Bad-Natured End

On important issues before the Senate there often develops "a little group of willful men," to confound the majority. The group changes with the issue. Last week it was composed of a few old-guard Republicans and one Demo-cratic buffoon. It was dangerous because the end of the session was near. By a 40%-hour filibuster it accomplished its purpose, damaged its members, killed an appropriation bill and a half dozen other important pieces of legislation.

This group--David A. Reed of Pennsylvania, sometimes called a "higher type of statesman"; George H. Moses of New Hampshire, implacable diehard; James E. Watson of Indiana, old-school behind-the-scenes man; a few other Republicans; and Democrat, Cole L. Blease of South Carolina, whom only Mr. Heflin robs of the title "Buffoon of the Senate"--were determined to prevent Senator James A. Reed's committee from making any more campaign fund investigations. Mr. Reed of Pennsylvania, particularly, did not want his distant cousin, Mr. Reed of Missouri, to open the ballot boxes which elected slush-tainted William S. Vare. The Pennsylvanian insisted that the regular Senate Committee on Privileges and Elections, containing a majority of old-guard Republicans, was best fitted to count these ballots. The result was the Battle of the Cousins which displaced all other Senate business; which turned Senators into a pack of snarling, sleepless animals; which littered the chamber with apple cores, pitchers of ice water and ancient documents. The time-filling tactics of the filibusterers were crude. Instead of reading Shakespeare or Byron, they had the clerk read yesterday's journal. Senator Cameron plodded through a document on copper mining, of which he could not pronounce some of the words. Senator Moses, protectionist, read a four-year-old low tariff speech of Senator Underwood. Senator Blease mouthed the Constitution of South Carolina and described the life and death of Jefferson Davis. Senator Reed of Pennsylvania mumbled election returns from his state, said he hoped to reach Georgia by dawn. A correspondent in the press gallery whispered: "Poor fellow, Reed would stand on his head on the Senate floor if Bill Vare asked him. . . ." The Senate restaurant was out of coffee. Mr. Heflin was asleep on a lounge; a thoughtful jester had covered him with a red drapery.

Senator Warren was pleading for his deficiency appropriation bill (see below). Once it seemed likely that a compromise would be reached. Senator Reed of Missouri offered to displace his investigating resolution to allow quick passage of the deficiency bill, the alien property bill and the public buildings bill. Thereupon, Mr. Blease wandered in, half-asleep. He heard the words "unanimous consent." He shouted: "I object." Nobody was going to pull any wool over his eyes.

The filibuster went through the dawn, through the next day, into the next night. At midnight the Senate adjourned until 8:30 a. m. From that hour until the final adjournment at noon, the wrangling grew bitterer . . . bitterer.

"These shrewish scoldings," began Mr. Reed of Pennsylvania.

"Oh, I hope the Senator is not petulant this morning," interrupted Mr. Robinson of Arkansas.

Then Pat Harrison, Mississippi funnyman, proceeded to pour salt on the wounds, said: "Let him [David A. Reed] go back and receive the cheers of the thugs and corruptionists of Pennsylvania and let them say to him that he is the Knight of the Closed and Corrupt Ballot Box. . . ." It was one minute before noon and the gavel of Vice President Dawes rapped sharply. "Oh, it's a shame to spoil a good speech like this," said Mr. Harrison. By the look in his beady-eyes, the Vice President had something curt to say. He said it: "The Chair regards the results of the present legislative session as primarily due to the defective rules of the Senate. . . . This is the only great parliamentary body in the world where such a situation exists. . , . "The hour of 12 o'clock having arrived, the Senate stands in adjournment sine die." Who won the filibuster? Mr. Dawes, the spectator. He was the one whom the laymen cheered. As for the distant cousins--Mr. Reed of Pennsylvania left for a rest in Bermuda with the words: "The Reed investigating committee is dead. There may be strong, healthy men on the committee, but of course, although a burglar may try to jimmy a strong box, there is such a thing in the law as forcible entry." To which Mr. Reed of Missouri replied: "Tell Senator Reed of Pennsylvania that when I want a burglar I will send to his State for a recommendation." The Missouri Reed intends to continue the activities of his committee, to seize, but not open, ballot boxes in four more Pennsylvania counties. After he finishes defending Henry Ford in a $1,000,000 slander suit, he will assemble his committee to decide on its future course.