Show l fl 0 Washington Through more years than m most st of ot us can cnn remember the U. U S. S senate has Obsolete been the object of or Senate Rules caustic criticism jibe and Jest because because be be- cause of Its rule permitting unlimited ed debates Time after time long senate speeches have been the object object ob ob- jest of or editorial attack In one segment segment seg seg- ment went or another of American metropolitan metropolitan metro metro- politan newspapers Its slow tor tor- tolse like toise-like Ilke methods have ha been held up op to ridicule in spoken and written rItten word Innumerable times and Its Us proe procedure procedure pro pro- remains unchanged It was no occasion for tor surprise therefore when a new outburst of criticism of or senate rules of or procedure procedure dure was launched upon us Immediately Immediately Immediately Immedi Immedi- after the last Jast session of ot conI congress con con- I 1 gress cr'S adjourned Senator Buoy Hucy P P. P Lon Long of Louisiana the styled self kingfish broke loose lIse as DS he has so many times broken loose and effectively tied senate plans in a knot Be He did the time very thing that has bas precipitated precipitated pre pre- criticism of the senate through all of or the years mentioned above e and succeeded In a OD one man man filibuster In blocking passage of an appropriation bill Indeed he was BO so effective In his Jt Job jeb b that he brought down on his wrath of ot President Roosevelt elt and all nil of the New Dealers who were about to realize culmination of some of their most cherished dreams While the Ll Long ng filibuster probably probably ably should be criticized because undoubtedly undoubtedly un un- un- un there was some unfaIrness unfairness unfairness unfair unfaIr- ness about It It the the reason reason It takes on more at this time Is because be be- cause It placed laced so many of the New Dealers Deniers In a state of or high dudgeon mentally and because It again centered centered cen cen- d attention upon these same senate rules By way of ot preliminary e explanation tion I believe It ought to be said that no organized body bolly can operate effectively or or orderly erly without first binding itself to adhere here to rules of procedure that will give each an nn op op- These rules In the ease case of the senate semIte are very cry old It may maybe maybe maybe be said they are antiquated and ob obsolete eb- eb b. b solete surely some will take that view of them theIn But n nevertheless those are ore are the rules I 1 di do not nut propose here to say that they should be revised t or er r that the present rules should be retained But nut I do believe that before changes chanzes are made and before those who propose changes spread too much ballyhoo the country shall shull understand un un- some slime of or the reasons which actuate the present urge The Time spoke for Cor nearly early six hours on the We closing night of the session He lie could Longs Long's nut not be prevented Filibuster fr from m speaking atter after atter at- at ter he was on once e reco recognized III td ed by the presiding He told the senate he was WIS battling for fN u a government loan loun rate on cotton cotton cotton cot cot- ton of 12 cents per Ier pound whereas the administration was proposing to e the time rate rute either nine or ten cents per Iler po pound m The senate had hud placed un an amendment dment on an nn appropriation bill to carry curry out the idea of or 12 cents a U pound and hud had put Tip op th the to the house of representatives which showed no signs of or agreeing at all nil until Mr Roosevelt took a hand and und suggested suggest suggest- CSt CSt- ed the compromise of 10 cents a pound All that remained was a formal vote of or the senate to put the administration plan lull Into effect Sen Sea Senator Senator ator atur lun Long Lang decided It should not be and he proceeded to lick the administration admin single single handedly handedly by hy continuing tag ing his filibuster until the midnight ht hour when the congress was to adjourn adjourn ad nd- journ finally In blocking the administration c compromise Senator Lon Long also defeated de de- de- de tented appropriation of or something like o which the administration admin was wm going to use In setting up machinery under Its called so-called security laws the Guffey y bill for regulation of the soft coal Industry and the bond blind created theoretically to settle lahar r- r disputes All of these bills were pressed hard by the ad nd ministration If Ir one had not had hall Its antagonists In congress They were nn and lire are strictly N Now New w Deal measures As a 8 result of or the Long Lung filibuster none Dune of thorn diem can be made fully op until con congress ress convenes convene s pain again next January and ales aces the money Su So It can he seen see n hi haw w I the hI pride of th the New professors professors pro pro- lessors was liS wounded It can cnn be he seen see n likewise why they along with th the c President nt did so 80 much squawking g shout about the tilt Lung Long filibuster Renn tor r Long was an Ideal goat ont for or the tue situ It Jt Is 18 not my privilege e nor Is 1 It t within my ray power to say whether th the e legislation which h Unnecessary Senator Senater I Long Ur- Ur Barking nullified t tso Is Isso Isso s so Important times that t live five months of delay is the difference differ differ- ence enee between life and death In thi this s countr country Indeed I l cannot annot see an any Rny Y reason for nil all of the haste that I Is s exemplified by the shouts and