The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1937-02-25
SEEN
HEARD
around the
NATIONAL
CAPITAL
RA Torfo Fold ~
By Carter Field .

I-lESlQeifl lNOoSSNIll > pioPoa1A So
eminent reorganization and Su-
preme court changes, several SEN
ators have shrewdiy recalled the
origin Of the "filibuster.
Every one knows that when one or
more senators begin talking against
time, normally against the passage
of some measure to which they OBJ
ject. it is called a filibuster. But
very few realize, these senator's are
pointing out, the origin of the use OF
the word in this connection.
Originally the word meant pre-
cisely what it means in connection
with a revolution-gun-running I'm
der cover of night. or darkness, or
by creating a commotion IN one
place and then rushing the guns,
ammunition and supplies ashore
somewhere else, things were gotten
through to the insurgents needing
them.
That's filibustering in the original,
Richard Harding Davis sense.
And precisely that sort of thing
was called flibustering when the
word was first applied to the prac-
tice of lengthy speaking against
time when it grew up in the senate.
For the object of the original SEN
ate flibusterers was to get some
thing through not to kill it. A SEN
ator would learn that the leaders
had decided not to permit passage
OF his bill appropriating $500, 600 for
a new federal building in his home
town of Squeedunk. So he would
take the floor, towards the close OF
the session, pile up his desk with
ponderous tones, and get word sec
reilly to the leaders that he in
| tended to talk and talk and talk,
thus stopping all sorts of bills that
they wanted passed.
They Gave In
Generally they capitulated. In sew
eral instances. back in the days
when the control of the house and
senate was more frequently vested
in a few leaders in each house than
at the other end of Pennsylvania
avenue. word was sent by the sen
ate leaders to the house leaders thai
the program had been changed
that senator BIS bill must pass the
house. They knew if they could no
I get this cooperation from the house
that bills in which both senate anc
house leaders were vitality interested
would be talked to death by Sen
ator A.
| When the practice expanded to IN
| clude talking primarily to kill !
measure, instead of primarily IL
smuggle another bill through, tht
word was not changed. though VIC
lence had been done to its origina
| meaning.
In the present session OF congress.
there are a lot of measures tina
President Roosevelt wants passed
There are also a lot of others h,
does not want passed, but agains
which he does not care to conn
out openly.
He has provided, in the proposes
Supreme court changes and govern
ment reorganization, plenty of diver
sion. The spotlight will be centere'
son these two debates. No matte
what question is officially befor
the senate, any speech on eithe
one of these, especially the Suprem
court, will get the newspaper head
lines.
Which provides, the senators re
calling the history of the word i'll
buster" point out, an admirable SIT
uation from the White House view
point. For bills can be rushe
through and others can be rushe
into pigeonholes without attractin
\ nearly the attention that would ott
NerWise be the case.