Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1871-03-18

Mr.. Butler-Or have anything to do with
the resolution.
Mr.. Blaine--There are 224 members of the
house OF Representatives. committee can
be formed without the gentleman from Massa
chusetts being on 1t. His services are notes
sential to the constitution Of the committee.
MIR. Butler-Why did you not find such q
committee then?
| Mr.. Blaine Because l knew very well if
omitted the appointment of the gentleman it
| would be heralded throughout the length and
breadth of the country by claquers who have
so industriously distributed this letter this
morning, that the Speaker had packed the
committee, as the gentleman said would do,
with weakened Republicans who would not
go into the investigation vigorously as he
| would. That was the reason. daughter
So the Chair laid the responsibility upon the
gentleman of declining the appointment.
Mr.. Butler-I know that was trick Of the
Chair.
MIR. Blaine-Ah trick know now what
the gentleman meant by the word trick"
am very glad the trick was successful.
Mr.. Butler-No doubt.
Mr.. Blaine-It is this trick which places
the gentleman from Massachusetts, on his re-
sponsibility before the country.
Mr. Butler-Exacty.
Mr. Blaine-Now, sir, the gentleman from
Massachusetts, talks about coercion by which
| republicans were to be made to vote for the
| resolution. | do not know what any one then
may have to say. If there be here to-day a
single gentleman who has given to the gentle
man from Massachusetts, an intimation that he
felt coerced, that he was in some way re-
| strained from free action, let him get up and
now speak or forever after hold his peace.
| Mr. Butler-Oh, yes.
Mr. Blaine-The gentleman from Massa-
| q rs n letter. n
pointed against my wishes, expressed both
publicly and privately, by the Speaker as
| chairman of the committee to investigate the
| state of affairs in the South, ordered to-day
| by Democratic votes against the most earnest
protest of more than two-thirds of the MAORI
ty of Republicans in the House -")
| Mr.. Butler-Yes, sir.
| Mr.. Blaine-This statement is SO bold and
groundless that do not know what reply to
make to it. 1t is made in the face of the fact
that on the roll call ffty-eight Republicans
voted for the resolution and forty nine besides
the gentleman from Massachusetts against it.
| | deny that the gentleman has right to speak
| for any member who voted for it unless it
may be the gentleman from Tennessee May
| nard), who voted for it for the purpose pro-
| badly of moving reconsideration, very
common. a very justifabe and very proper
course whenever any gentleman chooses to
| adopt it. l am not criticising at ALL but if
| there be any one of the tifty-eight gentlemen
who voted for the resolution under coercion
would like to have the gentleman from
Msssachuse It's designate him.
| Mr. Butler--I am not here TO detail private
conversations.
Mr.. Blaine-Oh, no; but you will distri-
| butte throughout the entire country unbound
ed calumnies purporting TO rest upon an as
sertion made in private conversation, which
when called for, cannot be verified.
Mr. Butier-Pardon me, sir; said it was
| in caucus.
! Mr. Blaine-I hope God will pardon you.
but you ought not TO ask ME TO do it. Laugh
ter
Mr. Butler-I Viii God and not you
Mr. Blaine-I am glad the gentleman will.
! Mr. Butler-I have no favors TO ask Of the
devil. and let me say the caucus agreed upon
definite mode of action.
Mr. Blaine-Caucus Now let ME say here
and now that the chairman of that caucus,
sitting on by right, chevalier, in legislation
sans peUr et sans Teproche. The gentleman
from Michigan Blair stated as a man of
honor. as he is bound to say officially from
the chair that it was not considered and
could not be considered binding upon the
gentleman. more than that the talk about
| tricks-why the very infamy ofpoltical trick
erv never compassed designs so foolish and
wicked a. to bring together caucus and at
I tempt to pledge them 10 support measures
which might violate not only their political
principles but the religious faith of men to
the support of the bill drawn by the gentle
man from Massachusetts, Butler which
ght violate the conscientious scruples of
men. And yet, forsooth, he comes in here
and declares what ever q caucus may deter
| mine upon, however heartily, you must sup
port it, however wrongfully. Why, even in
/ the worst days OF the Democracy, when the
gentleman himself was in the front rank, in
the first wing of il, whenever it was attempted
to say a majority Of the party caucus could
| bind men upon measures, involved the ques
ton of constitutional law, personal honor
snd religious scruples. The gentleman asked
what would have been done. He asked my
colleague peters, what would have been
done in the case of members of the party
voting against the caucus nominees for Speak
er. | understand that was thrust at myself
The caucus nominations of officers have al
ways been held as binding; but just here let
me say if the minority did not vote against
the decision of the caucus that nominated me
tor Speaker, in my Judgment, it was not the
fault of the gentleman from Massachusetts,.
| (Applause.) If the requisite number could
have been found to have gone over to the
despised Nazarenes on the opposite side, that
gentleman would have led them as CALAMITY
as he did his forces at Charleston. (Renewed
applause and laughter.)
Mr.. Butler-Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Blaine-I have the floor. | do not
very often ask it.
Mr. Butler-Let not your conscience ac-
cuse you.
Mr.. Blaine-Mr. Speaker, in old times it
was the ordinary habit of the Speaker to take
part in the debate. The custom has fallen
into dsuse. For one, l am very glad it has ;
for one, approve of the conclusion that for
bids it. The Speaker could, not with consistent
fidelity to his own party, be an impartial ad-
ministrator, of the rules of the House and a
participator in discussion, if the members
would take from him that appearance of I'M
Partially which is so important to maintain
in the rulings of the chair. But at the same
time despise and denounce the insolence of
the gentleman from Massachusetts, when he
attempts to say that the Representative from
the Sd District of Maine has no right to seek
that under the rules, the resolution be
adopted has no right to ask the Judgment of
| tha tba raaolutinu WIN