Salt Lake Herald-Republican | 1915-07-04 | Page 7 | Cloture Threatened

CLOTURE THREATENED ABJECTIONS to the traditional freedom freedom free free- O OBJECTIONS J dom of ot debate In the United States Senate have o been entered only by those whose projects are threatened by the disclosures duo due deliberation promotes pro pro- motes Meritorious legislation never suffered from free tree discussion in that body nor has its proverbial sluggishness sluggish sluggish- ness ever prevented prompt action wh when n prompt action was necessary Advocates of ot cloture for tor whom Senator Senator Senator Sena Sena- tor Kern spoke on Friday at Washington Washing Washing- ton must bo be prepared to withstand a searching inquiry as to their motives when the tho matter comes to issue Cloture la is the weapon always seized by the majority when the minority uses its HB rights to obstruct or prevent the enactment of or vicious legislation Limitation of ot debate hat has been suggested suggested sug sug- at recurring Intervals ever since the privilege of ot unlimited discussion has existed in the Senate Back of ot the tho suggestion there ther has been found tho the sinister shadow of ot proposed legislation that cannot endure the light prolonged debate would cast upon it In the tho present Instance It is the death of ot the ship purchase bill that revives the suggestion of at cloture There is no record extant of ot desIrable desirable de de- de- de legislation that failed of passage passage pas pas- sage because of ot extraordinary liberty I of or debate Tho measures that have I been talked to death by senators full of words endurance and were vero measures whoso whose enactment would have havo been beon damaging Public opinion always on guard and able to compel response to Its de decrees derees rees has ever stood loyally behind behind be be be- hind the obstructionists when they were Vere employing Senate privileges to block the tho wheels of ot vicious lawmakinG The ship purchase bill failed because it deserved to tall fall had tho the country beU believed ved in 1 it it none of at the opposing senators would have dared obstruct it by anything more than ordinary pro pro- Few careful observers of or lawmaking n. n as It is practised at Washington would be willing that the tho right of ot unlimited debate should be denied In the tha Sen Sen- ate Obviously ono one or tho other of ot the two lawmaking bodies should consider consider con con- sider aider legislation In the open and for tor a period sufficient to inform the tho country country coun coun- try of ot its character None who has scrutinized the methods of ot the thie lower house would consent that these should be extended to the Senate There mU must t be due deliberation in one or the other of or th those st bodies and it Is Js Idle to hope I L for fOl It from the tho more inore numerous House Housein In nil all instances Senator Kerns Kern's confidence In tho the willingness of ot the Sonata Senate majority to remove the tho Senates Senate's chief claim upon superior consideration ma may not be he al altogether altogether nl- nl together Justified by tho tho facts Though ho he Is majority leader It Is not im impossible impossible un- un possible he ho may mistake tho the temper of or some of tho the members of or his own caucus cau Cl cau- cau cus cus ClIS There ma may be bo those among thorn them who will wiil und understand that a useful weapon has hns not lost his usefulness mere mercy because it was employed against them