Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-09-16
fitting at Windmills.

More than eighteen months ago
Vice President Charles G. Dawes. de-
livering his inaugural address in the
Senate chamber. exploded a verbal
bomb He demanded that common
sense rules be adopted by the Senate
for it's procedure, rules that would
permit the majority to rule and not
leave the Senate at the mercy of the
whim or personal ambition of a single
Senator or a small group of Senators.
Last night. speaking at the annual
dinner of the radio Industries, the Vice
President returned to the charge.
His plea was for half a loaf, ii the
whole be beyond the bounds of posi-
bility. The Vice President urged that
the Senate rules be so amended that
majority cloture could be invoked to
prevent filibusters against appropria-
ton and revenue bills in the short
sessions of Congress. These are the
business bills of Congress. Without
revenue and without appropriations,
the wheels of government would quick
ly cease to revolve. The Vice President
holds that no Senator. not even one
from the South with visions Of an
other force bill lowering about his
head, could reasonably oppose such
an amendment to the Senate rules.
This would be the conclusion reached
by the average intelligent and edu-
Gated American citizen.
Another less persevering and cour.
ageous than the Vice President might
have been dismayed by the lack of re-
suits attained by his crusade for a
change in the Senate rules. He has
been the subject of ridicule, of scath'
ing attack from the floor of the Sem
ate by Senators who oppose any
change which they hold would inter-
fere with what they term the liberty
of speech. In so doing they confuse
liberty with license.
Amid the outlaws of Senators the
Vice President has been acclaimed a
modern Don Quixote. Indeed, he has
been fitting at windmills, though the
windmills would be the last to ad-
NIT it.
During the last congressional recess
the Vice President carried his CAM
paign for a change in the Senate rules
into many States. During the present
vacation of Congress he has not made
so many speeches, but that of last
night was carried over the air to mil
lions of Americans. 1t was plain,
common-sense statement of the case
against the Senate rules. Pithily the
Vice President declared that the ter
rors of majority rule are as nothing
compared to the terrors Of minority
rule. The latter prevails far too often
in the Senate today.
When the Senate reconvenes it will
be for a short session, ending March
4. In that short session any small
group of Senators, or even a single
Senator, who so desired, could prevent
the adoption of the proposed amend
ment to the Senate rules, and so they
could also prevent the passage of the
vital appropriation bills before the
close of the session March 4, and force
the calling of a speciai session of the
new Congress by the President. With
such power in his grasp, a Senator
may bargain with those in charge of
legislation, may force the adoption of
measures for his own political advan-
tage, which a majority of the Senate
would otherwise turn down.
The pity of the situation is. as the
Vice President frankly stated. that
"those only can abolish the evil who
benefit from it. the Senators them
selves"