The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-02-12

participation. Third, the President is driven to making executive agree ments" with foreign countries. not requiring Congressional approval when 1t was the intent of the found- ing fathers that the Senate should participate in making foreign policy and treaties.
 Letting the full Congress ratify or reject all international deals by simple majority vote is proposed as 8 remedy for these evils. Yet stu dents of Congress point out that the House of Representatives is the most unpredictable thing in government, subject to strange moods and tenn peramental acts which at times defy reason. Recent action of the House in bringing to life the committee formerly headed by Martin Dies, after everyone thought 1t was safely dead and buried, is cited as an ex- ample of this whimSy. And If foreign relations are to be subjected to such Irresponsible actions as this, say the experts in international affairs, the country would be letting itself in on many strange upsets should the Congress be reformed in this man. ner.
 SUFFRAGE FOR D C.
 CITIZENS
 Another desirable reform of Con- gress Is the proposal that the gov- erning of the District of Columbia be taken away from Congress and given back to the people who are resident in the capital, along with the right to vote. Granting suffrage to the D. c. inhabitants Is a long and involved issue in itself But the necessity for Congress to turn itself into city council every so ofter and worry about local schools. sewers, garbage collection and such matters is unquestlonably handt- cap to Congress, besides which 1t doesn't exactly make Washington the best governed city in the world.
 Changing the rules of Congress to remove a few traditional though questionable procedures presents a problem of extreme difficulty, and the investigating committee will be restricted in this effort. However, there are just gorunds for criticism of the Senate's rule which permits unlimited debate on any subject and makes 1t possible for one Senator to hold the floor until he has talked to death a bill to which he alone may be opposed. A strengthened cloturc rule of some kind, limiting debate on any one issue, would correct that procedure. Yet it is pointed out that no essential piece of legislation has ever been defeated by filibuster. And the right of f1libuster Is held up as safeguard for the minoritys rights in democracy.
 UNDESIRABLE RIDERS"
 Another procedural trick in which the Snate sometimes mdulges though House rules limit the prac- tice, is the passing of of riders to pending legislation. The rider may incorporate the pet project of some one Senator or one Congressional bloc. The rider may have no bear- ing on the legislation to which 1t Is attached. Yet because the main pill is desirable, the less-desirable rider sometimes gets adopted along with 1t, the President preferring to save the bad with the good than to let the good die with the bad.
 Creating some system of party responsibility which would make in- dividual members of political party live up to the principles of party platform has been advanced by some students of government But again, that may lead to a poll tical dictatorship of the most vicious sort, and 1t involves limit to free dom of individual thought and &C., tion.
 Opponents of any kind of Con- gressional reform have their points. The present system has worked for 160 years, giving the American people what they believe is the best government in the world, for all its faults. No change is now proposed in the form of American govern ment, but limited strengthening of Congress through modification of some of its procedures to meet changing times and conditions may be needed. Radical reform is not