The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-02-03
SENATOR REYNoLna


General Joseph j. Reynolds Elected senator
from Texns-Hls Public Bervices-A Contest
Over the Seat.
The Legislature of Texas has seen fit to pre-
sent the Senate of the Forty.second Congress
with the novelty of contested seat. The re-
construction of the State was fully completed In
March, 1870, and Immediately thereafter the
Senators and Representatives elected were
admitted to their seats. Hon. Morgan G.
Hamilton 7ss elected Senator for the term of
six years commencing March a. 1871, as well as
for the remainder of the term ending on that
day. It is now claimed by his opponents that
his election for the long term was illegal, and
in this opinion the Legislature of Texas appears
to have coincided by going through the pro-
cess, on January "a, of electing another person
for this term. The law regu-
lating the election of Senators provides
that the Legislature of each State chosen next
preceding the expiration of the term for which
any Senator was chosen, shall proceed on the
second Tuesday after its organization, to the
election of q Senator to fill the vacancy about
to occur. When the reconstructed Legislature
of Texas met last winter it therefore pro-
ceeded to elect Senator for the vacancy to
occur on March 4, 1871 as well as for the un-
expired terms, and, as there has been no cleo
tion of Legislature in the State since that
time, its action would seem to have been in
accordance with the forms of the law. The
Legislature of Mississippi last winter acted in
similar manner, by electing Governor James l..
Alcorn to the Senate for the term commencing
March 4, 1871 at the same time that Revels
was elected for the short term. What action
the Senate will take in the contest over the
Texas seat remains to be seen.
The election of successor to Senator Hamil-
ton took place on January a. In the Senate
General Joseph j. Reynolds received 16 votes, to
II cast for four different opponents. In the
House General Reynolds received 4S votes to 25
in opposition. The nomination of General Rey
nolds by the Republican caucus took place on
the previous evening. On the first ballot he re-
ceived but votes out of total of 58 and his
nomination was not secured until eight or ten
unsuccessful ballotings had been held.
General Reynolds is native of Kentucky,
and is now about fifty years of age. In early
life he removed to Indiana, and was appointed
cadet at the West Point Military Academy from
that State in 1889. On July 1, 1913, he was
breveted second lieutenant in the 4th Artillery,
and in May, 1885, transferred to the Sd Artillery,
being promoted in March, 1S47, to a first
lieutenaucy. From August, 1916, to August,
1847 he acted as an assistant Professor of Ethics
at the Military Academy; from 1847 to 1S49, as
ITOIebsOr OF NATURAL ana GXperlHlenLal GlllOBO-
ply; and from the last date to February,
1857 as an assistant professor. He then re-
signed and retired from the military service.
He re-entered the service, however, on the
outbreak of the war, and served throughout the
struggle with distinction at first as a brigader-
general and subsequently as a major-general
of volunteers. His principal service was with
the Army of the Cumberland, in which he served
as division commander, taking prominent
part in the battle of Chickamauga. At the close
of hostilites he re-entered the regular service,
being commissioned colonel of the 26th Infantry
on July 2S, 1866, and breveted a major-geueral
on March 2, 1867. After holding a command in
the Northwest General Reynolds was, on July
2S, 1868, assigned to the command of the Fifth
Military District consisting of the State of Texas
only, with his headquarters at Austin. He was
relieved of this command on November 4th fol-
lowing, but again assigned to it as successor of
General Candy, on March s. 1869, Immediately
after the Inauguration of President Grant.
General Reynolds assumed his command on
April Sth, and the reconstruction process pro-
ceeded quietly and successfully under his super
vision, until it was completed by the restoration
of Texas to representation in Congress in March,
1870. At the time of the election of Senators,
General Reynolds was urged to follow the
example of General Ames in Mississippi, and
consent to represent the State in the Senate, but
in February, 1870, declined the proffered honor,
on the ground that his residence of three years
in the State had been in the capacity of mill
tary officer, and that his convictions of right
and sense of propriety precluded the acceptance
of any political Office at that time and under the
peculiar circumstances then existing. 1t is not
yet known what course he will pursue, now that
he has been actually elected Senator, but it
would seem that consistency demanded another
refusal of the Senatorship.