Evening star., 1954-07-27
The Political Mill
Filibusters Attract
Strange BedfeIlows
Lehman and Humphrey
Join With Southerners
By Gould Lincoln

Join With Southerners
By Gould Lincoln
For the first time in considerable
period q determined majority has
challenged filibustering minority in
the Senate and put it to the physical
test. Day and night continuous ses-
sions have their brutal side, but under
the existing Senate rules there ap-
pears no alternative to get vote.
Debate on the administrators atomic
energy bill began nearly two weeks
ago. After q week of debate 1t be-
came apparent that group Of New
Deal Democrats, plus Senator Morse
of Oregon, Independent. intended TO
force, by lengthy debate Of long
series Of proposed amendments. Ma
jority Leader Knowland to ID agree
to It's amendments or (2D to lay the
bill aside In order to get action on
other important items Of the Eisen-
hover program before adjournment OF
Congress. Adjournment, much desired
by many members of both House and
Senate who must stand for re-elec-
ton next November. had been set for
July 81.
KnowIand Fights.
Senator Knowland, after looking the
situation over, decided he would do
neither one nor the other. He would
fight. And fight 1t has been. Start
ing last Wednesday at 10 am, he
kept the Senate in continuous session
for IS hours-until nearly midnight
Saturday Then he agreed to recess
over Sunday, with the Senate to meet
again at 10 am. Monday. Before the
recess was taken, however, he had
filed cloture petition to end debate.
Under the existing cloture rule, 1t
takes the vote Of "a Senators to make
cloture effective. The California Sen
ator knew there was no chance Of
adopting cloture-that he would have
against him practically all Of the con-
servatiye Democrats who were sup
porting the bill, as well as the New
Deal Democrats. Cloture lost, A to AZ.
And voting against cloture were the
New Dealers who in the past have pro-
tested vehemently against filibustering
methods and sought to make cloture
more easy of adoption. All OF which
seems to prove that cloture depends
upon whose bull is being gored. Sena-
tor Lehman of New York, Democrat, q
leader in the fight for an amendment OF
the cloture rule, was one Of those who
voted against the imposition Of cloture,
and so. too, did Senators Humphrey OF
Minnesota. Hennings Of Missouri. and
Nicely Of West Virginia, all Of whom
have urged an easing Of the cloture
rule in the past.
AS an excuse for voting against
cloture, Senator Lehman told the SEN
ate: IT do not intend to lend myself
to the invocation Of rule which has
proved incapable of defending the
rights Of the people, for the purpose
now of depriving the people OF their
inherent rights" He had reference to
the fact that filibuster has been used
many times to prevent action on So
called civil rights legislation-Federal
anti-lynching and anti-discrimination
bills such as a federal FEPC-when, II
brought to q vote, would have received
a majority vote Of the Senate.
Lehman "Dodging."
When 1t comes to the basic issue,
however. which is the right OF major
ity to vote, the New York Senator was
merely lodging. There is no slightest
doubt that Southern Democrats VINO
have been under censure OF Senator
Lehman many times for fllibusterlng
tactics, enjoyed seeing Senators Len
man and Humphrey toe the mark IN
support of a filibuster. For that Is what
they did, despite their claims that all
they desire is reasonable free ana fuli
debate of the amendments to the atomic
energy bill they are supporting. Wnen
individual Senators occupy the moor
four, five and eight hours at a time 1t Is
for the purpose of killing time, and no
one knows it better than the Senators.
When groups of Senators arrange
among themselves how much time each
shall hold the Senator floor--so as TO
prevent an early vote-there is more
in it than reasonable" debate. They
know 1t. Further, they should UNDER
stand that the people know 1t, too.
It was apparent from the start that
the anti-atomic energy bill forces were
in the minority. They are the group,
for the most part, which favors Gov
ernment operation. They don't want
Gen. Eisenhower, for example. to order
the Atomic Energy Commission to make
contracts with private industry to fur
nish hydro-electric power for the
atomic energy plants-nor do they want
private industry to be permitted to get
into the business of producing atomic
energy for industrial purposes. The ac-
ton Of the House, which passed the
atomic energy bill 230 to 154, was a
demonstration that the Government
ownership and operation forces are in
the minority in Congress.
Questions and Answers
A reader can get the snsxer TO any question