The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1927-03-10
By George w. Norris
United States Senator from Nebra

United States Senator from Nebraska
The recent adjournment of Congress in helpless
ness and confusion because of one flibuster after
another, is shining illustration of the necessity of
an amendment to the Constitution which will abolish
the short session of Congress-
Many persons, including the Vice President be.
Aeve that hlfbuster in the Senate prevented
by change in it's rules The only change which would
erect this would be to permit moving the previous
question: which automatically shuts off all debate and
prevents even the offering of amendments
This rule prevails in the House of Representa-.
tives, and in that body it has become common for
all debate and the offering amendments to be
absolutely prohibited. The Senate could adopt the
same rule but if did the last vestge deiberaton
would at once disappear and the country be left
Whout any forum of open debate for the considera.
ton of public questions and the remedy would he
much worse than the evil. The gag rule is the ex.
IRENE opposite to the fibuster
If we could abolish the short Session and thus
take away a definite time of adjournment we would
at once remove the danger of the flbuser avoid
the rule None of the flibusters that took Mace
in the recent session would have been ATTEMPTED
had it not been known that the Senate must adjourn
March 4.
The prevention of fbuster is not the only bene.
nt from the abolition Of the short session. The con.
troll OF Congress by a political machine or by the
executive is made possible during short session by
Inc control OF certain members of the House and Sen
ate who have been defeated for reelection commonly
known lame ducks"
1t has occurred the memory of all grown per
sons where the President, through absolute dicaton
to the lame duck class has to dominate both
the House and Senate, and when such condition
arises IN the Senate there is only one way to prevent
such disgraceful of Federal patronage and that
is through the desperate remedy of flibuster
- one such case is where the ship subsidy bill was
defeated by Senate fbuster. The Congress in which
this measure was pending would not have passed a
snip subsidy bill in the long session. not even
attempted Without the assistance of the lame ducks
1t would have been impossible to pass it in the short
session.
The only way to defeat the bill was to resort to a
hliouster, which was done and the law defeated 1t
was known at that time that the Congress- which
mad already been elected but sworn in was over
Whelmlngly against ship subsidy and no attempt
was made afterward to a ship subsidy BILL
The Senate has passed constitutional amendment
three different times which would abolish the short
session andMbring members of Congress into office
shortly after their election instead of thirteen months
aferWard 1t has been impossible to get House action
on this amendment because few political bosses have
been opposed to it, few alleged leaders have deter
mined to thwart the will of more than 400 members
The conditions we have just witnessed in the SEN
ate are reproduction ofhat has happened every two
years since 1900, and win actually grow worse as the
country increases in wealth and population and the
business of Congress becomes more important There
is no one who benefits by this outrageous system ex.
1cept the political machines and BOSSES The people
ought to take notice of the few leaders have re-
fused to permit vote in the House this important
question.