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

us VlStaS VI "S"' Aenes"
richer and fairer earth to be. For
bid that we should be SO blind today
that tomorrow all We now labor fol
prove like stubble to a devourine
fialne-the foundations we now
choose be revealed as but sinking
sand. Scoring the cheap cant Of
secular panaceas. give us to see that
we cannot house our spirits ever
In ornate barns-that really to live
we must build more stately man.
sions for our souls. We ask Il
through riches Of grace in Christ
Jesus our Lord. Amen"
The members of the United State
Senate listened with solemn coun
tenances. Not until they had retires
TO the cloakroom did they smoker.
The prayer had been delivered
the day before by the Senate chap.
lain and was now being repeated
by Senator Overton of Louisiana, OBJ
Wously with his tongue in his cheek
for the simple purpose of killini
time, part of an organized filibus
ter to prevent a vote being taker
on the fair employment practice
bill. The Senators didn't smoker a.
the prayer. They snickered at tn,
use being made of 1t.
Defiance Of Majority.
But the Senators might bettel
have fixed their minds on the chap
lain's words instead Of the slicl
trickery Of the Senator.
Everywhere in violent world.
he said, 1--WE hear voices that chal.
lenge all that men have counted
fixed, final and sure. In this day
of crashing systems, save us from
being prophets Of gloom and doom.
In America, at least, we have
counted fixed, final and sure oul
democratic system Of government
Yet the Senators who sat smoker.
ing may prove themselves prophets
of its doom-the doom Of the demo.
cratic system. For the democratic
system is doomed II it won't work
: The democratic system operate.
by majority rule. A majority Of the
people elects the Congress and 9
majority of the Congress makes thu
laws.
The parliamentary trick called
filibuster Is an open and frank def
ance Of majority rule, made possible
by the Senate's own private rule o.
unlimited debate" This rule l.
not a constitutional provision; tn.
House has nothing like it. And the
Senate itself has another rule which
permits the limiting of debate
whenever two-thirds of the men,
bers decide it should be done.
These remarks therefore are d.
rected at the many members who
are permitting the flibuster, not at
the few who are engaged in 1t.
Those who are permitting it, 1t
might be said in passing, are in
more immediate danger than the
filibusterers themselves. since the
latter are mostly from poll-taS
States and are pretty secure In their
seats.
Nation Grows Impatient.
But the country as a whole ha.
become increasingly impatient witt
Congress, weary Of its inability X
perform the public business. Heads
are going to fall in the coming cleo
ton, heads of Congressman just be-
cause they are congressman; Demo.
cratic heads and Republican heads
Voters will not be too discriminating
They simply want action and the.
know they are not getting 1t.
The Senators who are not filibus
tering and who are opposed to such
interference with the Nations bust
ness, have enough votes to adop
the eloture (debate-limiting) rule
That Is one of the things required
to demonstrate that the people
branch of the Government can func
ton II 1t really wants to. Beginning
right now, fllibusters should become
a thing of the past. II this doesn'
happen-well, the Louisiana Sena
tor may have been fooling, but tn,
chaplain, who has seen many Sena
tors come and go, wasn't when h
said that this Is "a day of crashing
systems" 1t would be a tragedy TO
ourselves and the world if congress