Seward daily gateway., 1926-07-08
THE SENATE RULES

 sion It is in the short session of Congress that the present rules of the Senate work such damage to the public interests and at times result Tn tavesty upon representative constitutional government It IS unnec essary to recaptuate instances Tn which l1 ory and individual senators, have enforced con- sessions in legislation for sectional and political purposes through the threat of blocking revenue and appropr aton bills and of compelling the President to call an extra session of Congress in order to keep government bus ess functioning.
 Vice President Dawes and Senator Underwood, while maintaining that proper reform for the Senate rules would make them correspond with the rules common to practically all other great deberative bodies which pro- vide for majority coture, have suggested compromise which if adopted will mark step in advance and render impossible the of fhbuster upon revenue and ap propration bills in the short session means Of en- forcing the demands of minority in regard to other legislation They propose change in the rules provd ing majority cloture revenue and appropriation bills aone allowing senators full time to speak these bills but preventing them from prolongng debate for utter for purposes Against such plan argument can be made by Southern senators that their right is taken away to fEbuster against the remote possibility of force bill or something like 1t.
 The right, apparently so precious to senators, Of blocking threatening to block general legislation in order to secure consideration for particular legislation in which they are interested will still exist except that they cannot the obstruction of approp aton bills for this particular purpose. These latter are business they not passed at the short session they must be passed at any extra session.
 The recent session prolonged for months by the of ibuster open concealed It Is evident that less these rules changed with the Senate constituted it is the next short will probably be confronted with
 situation where individual senators with their power of obstruction will have the government by the throat if cloture cannot be had on appropriation bills.
 Why should the Senate not act on this matter? This situation affects the country It be rected and rected now, by the adoption of the change of rules which Senator Underwood suggested modification of it covering the principle It change which at one time the Republican of the Senate favored by al vote of 32 to l.
 The present Underwood amendment can not be op- posed as restricting liberty and constitutional rights It IS simple business proposition Unless and appropriation bills passed the machinery of govern ment can not function The public has become educated as to the defects of the present senate rules and any marked instances of their abuse is fraught with peril to the perpetrators in the next short session minority or single senator under the Senate rules should block the right of the government to continue to function or der to secure concession in legislation in which they or he are interested public opinion will fix responsibility for it. during the next session abuse of the rules com pes the President to call extra session of congress- responsibility for it will be fixed in public opinion In self protection we'll the public interest the senate should adopt the Underwood proposition for majority coture on revenue and appropriation bils some mod fcation of it embodying it's principles.
 No man ever won place in history by pleasing the