Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1877-02-03
Our u. =. SENATOR'S.
SCENE IN THE HOUSE OF DELEGATES on
FRIDAY.

The Legislature on Friday of last
week put an end TO what promised to
be prolonged contest, by electing
Senators to fill both terms. Hon. Hen
ny g. Davis was reelected for the long
term, and Hon. Frank Hereford was
elected to fill the vacancy occasioned
by the death of the late Senator Caper-
ton. The Democratic caucus had met
night after night and balloted without
making a nomination, and the opinion
seemed to prevail that the entire session
was to be wasted, just as it was at
Charleston two years ago, in sort OF
Kilkenny cat fight between the rival
candidates, resulting in the slaughter of
all of them and the election OF some
compromise men. On Friday morning
| the crowd at the Capital was not so
large rs it had been for several proceed
ing days. The morning hour passed
away i'll dull monotonous way, the
usual routine of business having been
gone through with, followed by an I'M
interesting discussion of the road bill.
About halt-past eleven Ho,:e Bill No.
%, better known as "The Capital Re
moval Bill" was taken from the table
by the Clerk and announced by its title.
AS matter Of course public interest
began to be manifested when it was
known that the Capital bill was to come
up for discussion. The Clerk had just
finished reading it, when the Speaker
announced that the hour had arrived
for receiving The Senate to meet the
House of Delegates in joint convention
for tho purpose of ballotting for United
States Senator. A few minutes there
after the Senate came into the hall, and
the spectators only anticipated a repsti-
ton of the solemn farce which has been
enacted the preceding days-that an
unsuccessful ballot would take place
and the joint assembly dissolve. The
vote was first taken for the short term,
with about the same result as the pre-
ceeding days The vote was taken for
the long term. At the conclusion Of
the ballot those who were keeping tai
" knew that Mr.. Davis was in The lead
by a few votes. The Republicans had
scattered their votes as usual. But Mr..
Hall, OF Richie, leading Republican
who had voted for j. j. Davis, arose in
his seat aud asked and obtained leave to
! change his vote, and cast it for Henry
G. Davis. He was Immediately follow.
ed by Senator Scott, and one after an
other of the Republicans, all changing
and concentrating their votes. Imme.
diately light began to dawn upon the
mystery-the twenty-one Republican
votes, added to- the Democratic strength
of Mr.. Davis, would give him more
than the requisite forty-four, and would
elect him. "A clap of thunder in clear
sky could not have had more startling
etfec, upon the opposing candidates and
their friends thar the realization of this
fact. Suddenly and spontaneously the
excitement wentup to fever heat Mem
bers jumped from their seats and rushed
across the hall with looks Of blank
amazement in their faces, to ask some
colleague, "What in the name of the
Universe does this meant The specta-
tors partook of the excitement. The
friends of the winning man had CLEAN
ing faces, and were nodking and smiling
10 each other as much az TO say, didn't
we win easy?' BY the time the Repub-
leans got throrg h changing their votes
and none OF the Democratic supporters
OF Mr. Davis showed a disposition to
weaken on him, the Democratic friends
of other candidates commenced chang
lug to Davis until he had received sixty
votes, and was declared elected Then
came tug on the short term. An effort
was made to dissolve the Joint conven-
ton but failed, when it was understood
that an election was TO be had II was
a repetition of the scenes on taking the
BALLOT for the long term, except that be-
fore the Republicans got through trans
fering their votes to Mr.. Hereford, the
Democrats commenced to change, and
when the result was announced Mr..
Hereford had 20 votes. a general sense
of relief seemed to prevail that the long
drawn agony was over, and that the
Legislature was getting rid OF
troublesome issue and preparing to settle
doyn IN work Register.