Death by Filibuster

On the evening of Feb. 19 Senator Sheppard, Texas Democrat, opened the final debate on the Administration Ship Subsidy bill with a seven-hour speech on the League of Nations. Similar arguments against the measure continued for more than a week until the bill was pronounced dead by Senator Jones, its manager.

This simple method of murdering a bill is called " filibuster." Any senator can speak on any subject at any time at any length; nothing can stop him but physical exhaustion. Friends and foes of the measure regard a filibuster as a sporting proposition. The object of the supporting side is to find a strategic error in the vocal armor of the filibusterers and obtain the floor to bring the measure to a vote. That happened several years ago to Senator LaFollette, who, after talking 18 hours, lost the floor and saw the bill passed in five minutes.

All the machinery of national politics was at work grinding away at President Harding's ship measure. House Republicans held up the Rural Credits bills to force the Senate to act. But the undaunted foes of subsidy talked on. Some of their speeches were: Senator Reed: "Purchase of the West Indies" (four hours); Senator Pomerene: "A Home for the Vice President" (12 minutes); Senator Borah: "Recognition of Russia" (two hours); Senator McKeller: "Bureau of Engraving Dismissals" (five and one-half hours).

After a week of that, Senator Jones surrendered. He begged to have the bill set aside as " unfinished business." Its status now is exactly the same as in November, when the President called a special session to pass it.

The farm bloc in the Senate is credited with the death of the Subsidy.