Evening star., 1949-03-01
The Political Mill
Vote on CIoture Rule
ToPutG. O. P. on SPOT
Barkley Is Expected to Reverse
Vandenberg Ruling of 1948
Bv Gould Lincoln

The $64 question: politically embarrass-
ing question-which confronts Republican
Senators is how they shall vote if and when
Vice President Barkley rules that motion
to take up measure is subject to the pres
ent cloture rule of the Senate
Such a ruling by the Vice President. if
sustained by the Senate would have a vital
effect on the present drive of the Truman
administration to force through at this ses-
sion the Presidents civil rights program. It
is against this program that the Southern
Democrats are now f1libustering in the Sem
ate. And the Republicans are in favor Of
the civil rights program and have so pro-
claimed. But that is not the whole picture.
Not all filibusters in the Senate have been
conducted by Southern Democrats. On oc-
casions in the past, Senate Republicans have
filbustered many days and nights to defeat
measures proposed by Democratic PreSi-
dent which they believed harmful. If they
go down the line now for a Barkley ruling
that cloture may be applied TO a motion to
take up measure, they may be cutting off a
powerful weapon which they, themselves,
might wish to use in the future.
Vandenberg Ruling.
Further, a ruling last year by a Republic
can president pro tempore of the Senate.
Senator Vandenberg of Michigan held that
d
up a measure To sustain a Barkley reverse
ruling now would be to abandon the view
of Senator Vandenberg.
If, however the Republicans vote down a
ruling by Vice President Barkley which is
made in order to help break the Southern
hlbuSter against the civil rights program,
they stand the chance of being denounced
as hypocrites and no true friends of the
civil rights program. It's tough spot. The
Negro vote might be still longer lost to them.
The present cloture rule of the Senate
says specifically that it may be invoked to
limit debate on pending measure" Sem
ator Vandenberg's ruling was in effect that
a motion to take up a measure does not
mean in the language of the existing rule
pending measure" Vice President Barkley,
then Senator and minority leader last
August when the Vandenberg ruling was
made. made a speech in the Senate taking
a position diametrcaly opposed to that Of
the Michigan Senator. For that reason it
has been expected he would now rule that
motion to take up a matter is subject to
cloture.
The pending motion before the Senate is
to take up an amendment to the rules which
would do precisely what a Barkley ruling
would do-n1ake it in order to invoke cloture
on a motion to take up. Those Republican
Senators who have been clamoring for such
a change in the rules-and there are num-
ber of them-will find it embarrassing to
vote to turn down the Barkley ruling, since
a Barkley ruling would expedite the adoption
of the amendment to the rules these Re-
publicans have been calling for.
To Oppose Barkley Ruling.
AS matters stand today, it is believed that
both Senator Vanderberg andSenator Taft
of Ohio-both powers in the Senate Re-
publican organization-will oppose the Bark
ley ruling. Other Republicans have indi-
Gated they will follow such leadership on
this issue. They just do not believe that
the expected Barkley ruling is correct. With
at least 20 Democratic Senators from the
South opposed to a Barkley ruling of that
kind. and perhaps half dozen more Demo-
Gratis feeling the same way. it would take %
to 25 Republican Senators (out of total Az
to join with them and defeat the administra-
ton in this particular fight. A majority Of
the Senate is 40.
Parliamentary procedure to bring this
issue before the Senate may be as follows:
A cloture petition to limit debate on the
motion to take up the amendment to the
rules will be filed; point of order will be
made. probably by Senator Russell Of
Georgia, leading the Southern Democratic
f1libuster and an appeal from the decision
of the Vice President. Unless motion to
lay the appeal on the table is made by the
administration forces. the flibuster could
run on indefinitely on the appeal. So a
motion to table the appeal is expected. Such
a motion is not debatable.
This might provide an out for some of the
Republicans. Motions to lay on the table
are unpopular in the Senate. They are
almost never made. And on this motion
to table, the administration may stand a
real chance of defeat.
The administration leaders have indicated
they would wait reasonable time before
seeking cloture on the motion to take up be-
fore bringing in cloture petition. Since
time is of the essence if the administrations
legislative program is to go forward. however.
they are not expected to wait more than q
few days, possibly a week.
In the meantime the Republicans are
sweating it out.