Evening star., 1937-07-11
Iris1, Member of Parliament
Responsible for the Filibuster

With the Senate emmbarked on a
debate which may lead to one OF the
most significant filibusters in Amer
ican history, the origin and the tech
nique involved in this term become
of more than ordinary interest. Briefly,
filibustering today means that a mi
nority in a legislative body takes
advantage of parliamentary rules
or the lack OF them-to prevent ac-
ton by the majority. In this man.
ner, laws may be permanently shelved
or delayed so long in passage that
concessions are wrung from the DOM
inant faction.
The word in itself is applied in
reproach. Filibuster Originally Dutch
meaning freebooter) was synonymous
with buccaneer, when these pirates
roamed the Caribbean. 1t was re-
vived in the 1850s TO describe expe-
ditions setting out from supposedly
friendly countries to assist or pro-
mote revolutions in other states. Will
liam Walker, for example, the Cali
government Of Nicaragua in 1855
with the assistance of party oil
fellow countrymen and who was shot
In 1860 as result, was celebrated
filibusterer The word was also used
in the same sense Of those Americans
and Cubans who used this country
as a base Of supplies and recruits
during the rebellions that eventually
eliminated in the Spanish American
War.
Present Use More Recent.
AS description OF legislative OBJ
structionists, the word is more re-
cent. but 1t was already in common
usage in 1888 At all events, it was
just about that time that the tech
nique Of delay was first really intro
duced into national legislatures,
though sporadic instances of 1t had
been encountered long before. And
it was not in the United States that
f1libustering first became a national
issue but in the English House OF
Commons.
1t was started there by an Irishman
Joseph Biggar. Charles Stewart Par
nell, the great Irish Nationalist leader,
took over the practice and developed
it to highly annoying point in his
effort to win hearing for Ireland
His method was not that of talking
measures to death, but of presenting
"dllatory motionS"-trivial amend
ments, motions to adjourn or to re-
cess. Finally. in 1881, the speaker OF
the House refused to entertain any
more motions which were obviously in
tended to delay legislation. and in
1887 q closure rule was adopted by
Parliament to prevent excessively
lengthy debate.
Csar Reed Ended En-.
During the same period, the United
States House Of Representatives was
employing much OF the same tech
nique. One-fifth of the members
present could demand a roll call on
any motion: a motion to adjourn
would be submitted, two other men,
bers who wished delay would move
amendments, and each motion would
be put to a roll call vote. If they
failed, a motion to recess would be
introduced, and the same procedure
would follow. In one case, the House
remained in session eight days and
nights, with over 800 roll calls on mo-
tons to recess or adjourn. The clerks
who called the roll were 50 exhausted
that Congressman had to take Their
places.
In 1890, Speaker Thomas B. Reed
Gear" Reed-followed the precedent
Of his English colleagues and refused
to entertain dilatory motions. Thi'
practice was embodied in the House
rules. Reed also, in the same session
ended another form of delay-that o1
breaking the quorum"
Minority members would take theil
places in the House as usual, but
when the roll was called, they woulc
not answer. If a quorum were MOI
shown by the votes, the roll call wa.
invalid. Z, Reed astonished the House
one day, when a quorum had beer
broken in this manner, by pointing
out some Is members who were pres.
ent but not voting and ordering the
clerk to list them for the purposes
of a quorum. One member objected
and appealed to parliamentary law.
The CHAIR" said Reed, lis makint