Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1946-01-22
BY JOSEPH H. BAIRD.

The current Senate filibuster
against the Fair Employment Prac-
tees bill today recalled to veteran
observers here some of the famous
long distance talking records by
which minorities in the Upper Cham
Der have defeated, or long delayed,
the passage of legislation favored
by majority.
Filibusters have their origin in
the long cherished rule under which
Senator may speak from now until
doomsday if he has enough physical
stamina. What he says need have
no relation to the subject before the
chamber. He may address the Pres
ident of the Senate on the subject
of bill to exclude the Japanese
beetle and conclude 10 hours later
| by discussing the nebular hypothesis
| of creation.
When he tires he yields the floor
to another opponent of the pending
bill.
Nothing can stop a Senator-that
is nothing but the seldom invoked
cloture rule, first adopted in 1917
to expedite war business. Sixteen
Senators must sign a petition to in
woke cloture. The resolution lies on
the table two days and is voted on
by the Senate at pm. on the third
1t must then be approved by two
thirds of the Chamber. Under the
cloture rule, each Senator may speak
for only one hour on the pending
legislation. Resolutions to invoke
cloture have been presented 81 times
since 1917, and only four have been
passed.
Message Used by Bloc.
The reading of President Trumans
message on the state OF the Union
yesterday was used by the Southern
bloc opposing the FEPC bill as e.
part of their f1libuster. In reading
the 30,000-word document-one of
the longest in history-the Senate
clerk was skipping detailed statisti-
cal tables. Senator Johnston, Demo-
crat, of South Carolina objected
He wanted to hear it all, he said.
One of the favorite. techniques of
filibustering Senators is to enter into
a long debate on the previous days
journal. That has been used this
time. The first business of the Sen
ate each day is approval of the
journal and motion to this effect
is introduced automatically by the
majority leader. Normally, approval
is pro forma business.
But a Senator filibuster- bent
can insist on amendment of the
journal, paragraph by paragraph or
even word by word.
/ So long as debate on the pending
bill is proceeding, no vote can be
taken. Thus, theoretically, a deter
mined band of Senators may hold
up legislation indefinitely.
The filibuster technique was even
more effective before passage of the
Norris amendment. Then the short
sessions" held in alternate years
ended automatically on March 4.
Senators could, and sometimes did,
block legislation they opposed@ by
speaking until noon on that date.
Now sessions are unlimited by statute
and the fllibusterers either wear out
or reach a compromise with the
majority.
Longest continuous filibuster in
Senate history was one against the
Oregon Act in 1916. It lasted two
months. Another, conducted by Sen
ators Ashurst and Hayden of Ari-
IONA against the Boulder Dam bill,
lasted for Is months-from April Is,
1928, to May 20, 1929. But it was
not continuous. The two allowed
other legislation to be discussed and
acted upon, but renewed their fill
buster whenever the Boulder Dam
bill was called up.
The individual record for the long
est filibustering speech in history is
held by the late Senator La Toilette,
Progressive, of Observation-Disclosures of
the present Senator of the same
name-who spoke for 10 hours and
% minutes against the Aldrich-
Vreeland currency bill in May, 1908
1t was during this speech that he
read page after page of the Wash
ington telephone directory.
However, Senator La Toilette did
yield the floor from time to time for
questions.
Longest Speech by Smoot.
Former Senator Smoot, Repub-
I