Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-02-21
VOTE ON INAUGURAL
CHANGE MEASURE IN
HOUSE is PUSHED
Continued from First Page.)

4, 1925, rolled around Congress ad
1ourned without that body having
been given an opportunity to vote on
the resolution. The same thing hap
pened in the Sixty-scventh Congress.
Representative Tilson of Connect
cut, majority leader OF the House
indicated yesterday that the resolu
ton would have to wait until after
the appropriation bills were out of
the way. In the opinion of some
House Republican leaders, there is
no great demand for action on the
resolution. The position taken by
those who are lukewarm or opposed
to the proposed change is that the
country has manas ed to get along for
Il hundred years and more under the
present system, 80 why get excited
about It," Others object to tinker
ing with the Constitution. and still
others urge that it is unwise to have
a new Congress enter upon it's duties
within SO short a time after the heat
of political campaign. There should
be cooling off, period allowed. they
insist This was the position taken
by the late President Harding when
the Norris amendment first passed
the Senate
"'Tinkcring' Is Slight.
AS a matter of fact, the proposed
amendment thinkers" very little with
the Constitution. What IL does is TO
eliminate the so-caI1ed lame duck
sessions of Congress, in which defeat
ed members continue for several
months to leEislate for the country.
1t gives a newly elected Congress
an opportunity TO translate into legis-
iation without much delay the prom
Uses made during the campaign. I'm
der the existing system. the new CON
sr"sS does not begin it's duties until
IL months after it's election. unless the
President calls il into special session
between March 4. when it's term be-
gins and the first Monday in the fol-
lowing December. when by law the
first regular session of the Congress
opens.
1t also proposes to place in office
the newly elected Chief Executive
within some two months after his
election instead of four months.
Furthermore, the proposed amend.
ment places upon the newly elected
Congress the duty of electing a Presi-
dent and a Vice President in the
event the election of the President is
thrown into the House and the cleo
ton of the Vice President is thrown
into the Senate. Under the present
system the old Congress performs
this duty. and members of the House
and the Senate who have been de
feated are in position to take part
in the election of the new President
and Vice President respectively
Would Meet New Case.
Under the present Constit ution
there is no provision for the case
where the House fails to choose
President and the Senate fails to
choose a Vice President. The FRO
posed amendment, however. author
ICES Congress TO provide for thi, sit
uation. 1t is authorized TO declare
what officer shall act as President
until the House Of Representatives
chooses President or until the Sen
ate chooses a Vice President. If the
Senate chooses a Vice President be
fore the House chooses a President,
then the Vice President will act as
President until the House makes its
choice of President
BY the elimination of THE short"
session OF Congress much will be &C
complished toward eliminating the
often criticized filibuster. In a short
session. which opens the first Monday
in December and closes at noon March
4, filibuster, particularly IN the Sen
ate, becomes potent weapon TO pre-
vent a vote on any piece of legisla-
ton tn which stubborn minority
may object. 1t will go far toward
meeting the criticism raised by Vice
President Dawes against the Senate
rules. With two sessions of Congress,
each opening in January and con
tinuiug throughout the year. nearly
anv filibuster could be broken if the
majority was determined.