The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1877-12-19
Degradation Of the Senate.

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D'Alembert says: "There are two
things that can reach the top of a
pyramid, the eagle and the REPTILE
The admission of kellogg and Gen.
Butler into the United States Senate
would seem to be an illustration of
DAlembert's epigrammatic obserya-
ton. But has the crawling wretch
whom Louisiana has shaken with alb
horrepce and disgust from her skirts
reached the top of a pyramid3 81. ].
There was a time when it was the
highest honor to sit in the United
States Senate. But that time has
passed. The Republican party
which stocked the Supreme Bench,
and nearly all the lower Federal
courts with time serving politicians
to carry out it's policies, has now de-
bauched the Senate thatait may main
tain control there few months
longer. g sala ri. q
""-ths eagle and the stork
On cliffs and cedar tops their eyries build"
But they will sort with the unclean
birds who hold the Senate roost, up
on which the unseemly beast from
Louisiana has been permitted to
creep2 1' ~,
1t is painful t, speak in these dis
respectful terms of the Senate; but
those who have followed up the late
disgraceful struggle over the senate
rial contests from this State and
South Carolina, and read the report
of the majority Of the Committee on
Privileges and Elections on which
Kellogg was seated, will declare that
they are justifable. -.
In the prosecution Of their dishon-
orable and corrupt tactics, Edmunds
and ConkIing went so far as to at,
tempt to influence Judge Humphreys
to hold his decision in the criminal
proceedings against Patterson over
that individuals senatorial head to
terrify him in voting to seat Corbip,
Could Senators. commit a grayel
.erimR than this effort TO influence The
decision Of a court for the purpose o.
carrying their point to seat, in tbs
Senate, for purely partisan purposes
carpet bag thief? -. ast n ,a,1,e
r A.ainr, when Edmunds, with bra
zen ettrontery, denounced! Patterson
and conoyer,, charging them with
having made . corrupt bargain wi viii
the Democrats, and Senator Thur
man T confronted him with the fac
that The Republican Senators has
given each Of these branded rogues
the Craftsmanship 81, an ~ imp'ortas.pp'
committee, the whole country ough
! to have FLUSHED with shame, ~ IT,,
|, We give sttese incidents only IA
examples, and the most disgracefu
examples, oft the tactics pursued il
these contests BY the men , who le,, com m
pose the majority Of the Senate. y,
The report on which Kellogg was
i. seated was a fit emanation ola, com
mittee representing such atbody. II
that report the majority Of the com
mittee: declared, in substance, otha
1.-THE Nichols government was ayero
lationary and illegal government, 90
up by ar4nedh force and violence ai1t
that they could not afec5gnize til
claims of Judge ispoford elected b,
Ia Legislature organized . BY !, sucl
means. "Fhe doctrine says tn
report, "contended for by, Mr.. Spot
ford elected by Legislature organ
lied by such means. ''TheI doc
trine,''' says the report, 1''contende'
for by Mr.. Spoford,ar if established
would render insecure all politica
vested rights b z1of9 i ~
We are startled at the aucacity Q
the men who carelessly cover tn
dishonesty of their acts and utteran
ces under so transparent disguis
as this. It is utterly useless to g
4 over the argument, familiar to ever
I one and neFer refuted, to, show tha
:. the Nichols government. was electe