Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-11-10
FIIBUSTER FEARS
fST|R PARTY CHIEFS
love to Force Extra Session
Il IN Spring Possible by
r. Coalition Group.


The adm of this article is to clarity
what must seem to the public con-
9using situation.
There are at this time two Con-
presses in existence. One Is the Seven
ty-f1rst. That Is the old Congress, the
same that met last year. The other is
the Seventy-second. That is the new
Congress, the one elected last Tuesday.
The overlapping of these two is one
of the confusing awkwardnesses Of our
Government
exist until March 4, next. 1t will hold
one more session, beginning on the LIST
of December and lasting until March 4.
This session will have the same ratio
of Democrats and Republicans as the
session of last Winter. This final three
month session of the old Congress has
one chief business. That is to pass the
regular annual appropriation bills in
dispensable TO keep the Government
going.
Filibuster Held Possible.
There is an apprehension widely dis
cllssed that there may be b flhbuster
against these appropriation bills. Such
q filibuster would be carried on, If at
all, by the coalition of Democrats and
fnsurgent Republicans in the Senate.
This coalition has a majority In the
Senate and has had all along. The
purpose of such filibuster would be TO
compel President Hoover to call a spe-
cial session of the new Congress. The
new Congress, elected last Tuesday,
would not normally meet until Decem-
Der /, next year. 1881. Nevertheless, 1t
has potential existence from March 4,
next, when the old Congress dies.
II the old Congress should not pass
the indispensable appropriation bills,
President Hoover would be obliged
to call a special session of the new
Congress soon after March A. 1t is
known that some coalition leaders want
to force this new session. They want
passing the old and thrice rejected de-
benture plan of farm relief. They want
1t, according to ordinary political
motives, for the further and general
purpose of making as much difficulty as
possible for President Hoover.
Insurgent Policy Foreseen.
II Is the insurgent Republicans rather
more than the Democrats who enter
tain this purpose. Some Democratic
leaders think this purpose is unwise
and do not wish to force a special ses-
sion. If the Democratic leaders want
to pass the appropriations and If they
can control their rank and file. they
can avoid a special session of the new
Congress. The more responsible Demo-
cratic leaders do not countenance
failure to pass the appropriations.
All this composes the first phase of
the chaos that has recently descended
upon national politics. 1t may not
turn out to be chaotic at all. After
the old Congress ceases to exist on
March there will then be a new
phase This phase has to do with the
new Congress. The new Congress may
be called into special session as sug-
gested above. If not. the new Congress
win meet regularly on December next
year. 1881. Whatever time 1t meets,
excitement will attend it.
Political Stains Uncertain.
No human being, can say whether
this new Congress VIII be Democratic
or Republican. Nobody can say which
the Senate will be and no one can say
which the House, will be. Whichever
party 1t Is that controls will do so by q
margin of only ttosor three seats in the
Senate and three or four seats In the
House. The outcome viii depend on
deaths, designations and contested
elections yet to appear. The writer OF
this dispatch thinks the Senate viii be
Democratic by one or two and the
House Republican by about the sene
number. The reason is that for intri-
cate reasons vacancies to be filled in
the future win tend to favor the Demo
Gratis in the Senate and the Republicans
IN the House.
If Congress is divided, with the SEN
ate Democratic and the House Repub-
hcan, that will be awkward. It win be
made still more awkward, obviously. by
the fact that the President will be Re-
publican. The situation will be awk-
ward, but not unprecedented. It existed
as recently as the last two. years OF
Wilson's administration.
Leaders without Absolute Power.
1t Is because of the anticipated awk-
wardneSs that the seven Democratic
leaders issued their public promise to
CO. operate with President Hoover
Whether they can fulfill that public
promise remains to be seen Fulfillment
is not in the hands Of the leaders, only
two Of whom are in Congress. Fulfill
ment OF the promise Is in the hands OF
the rank and file Of Democratic men,
bers Of Congress *tA
The ordinary political motive of men
so placed would be to do the opposite
Of cooperating with President Hoover
BY the time this situation arises. De-
cefnber /, 1891, we will be on the eve
OF a presidential election In Congress
practically everything will be done with
an eye on the election. The ordinary
political motive of Democrats as the
party on the outside and wanting to get
into the White House would be to make
the administration Of the Republican
President seem as little successful as
possible. It may be that the Democratic
leaders who signed the statement of last
Saturday can lift their party above the
ordinary motive Of political obstructive
neRg