Evening star., 1925-03-04
DAWES, SWORN IN, LAUNCHES 3,l
ATTACK ON RULES OF SENATE
Turbulent Session Comes to Close With COLortuI
Ceren'ony--Ne,o Senators Take Their Seats. sy
Many Bills Go Over. 9@sy. s4@ssa-sA

CONTINUED from First Page.)
and in the galleries standing. The
Vice President got laugh when he
promptly walked to his seat beside
the President pro tempore and sat
down.
When President Coolidge was an
nouneed there was more applause.
Immediately Vice President Dawes,
presiding officer of the Senate by
virtue of his office, took the chair.
Rev. DR.. j. ]. Muir, chaplain Of the
Senate, delivered a prayer. The in
ausural address of. Vice President
Dawes followed,
Text OF Dawes speech.
What I say upon entering this
Office should relate to its adminis.ra-
tion and the conditions under which
1t is administered. Unlike the vast
majority of deliberative and legis-
lattve bodies, the Senate does not
elect its presiding officer. He is de-
signated for his duty by the Consti-
tuition of the United States" the Vice
President declared.
In the administration Of this office
his duty is to be: concerned with methods
from any legislative policy of the body
over which he presides. 1t is not for the
Vice President to be personally con-
cerned with the interests Of political
parties or with the policies or projects
involved in legislative action, save in
that unusual contingency where. under
the Constitution, It becomes necessary
for him to cast the deciding vote in case
of tie Nor should he, in view of that
ny &fy,~S
tude toward prospective legislation until
the contingency occurs. Any other course
would inevitably lessen the weight of
his influence in those impartial and nom
partisan matters with which 1t is his
duty, under the Constitution of the
United States. to be concerned
In my conduct. I trust 1 may yield
to no Senator in fairness, courtesy
and kindness and in Difference to
those unwritten laws which always
govern any association of gentlemen,
whether official or private. 1t shall
be my purpose not to transgress in
any way those limits to my offlcial
activity determined by the Const.tu-
ton of the United States and by
proper parliamentary procedure. But
the vice President, in part because
he is not elected by the members of
this body, nor by State, but by the
people OF the United States, and his
constitutional and official relations
are to the Senate as a whole, should
always express himself upon the re-
lation of its methods of transacting
public business to the welfare OF the.
Nation. .
Outlines Concept of Duty.
FOR him, therefore, to officially call
to the Senate any collective duty, such
as an improvement in the method
under which its business is carried on,
so far from being an irrelevant and
uncalled-for action on his part, is a
supreme duty.
In past years, because the mem
bers of this body have cherished
most commendabte feelings of fair
ness, courtesy and consideration for
each other as individuals certain
questions have-been evolved These
have crystallized into fixed and wriA
ten rules OF procedure for the trans
action Of public business which in
their present form place power In
the hands of individuals to an ex-
tent at times subversive of the fun
oamentai principles Of free represen-
tatiye government. Whatever may
be said about the misuse of this
power under the present rules of the
Senate, the fact remains that its
existence, inimfcal as IL Is to the
principles of our constitutional gov
ernment, cannot properly be charged
against any party or against any in
dividuai or group Of individuals.
1t has evolved as a natural con-
sequence OF the mutual confidence of
high-minded- men, determined that in
their official association as members
or the Senate, full and fair oppor-
tunity to be heard on all public Ques-
uons shall be enjoyed by each and
every Senator, irrespective of
whether or not they are in the
minority either of opinion or of
party.
Speaks for Peoples Rights.
But, however natural has been the
evolution of the present rules, how
ever commendable that existing de-
sire on the part of all that the rights
of each individual Senator should be
observed, the fact remains that un-
der them the rights of the Nation
and of the American people have
been overlooked--and this, under
standing that their full recognition
of the rights OF the Nation are in
nowise Inconsistent with the recog-
nition- of every essential right of any
Individual Senator
What would be the attitude of the
American people and of the individual
Senator's themselves toward pro-
posed system of rules If this was the
first session of the Senate Of the
United States instead of the Sixty
ninth? What Individual Senator would
then have the audacity to propose the
adoption of the present rule % with
out modification. when 1t would be
pointed out that during the last days
of the session the right that is grant
ed every Senator to be heard for one
hour after two-thirds of the Senate
had agreed to bring a measure to a
Senator, at times. power to defeat the
measure and render impotent the SEN
ate itself?
Says Rule Blocks Business.
That rule, which at times enables
Senators to- consume in oratory those
last precious minutes of a session
needed for momentous decisions,
places in the hands of one or of a
of Senator's a greater power
than the veto power exercised under
the Constitution by the President Of
the United States, which is limited in
an Affirmative vote.
Who would dare to contend that
under the spirit of, democratic gov
ernment the power to kill legislation
providing the revenues to pay the ex-
penses Of Government should, during
the last few days of a session, ever
be in the hands of a, minority or per-
haps one Senator? Why should they
ever be able to compel the President
of the United States, to call an extra
session of Congress to keep in func-
tioning activity the machinery of the
itself?
who would dare oppose any
changes In the rules necessary to