Editorial: How soldiers get a vote
Some time ago, the U.S. Senate passed the Eastland “states’ rights” soldier-vote bill.
Last week, the House amended the Eastland bill and passed it, sending it back to the Senate.
This week, the Senate vote to lay aside the Green-Lucas soldier-vote bill, which provided for a federal ballot and take up the House-amended Eastland bill.
Senator Barkley, the Democratic Leader, then offered the Green-Lucas bill as an amendment to the House-amended Eastland bill.
Senator Ferguson of Michigan then offered an amendment to Senator’s Barkley’s amendment – in other words, an amendment to an amendment to an amendment. It was adopted.
Senator Taft of Ohio then offered an amendment to the Barkley amendment. It was rejected.
So, the Senate adopted the Barkley amendment, as amended by Senator Ferguson, thus writing the Green-Lucas bill, which had been laid aside, into the Eastland bill.
Senator Taft then reoffered his amendment as an amendment to the whole works, and was defeated again.
Then, for the second time, the Senate adopted the Eastland bill, which now included the Green-Lucas bill, which the Senate previously laid aside, after both the House and the Senate had amended the Eastland bill.
The whole business then went back to the House which rejected it. Now delegates from each house are trying to determine where they stand.