The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1877-03-03
The Completed Count.
HAYES AND WHEELER DECLARED
ELECTED.
Wild Scenes in the House-The Obstruc-
honisfs Frantic-The Last Joint Con
vention-DeeiarinE tho Vote.


House of Representatives the scene of greater
disorder and uproar than occurred on the floor
of that historic hall Thursday. The fihbusters
came into the house with grievance, and de-
termined to make the most of it. All the ses-
sion long the debate was waged fercely over
Vermont. Twelve o'clock having arrived how
ever, the gavel fell sharply, and the speaker an
nounced that new legislative day had begun. A
comparative silence ensued for brief interval
while the Chaplain offered prayer. The "amen"
had hardly passed his lips when the filibusters
sprang to their work again. They demanded
the reading of the journal, and then wanted to
amend it, but were overruled in the latter eff
fort. 1t was one o'clock when this contempti-
BILE trifling was finished. A rattling debate
followed. Caulfield demanded excitedly that
the alleged duplicate return from Vermont
should be opened; and Fernando Wood, lead.
ing the moderates, raised point of order that
the House must proceed to consider the obiec.
ton to the Vermont returns. Mr.. Hooker OF
Mississippi spoke against time for the obstruc-
tonists, and Mr. Reagan of Texas backed up
Mr.. Wood in his efforts to have the count pro-
ceed.
The confusion was increasing all the time
and the number of persons who desired the
floor grew rapidly larger, until it included
nearly every man on the Democratic side
The Republicans very wisely kept their seats
and let the Democrats fight it out among
themselves. 1t was the las ditch for the fill
busters, and they fought desperately. Had
the speaker been so disposed he could have
q in inSt top pf hnth ha al
very tight rein and atoned for many of the
faults he previously committed, by straight
forward course in the interest of law and order.
Many of his rulings were arbitrary, but were
justified by the exigency. Springers correc-
tion of the journal had been laid on the table,
two-thirds having voted in the affirmative
This was the most encouraging vote of the
fight, for it was the first and only time the fill
busters found more than two-thirds against
them. Caulfelds resolution gave rise to an
extended debate, that was more of stormy dis
pute than discussion. Randall beat con-
slant rataplan on his desk with his gavel, but
finally the roar of voices became intolerabe,
and rising from the speakers chair, he gave
tremendous rap and shouted so as to be
heard above everybody, that he was speaker of
that House and would preeerve order. He
then stopped the debate, and ruled that Caul-
fields resolutions were out of order on the
ground that the House had no authority to re.
view the action of the president of the Senate
A dozen men shouted an appeal from the
speakers ruling, and as near as could be told
from the Babel of voices dozen more were de-
nouncing the ruling as arbitrary and unjust.
Randall kept his temper however, and fought
the filibusters single-hande Barney Caul-
field, Blackburn, Glover of Missouri, Hooker,
O'Brien, Walling, Poppleton and dozen 9TH
ers were yelling at the top of their voices, while
the Republicans were crying Order and
Randall was beating his desk into splnters.
Beebe OF New York was the most excited man
in the House. He is tall man of a determined
aspect, with a voice like trumpet
and could make himself heard above
all the din. But Randall would neith-
re hear nor see him, and kept up his rap
Of his desk, gesticulating wildly and demanding
that the chair should entertain an appeal from
his decision. Randall shouted in return: 1.-THE
chair will entertain no appeal, but will remind
House and @ IN ma hshy an
becoming manner" Randalps retUrs was
greeted with loud cheers and clapping of hands
from the Republican side and the galleries
Randall continued that Beebe must rememoe
that he was member of the American Con-
gress and if he persisted in disgracing him.
self he would order him into custody. Bat
Beebe would not hear, and climbing over the
tops of the desks, knocking books and ink bot
ties on the floor, be shook his fist at the peaker
and denounced him for usurpaton and viola
ton of law Beebe's voice was drowned in a
chorus of catcalls and Kisses. Almost every
man in the house was on his feet shouting order
and adding to the confusion. People were
standing up in the galleries waving hats and
handkerchiefs and yelling at the tops of their
voices. Randall was the only cool man in the
house, shouting that the chair had authority
and power to preserve order and INTENDED to do
so. He ordered the sergeant ot-arms to do his
duty, and Thompson seized the mace and start
ed down the aisle toward Bee5s, who stepped
from the top of Glover's desk on which he had
been standing and skunk into his own seat.
Randall then ordered the floor cleared of sever
al hundred interlOpers who had gained admit
stance and crowded the area back of the rows of
seats. 1t was at least fifteen minutes before
the doorkeepers had driven out the crowd, dur
ing which business was suspended, and the
speaker and filibusters had chance TO recover
their breath.
Then the debate was concluded, the Senate
came in, and the count went on. There was
some anxiety manifested when the vote of Vir-
ginia was announced, as it was known that the
revolutionary Representatives had used every
argument to induce some Democratic Senators
to sign an objection with them, but even the
massive Kelly of Oregon declined to be agen
made an objector on grounds which the Demo
cratic Senators would not sustain, and so the
vote of Virginia was counted, then that of West
Virginia, and then the last package remaining g
in the box was taken, its seals were broken,
and it was handed to the tellers to be read as
the vote of Wisconsin. To this vote an objec.
the revolutionary Representatives had refused
to release those Senators who had signed. So
the objection was duly read, and then the Sem
ate retired that each house might consider aud
act upon it separately. In five minutes word
came back that the Senate had overruled the
Wisconsin objection, thus giving Hayes his 1S5
votes.
Mills of Texas then moved that the House
proceed to elect q President. Randall refused
to hear him, and called the vote. This was
after three o'clock in the morning. The House
refused to count Wisconsin, and the clerk was
sent to notify the Senate to meet for the last
time in joint convention. At five minntes past
four the Senate appeared at the door of the
House. A moment later Vice President Ferry
called the joint convention to order. His voice
was as fresh and clear as when he first entered
upon the arduous duties of presiding officer.
Ferry said: This concludes the count of the
SO States of the Union. The tellers will now
ascertain the results of the votes, and hand the
result to the President of the Senate
1ut lOsudl AOoeiuko WCAo ehCA
and Ferry signed the parchment roll upon
which the count is declared, with the pen from
the feather of the mountain eagle. Ferry, in
announcing the vote, requested silence on the
floor and in the galleries, and thea declared
Hayes and Wheeler elected. The only audible
sign of approval or disapproval was a low NUT.
tered oath from the Democratic side.
After the announcement of Hayes election
was made, the two houses separated in silence
and the House adjourned until noon.
The debate in the House during the closing
hours of the session was exceedingly acrimoni
Gus. Mills of Texas, one of the most violent
Of the filibusters, characterized the representa-
tivas of the American people as covering in
the dust. The people, dare maintain their rights
but the Representatives dare not do so. Theil
fathers, if they could look down upon them
from heaven, would be ashamed to see them
covering before despot who only command;
an army of about $4,000 men, one half of whom
sympathize with the Democratic party.
Mr. blackburn said: Today is Friday. On
that day the Saviour of the world suffered cru
cifixion between two thieves. On this Friday,
constitutional government. judicial honesty,
fair-dealing manhood and deCency suffer cruel
fixion among a vast number of thieves. 1t was
on that day that this Presidential fraud receiv-
ed his nomination at the hands of party con-
vension; it was on that day the determine
ton reached by the blistered perjured miscre'
ants who constitute majority of this commits
sion was promulgated; it was on that day that
you propose to cOnsummate your iniquity. But
the people will at length rise to punish, even