The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1935-04-04
SEEN and HEARD
around the
National Capital
BY CARTER FIELD

editorial comments and business mems
explosions TO the broad general effect
that the senate should stop talking and
act-thai II Is outrageous thai the SEN
ate should work under such archaic
rules, permitting almost unlimited I'LL
ibusterlng-and that congress should
attend to It's knitting. pack Its various
bags, and go home.
There is nothing new about this COM
plant 1t Is almost az old as the SEN
ate Itself The criticisms, every year.
are generally preceded by equally vio-
lent blasts about the house OF repre-
sentatives rushing through legislation
without proper consideration. These
come early In each session of congress
Criticisms of the senate for talking too
much come later.
Certainly il Is very Irritating to
man In any particular line of business
to be uncertain as to the future OF the
rules of the game under which he must
operate-whether It be code under
MIRA as at present, or tariff schedule
on his product. as often happens, or
tax, as happens once every few years
| He Is apt to grow very impatient in
| deed when he reads In his newspaper
every day that this important-to him
subject is being held up in the senate
| because Il group OF senator's insist on
| talklng-efther about that very ques.
| ton or perhaps something entirely IT.
| relevant
II the aforesaid business man has
| watched the wheels 60 round for any
length OF time. moreover. he knows per.
fectly well that speeches change very
few votes. That the senate Is never
stampedpd by a silver-tongned orator.
] So he may reach the conclusion that
| the whole performance Is q silly waste
of time.
Now most Of this criticism Is ac-
/ cnrate. What Is overlooked In the
/ criticism, however, Is that debate on
| any measure serves to center the at
stenton Of the country on that meas
IRE. That 1t forces Into the conscious
! ness of the senators who will vote on
1t the views--not OF their colleagues
but OF their constituents back home
who will be affected by that legislation
Filibusters Fail
The late Hoke Smith, Of Georgia, In
opposing a cloture rule In the senate
was fond OF observing that a tiiibuster
had never In history beaten really
good measure. Regardless OF the mer
It's of this. 1t is certainly true, In the
opinion Of nearly every man who has
watched the senate over long period
Of years. that few ilihusters. II any
have ever succeeded that ran counter
to popular sentiment as demonstrates
later.
For example. 1t Is generally accepted
that ut the time Woodrow Wilson sen
the Versailles treaty to the senate fol
ratification. the country as whole was
behind the treaty and behind thu
League OF Nations. Had II been pos
sble to force an immediate vnte thu
United States would have approved thu
treaty, and would have been In tn
League of Nations and the World cour
Immediately.
AS matter OF fact, when that fgh
started, there were only two senator's
Borah and Reed of MIssouri--who real
| H.. II tha nfn
the vote was taken there were nearl.
twenty killers, and only a few who dit
not want reservations OF one kind o
another Without that long dragged
out fight, the later Judgment OF tn
people Of this country would not hav
been served.
This may seem far-fetched at tn
present moment. But due to the lon
dragging out of the work relief bill
which has so distressed some eommen
tators, much has been done behind tn
scenes on other legislation. The nfll
ity holding company bill. for example
the old age pensions and unrnnlny
menf insurance measures; and Mr..
continuance, which still requires, ne
voting, but time for capitalization 0
opinions AS to the best thing to do.
Had the senate been operating ar
der rules similar TO those In the house
1t Is quite possible TINT the whole PR
gram would have been passed by nov
IN Its various original forms Eve
| New Dealers now admit this would b
little short Of q tragedy.
x1x - i.