acid th the e criticisms suddenly brought forth fort b because of that filibuster The bills bIBs which were brought to final passage e only a few days before adjournment had been languishing in la congress since last January The President had repeatedly urged their enactment enactment enact enact- ment but hut the time congress saw tit fit to delay Consequently In various quarters quarters t ers In fa Washington I heard the In Inquiry Inquiry In- In q as to why so much damage can cnn be done b by delays delas of five months when there has been delays of seven i months preceding enactment of the measures So without defending a n filibuster i In n any wise It occurs to me that we ought to look back Into history and see the benefits accruing from Crom unlimited unlimited un un- un- un l limited debate In the senate a n procedure procedure pro pro- c which the New Dealers now want to change Through all of or the years that congress has existed the tile senate has hns moved m In to a n deliberative way It has been slow to be sure yet records retards of the past make it appear appear ap ap- ap- ap p pear ear that this slow procedure has bas resulted Inevitably In better legis legis- lation lotion Many Delany are the schemes that surged forward on the time ballyhoo ofa of ot ofa a n minority to passage In the house of representatives only to be blocked and properly examined In the sen sea a ute ate te Many are the times as ns well when the deliberative character of senate debate gave guye time for expresion expression expression s sion ion of a n majority sentiment In the country and saved sa It from being precipitated Into policies of or nation nation- a nl l le legislation that would have ha worked untold harm I cannot but b believe that the privilege of unlimited unlimited debate In the senate has bas more good features than bad had Time after time In years past demands de de- demands mands have been made mode for liberalization liberal of rules in the time house bouse of ot representatives so 80 o that Individual members ml might ht voice their views at length The Time house never has hns mss yielded from the time position It has t taken aken that Its numbers were too free for discussion discussion discussion discus discus- great reat to permit sion such as takes place In the sen ate The house docs does Its work In committees nn and those committees are generally under the guidance of the political r In control of ot the government The fhe house there there- f fore ore Invariably votes the will of ot the administration In consequence of this It Is hard herd to believe that the senate ought to bind and gag gnS i Its ts members and prevent pre their tree free ree expression Fur For the tile first time since the Civil war a federal government bond issue Issue is- is Is sue failed the Bond Issue other day to at- at Failure tract enough h subscribers subscribers sub sub- scribers to absorb the offering It was a small offering offer offer- i In ing ng at lIt that The amount was only The Time bonds were not strictly speaking United States government government gov gov- eminent bonds They were heln being Issued by the Federal Farm Mortgage Mortgage Mort Mort- gage corporation but they bore the guarantee of the United States treasury that they would be paid both as ns to Interest and principal and und to nil all intents and unil purposes may not be distinguished from Crom government government govern govern- ment mient bonds When the time treasury received offers otTers of only 0 Secretary Mor- Mor was both surprised and chagrined He Fie laid the failure of the Issue to th the fact that the hon bonds s were to carry only 1 per cent Interest interest In In- terest a n very low rate It was a apart apart apart part of the treasury policy to sell government securities at nt Interest rates rutes as low as possible to reduce the burden of or the Interest char charge e which the time government must carry carryon on Its gl gigantic public debt Nevertheless Never Never- timeless It aint so good The national debt now outstanding In ing Is something like C It Is approximately hl higher her than when Mr Ir Roosevelt took office It Is due to go still hl higher IH r because additional money must be borrowed to carry out the Uw works relief plans of the New Deal Some Rome authorities predict that before be he- fore fure Mr Roosevelt's present term expires as President the public debt will aggregate something like the highest In all ail history for our nation Lon Long experience as a u student of or financial affairs prompts my con con- conclusIon conclusion elusion that failure of or the UCIO Issue to be fully subscribed does not mean that government go bonds are a n had Investment I am nm Inclined to the opinion that the treasury tried to drive down the Interest rate too low and that most Investors lu figured they thy could obtain a n het better r return fling that which Mr Dir offered them But nut after aft aft- er all here is something of a n warn warn- warnIng warning ing In this circumstance I believe the warning Is that If It the Roosevelt Roose Roose- Roosevelt velt elt administration continues to spend and spend and borrow and ami I borrow It must pay higher and higher Interest rUes rites for the money money It borrows Again Agala that aint so BO soI I good goad Then there Is another thought to tobe tobe tobe be considered It Is the question questions of ot repaying those from Crom whom wham the government O has borrowed harrowed and Is borrowing funds for this vast prom program program pro pro- gram of expenditure I 0 O Western N Newspaper p r Unto Union |