The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-11-30
THE SENATORIAL CONTEST.

The disgraceful proceedings In the United
States Senate during the past few days have
been seldom paralleed In parliamentary
history. The great civil interests Of
the country have been subordinated to
the efforts Of defeated party to main
tain supremacy in the Senate by the
overthrow of the constitutional representa-
tion of two States of the Union. The two
carpet -baggers, the last of their race who re-
main ia the Senate seem to have imbibed an
inspiration to illuminate the end of their long
and profligate regime with one act of justice
by voting to seat the legal representative of
South Carolina. The eminent men who COM
pose the Republican element of the Senate
have determined to prevent these two men
from performing that act, or to force them to
engage xirst in crime, the success of which
may reSAer futile their votes to seat Gen.
Btstfef
We cannot join i'm any encemiums upon
either Patterson, of South Carolina. or Con
over, of Florida. They are no better than the
balance of their tribe. But they appear less
reprehensible, in our eyes, than those distin-
guished Senators of high social position and
large abilities and experience who are exert
ing all their power and parliamentary skill
to use them to still further humiliate this
State and disgrace the Senate by the admis-
sion into that body uf w. P. Kellogg, the
moot unprincipled rascal among the carpet
baggers of the South and tho most repulsive
of all the gang to the people he claims to
represent.
It cannot be said that Messrs. Conkling,
Edmunds, Hoar and their partisans in the
Senate, are ignorant of the character Of either
Kellogg or Judge Spofford, or of the real
merits of their claims. They know that KEEL
logg is an unprincipled political adventurer,
who is despsed by the people of Louisiana,
and that Judge Spofford is and has been for
very many years one of our most honored
and distinguished citizens; they know also
that Kellogg's claim is as rotten as his own
moral character and political anteeedents.
and they know that Judge Spofford was
elected by a legal Legislature, fairly chosen
by the people and recognized by the Presi- |
dent and the American people. It is evident, |
that the Republican Senators are
attempting to perpetrate great
political outrage or crime to preserve their
control of the Senate.
However this contest may end, 1t will con-
5titute the most disgraceful event in the |
of the American Senate. Its
meanness does not appear to have been re-
eved by single great speech, or single
display Of craftsmanship. The most con-
spicuous figures in the wretched drama are
he carpet-baggers Patterson and Conover In
,he Senate. and Kellogg, for whose admission
nto that body the Republicans are making
he struggle. The whole proceedings are on
he lowest plane of parliamentary tactics.
low could 1t be otherwise The struggle
N the part of the Republicans is to seat
who ought to be in the peniten-
larry, and the only recourse of the Demo-
rats is to use two carpet-bag Senators-one
If them under indictment for penitentiary
protect the constitutional rights
f South Carolina and Louisiana.
How has the American Senate fallenl