Evening star., 1927-03-08
DAWES TOPRESS
SENATE RULE FIGHT
Curb on Filibustering Tactics
viii Be Sought at Next
Session.
By FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

By FKEDEhIC WILLIAM VILE.
Formal moves to bring about anti
filibuster changes in the rules of the
United States Senate will be made at
the first session Of the Seventeen
Congress. Senator William Cabell
Bruce, Democrat, Of Maryland. will
take the initiative in that direction.
He is in full sympathy with the
Dawes plan" to curb unlimited de-
bate and prevent minority rule. 1t
was Senator Bruce's intention to pro-
pose sweeping reforms in Senate pro
cedure during the recent short session
Of Congress. But the legislative jam
induced his to postpone action until
next Winter. Senator Bruce feels that
the delay is fortuitous because. like
Vice President Dawes, he believes
that the late spectacle which the Sen
ate made of itself immensely increases
the possibility of persuading it to
mend its ways.
Vice President Dawes, since the
Reed. Reed filibuster has been besieged
from all parts of the country to return
to the speech-making firing line and
systematically renew his crusade
against the Senate rules. He does
sort. Gen. Dawes is of the opinion
that the Senate itself. on March 2. 8
and 4, did more with its 49-hour time
killing and blocking orgy to
promote his cause than whole year
Of missionary activity on his part
could do.
To Speak In st. Louis.
The Vice President has consented to
take the platform on at least one
occasion during the next few months
He will deliver the principal address
at the commencement exercises OF
Washington University. in st. Louis,
at the special invitation of its presi
dent, Former Gov. Herbert S. Hadley
Of Missouri. Gen. Dawes has not yet
announced the title of the paper he
will present on that occasion. But 1t
is pra ctically certain that 1t will deal
almost exclusively with his expert
ences in the Senate in the light OF
this months events.
If the members of the greatest
deliberative body on earth" could see
some OF the communications which
have poured into Washington since
the. adjournment, regarding the fill
buster farce, they would realize that
the Senate probably was never in
lower repute with the country than 1t
10 today. The holding up of vast and
vital public business on the eve of the
late Congress expiration was only the
last straw. Criticism and resentment
have been piling up throughout the
Coolidge Administration. They are by
no means confined to the Presidents
supporters. The fact that a dis
tinguished Democratic Senator is
about to lead the movement for better
A%at - a hn
the demand for 1t is non-partisan and
bipartisan.
PrOgressives to Give Aid.
Republican Progressives will be
found In the forefront of the cam.
paign for change in the Senate rules,
though not all OF the leaders of that
element "go along" with Vice Presi
dert Dawes the full length of his pro-
posals. Gen. Dawes himself Is strong
ly inclined to think that a practical
remedy for flibustering Is to be found
In the ratification of the Norris amend
known as the anti-lame duck proposi.
ton. It provides for the abolition Of
abort sessions Of Congress.
Under that amendment, Congress
would meet each year the first week
In January and continue until 1t
could complete Its business. The Presi-
dent would also be inaugurated in
January, and there would be no more
lame duck Congresses. The Norris
amendment has passed the Senate
three times by overwhelming maJori-
ties, but leaders of the House hitherto
have refused to permit it to come to
q vote in that body. The House has
gag" rules and can pass bills without
fun discussion.
Dill Ready to Join.
Another Democrat, who Is ready to
join In the fight for some system Of
facilitating legislative business, is
Senator G. c. Dill of Washington. Mr..
Dill sees no virtue in adopting and
using more stringent cloture rules.
'The use Of cloture by the Senate
On one bill. shortly before adjourn
ment." said Senator Dill to this
writer, absolutely tied up every kind
Of business. Nothing at all could be
done. No Senator could make q mo.
ton, report q bill or perform any of
the minor matters Of business de.
manding action in the closing hours,
because unanimous consent was re.
fused. Such q condition was even
worse than the f1libuster the cloture
was designed to prevent. The needs
OF Ine country ana the work or Con-
gress are too great to be passed
upon tntelligently in a period of 30
days. as 10 necessary under the pres.
ent constitutional provision, COMPEL.
ing adjournment on March every
other year.
On the eve Of his departure for a
vacation in the West Indies and Pana.
ma this week, unsuccessful efforts
were made from many sides to And
out where Vice President Dawes
places the greater blame for the ef.
fects Of the Reed-Reed filibuster. He
could not be drawn on that point.
But his friends understand Gen
Dawes opinion to be that the coun.
try, instead of wasting time appor.
tioning the responsibility, will say
"A plague on both your houses" and
will now demand guarantees against
future filibustering.