utterly by surprise by the Vice
Presidents bombShell on March 4 and
had no knowledge whatever that ii
was TO be sprung.
Presidents Position.
Il have no reason to think said
Senator Curtis, that President Cool
idge has changed his mind on the sub
iect of time killing practices in the
Senate from the attitude he took when
he was its presiding officer. | hap
pened to figure in a controversy that
evoked an expression of Vice Presi-
dent Coolidge's opinion. On November
80, 1922, which was the day before
Thanksgiving, Senator Underwood,
DouIx:rr g.. T:.o,,.