Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-06-13
House VS.. Senate.

Inc contest over the export ueDSnCuTe
plan of farm relief has been widely
commented upon as a contest between
the Senate and President Hoover. 1t
has another side. The House Of Repre-
sentatives has been strong in its oppo-
sition to debenture. This opposition has
not been confined to the Republicans
of the House, but has included Demo-
Gratis.
For years there has been an intense
rivalry, cropping out strongly at times,
between the two houses Of Congress.
Both jealousy guard their privileges.
In the present fight over the farm bill
many of the House members contend
that the Senate has invaded a field
which is not sufficiently set aside par
ticularly for the House. They main
tain that the debenture clause, as
originated by the Senate, is no more
nor less than revenue legislation. House
members, generally speaking, are ready
to fight at the drop of the hat when
ever the Senate encroaches upon this
constitutional prerogative. The House
leadership has expressed its disapproval
Of the Senate action on the debenture
plan, but has agreed to leave the con-
stitutional question unsettled In the in
terests Of prompt farm relief legislation.
The very constitution of the two
houses lends itself to conflict. The
House of Representatives Is elected
once every two years. 1t feels itself
more directly representative of the will
Of the people. This was true even to
q greater extent in the days before the
adoption of the constitutional amend
ment providing for the direct election
Of Senators. But today the feeling stu
exists. Senators are elected for terms
of six years and only one-third of the
Senate membership is chosen in the
same year.
The House, under its rules and or
ganization, acts expeditiously on legis-
Iative matters. The Senate, with its
rule of unlimited debate, likes to con-
slider itself the greatest deliberative
body in the world, which neither adds
to its capacity for promptness nor to
its efficiency of operation. Former Vice
President Dawes has charged that the
Senate rule Of unlimited debate makes
legislation in the Senate merely mat
ter Of barter. The individual Senator,
or group Of Senator'S, trades his vote for
what he can get, according to the for
mer Vice President.
The House apparently is about to win
its present battle with the Senate over
the debenture plan. Organized as 1t is,
the House may become the dominant
body in the National Legislature, despite
the efforts Of the Senate In recent
years the Senators held the limelight
rather to the disadvantage OF the
House, due in part to its handling of
foreign relations and to its important
Investigations Of public affairs. So far
during the Hoover administration the
House has aligned itself strongly with
the President. Should 1t continue to do
so and should the Senate persist in its
opposition to the Chief Executive, the
House is in a fair way to be looked
upon as the legislative pacemaker. The
conflict between the two houses over
Mr.. Hoover and its policies dates back
more than year. In the pre-conven-
ton campaign large proportion Of the
Republican membership of the House
demanded the nomination of Herbert
Hoover for President. It was a coalition
of Republican Senators, on the other
hand, in which the opposition to Mr..
Hoover's nomination was most strongly
conferred.