The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1877-12-11
"A Scene in the Senate.

At midnight the Senate lad worl
out the patience of its audience. Iht
lighted chamber grew deserted. Mr.
Walleigh, Chairman of the committee
whose conduct of affairs was impeachet
by the coming vote. took the floor for ;
meusureless speech, prolonged by the
dreaming voice of the clerk as he waded
along from page to page of the inter
minable record of the las. election il
South Carolina All edge and point
to the nights proceedings were gone
Mr.. Oglesby, his face flushed with visi-
ble signs ofthe source Of his wit. rcsa
from page to page with meaningless
question, and the Senate, weary and
sogge3 to that last point whore int: +.
,uption is Il JOKE makes laugh, rippled
into nerrimcnt every time the broad
shouldered, smooth faced Senator spoke.
Mr.. Wadleigh, short, squat man, not
over facile nor dignitied, added his
share of pufFoonery. 1t was hard to
look with patience at the last struggle
OF great party in an historic chamber
sinking to this sielc pitch. Mr.. Wad-
leigh's manner invited Interruption,
and Interruptions came on all hands
from the sleeping aud laughing Senate.
Mr.. Cameron Of Wisconsin a tall man,
acriG iu speech, had something to say
by way of interruption, and Mr.. Rausom
interrupted him. Page after page OF
repu,ed evidence were read. charging
Butler with crimes as startling as they
were false, and it came about By those
turns Of debate, which eddy around the
interruptions Of heated mon, that the
committee, and Cameron "a chairman,
was put on its defence for hearing this
accusing evidence last November with
closed doors. There was n, dodging
this point. Mr.. Rausom held Cameron
firmly to it. Men listened, laughed at
the evident Likeness to croSs-examina-
tion, when Ransom leaning forward, his
hand to his ear, sail Il did not hear
the witness" These closed doors, this
faint touch of unfair accusation, unlid
all the hours Of dreary reading.
The slow delay was to so on without
c1re for tho minority making delay.
Then Mr.. Hoar spoke with a good man
ner and a bad cause. 1t was harder
fight than the afternoons attack on a
man charged with bargaining the seat
he stands indicted for buying. Very
dcxtcrously, standing among The empty
desks on the Republican side of the
empty chamber, Mr.. Hoar turned the
current Of remarks and brought Mr..
Ransom to his feet. Dark haired, dark
skinned, flushed to darker color by
excitement, his voice husky with passion,
he shouted his answer with a vehemencc
that woke the sleepy chamber. 1t was
necessary that some things should be
said by the majority, become niiuori.
ty, which had been said before. Ioar
said them. Ransom answered the old
answer, and that was a certain unusual
thrill as he linked to new change in
parties the early memories of the Sen
ate's opening years, as ne rcninied tho
Senate that it was keeping knocking at
its doors the kinsman of its earliest, oil.
est iurist. the elder Butler. His nephew "
the younger Butler, sat behind, by i'll
chance Patterson at his side and Como
YER hard by. 1t was scarcely fitting
that Butler close as he WIS, should visl-
bly, prompt the nan making his gallant
defence. First by one Senator and
then by another, Jones and Gordon, he
sent sentences of suggestion, and there
was something in these messages CON-
ing from the man freshly attacked that
wound Rlnsom to a pitch of higher and
higher excitement. He all but gave
the lie to the placid faced New En-
glander, who slt twenty feet off. lie
raised his voice until the sleepcrs on The
lounges reused, and men in the easy
dcshabille Of n night session stood II
tho shadow Of the cloak room doors
Still he spoke, his face growing darker
| his voice huskier, his gesture violert
and through his vehemence there cant
fitness that the return Of South Caro-
lima to its o!d representation in the Seq
ate should b. 50 demanded. His voic
had thickened to ho,rse whisper as h
dropped to his seat, fain'ing, flushed
and dizzy. On the Instant lloar began
to SPEAK, but opposite to him there VA
a stir call Tor water, the hasty gather
ing of little group of frightened men
and out Of it Ransom was led, limp
stumbling, feeling his way with uncer
tain steps, his shoulders dropped, hi
arms swinging, his face purple, his eye
staring; all the glory AMI strength goa
out Of the strong speaker. Very ten
derly his cid corps commander, Gordon
carried him to the cloak room, aud tn
Senate easy lounging room the rest o
the night was the sick raom of u ma
sick nigh unto death, three doctors ant
a dozen friends bending and workln
over an unconscious, hard.breathlng pa
tient.
Tongues.