Evening star., 1961-01-02
Just Before the Battle

Just Before the Battle
As the 87th Congress prepares for
tomorrow's opening session, the liberal
contingent, exhaling smoke and fire, is
girding for battle.
The main attack, or so the heralds
say, will be launched against Senate
Rule XXI, applicable to f1libusters, and
that conservative bastion known as the
House Rules Committee, commanded by
Virginia's Howard w. Smith.
How much of this is for real and
how much for the record is hard to say.
There is no doubt that some of the lib
eral contingent are grimly in earnest.
But one does not need the nose of bird
dog to detect faint odor of politics in
a remark attributed to Senator Hubert
Humphrey. Referring to the impending
Senate fight over the f1libuster rule, he
said that "if we don't make the move,
the Republicans will" This, unfor-
tunately, is true. And no liberal Demo-
crat, in possession of his faculties and
also sensitive to preSsure-group reac-
ton, is going to sit back and let the
Republicans walk off with the claim
even the phony claim-that they tried
to "do something" about the dreadful
f1libuster and failed for lack of Demo-
cratic initiative.
To the extent that the liberal as
Sault will be in earnest, however, the
indications are that it will fail, and we
hope it does. One reason is that Mr..
Kennedy has held himself aloof. He has
said that he hopes for procedures which
will permit majorities to work their will,
but he has stayed far away from any
thing which smacks of putting his pres
tige and political power behind the
revisionist drives.
His main reason, we suppose, is that
he wants to avoid party -shatteriQg
fight at the outset of the new Congress.
He is more interested in pushing
through the essentials of his legiSla-
tive program than in carrying liberal
torches, and this is as it should be-. The
thing that will count in this new Con-
gress, from Mr.. Kennedy's point of view,
will be the record Of legislative achieve
ment. This is more important to him
than the number Of conservative heads
that are left battered and bloody.
There is also another important
consideration. In the House, If ma
jority really wants bill passed 1t can
be passed. This was demonstrated in
the last session when the 219 signatures
needed to pry Federal pay raise bill
out of the Rules Committee were OBJ
tained in two days. When the signatures
be obtained, the truth often is that
majority Of members really do not ia
vor the particular bill. For political
reasons, they would have to vote for it
If 1t got to the floor, but they are content
to see it buried in the Rules Committee.
The situation, of course, is different
in the Senate. Without a change in
Rule XXI, debate cannot be cut of by
simple majority vote. Even so, the
majority generally can work its will, for
a f1libuSter ordinarily can be broken un-
less it is supported by large and deter
mined minority. And when this kind of
minority is present, when it speaks for
an issue which it believes to be vital to
a substantial section of the country, we
think the principle Of simple majority
rule is open to grave doubt and filled
with potentialitieS for error and serious
abuse.
OF course, obstruction for the sake
of obstruction is another matter. Should
this materialize the necessary correc-
tive action will have to be taken. But
this, we think, is bridge which should
be crossed when reached. AS far as the
primary elements Of the Kennedy pro-
gram are concerned, no such bridge Is
in sight now.