The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1926-12-02
WASHINGTON LETTER

Washington, Dec. 1.-The spectre OF
a filibuster is haunting members OF
the Sixty-ninth Congress. Reports
coming to the leaders of the Senate
and House give adequate cause fol
uneasiness. The leaders have several
knotty problems to unravel within
the next few days and they make no
secret of their concern. The special
session threat made by certain So
called insurgent Republicans and the
Democratic group, carries consider
able weight. No doubt their policies
will be determined after the va
-cancies in committees are filled De-
cember 6, for it is obvious that many
of the insurgents expect to do a little
political trading with administra-
ton leaders. While predictions favor
special session on March A, it hard
1y seems probable that the political
situation will get out of hand until
after the holiday recess.
A filibuster is nothing more than
time-consuming debates or dilatory
tactics intended to obStruct the en-
actment of essential legislation. For
instance, it is necessary that appro-
priation bills carrying authorization
millions of dollars for the main
tenance of the Federal Departme;'' 5
must be passed before the end of
the fiscal year June 80. 1t is GUS
-tomary to enact these fiscal measures
before the Congress automatically
expires on March 4, and it is usually
cleaned up on the Legislative calendar
by February.
Factions and individual legislators
failing to gain their detectives by
other means resort to filibustering
for the purpose of political trading
and compromise or to insure the de-
feat of legislation to which they are
opposed. Cloiture rule has nippe |
many filibusters in the bul, bui cloi-
-ture is a parliamentary weapon diff
cult to obtain, especially when the
margin of control is as close as now
reported in the Senate today.
The report that Senator Mckinley
of Illinois is at the po'nt of dealt
makes the filibustering problem
acute. Under ordinary Circumstance
,es the governor of Illinois would be
expected to name Senator-elect Smith
to succeed to the uneXpIre term of
Senator Mckinley. However, it is
generally agreed that such an ap-
pointment would precipitate an in
definite debate and force the present
Senate to act upon the primary eN-
penditures scandals deve. ped by the
special Reed committee. 1t would
also project the issue into the expir-
ing Congress, whereas it logically be-
longs to the SeVentietn or incoming
session. The controversy over Ware
of Pennsylvania and Smith of Illinois
would overshadow important leglsla-
ton at the short session. According
to the story current in Washington,
public resentment againt enormous
expenditures for primaries will be
short lived and when the time comes
for Senators-elect to present their
credentials, the issue will be for
gotten by the voting public.
The average citizen pays little heed
to the writing activities of the De-
partment of State in international af-
fairs. The latest developments in
diplomatic exchanges between this
country and the Mexican 90. errmc Mt
are approaching an end and crisis
is expected shortly From confiden-
tial sources and from public docu-
uments it is learned that the Amer
lean government is thoroughly
alarmed at the growth of anti-Amer-
lean sentiment in Mexico which is
attributed in many quarters to COM
munistic or Soviet influence in the
neighboring republic. There is no Sc
cret of the fact that diplomatic
rupture with Mexico is probable. 1t is
said that the withdraw of recogni-
ton by this government would mean
the immediate downfall of the pre-
sent administration in Mexico and
undoubtedly revolution of far
reaching consequence would be the
result.
Next in Importance to the Pres
ident's annual message to Congress
is the list of appointments to va
cancies in high office here. Senators
and Congressman are milking pill
grimages to the White House daily
to advocate the selection of their cam
a majority of these appointees must
be confirmed by the Senate, repre-
sentatives of the administration are
obliged to sound out the known po-
1itical enemies of the proposed candi-
dates and ascertain the chances of
confirmation by the Senate. Ere
quently, presidential scouts are mis-
Informed and the Senate rejects his
favorites for public office The names
are forwarded to the Senate by spec
ial messengers from the White House
and the solons make no secret of
their curiosity by openly reading the
list at the Secretary of the Senate's
desk. A long, list is expected next
week.
Minnesota's Rural Credit