The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1877-03-15
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THE DEBATE.
Senator BayGrd Finishes His Speech and
Morton and Blaine Reply-GroUer
Objected 10.
MAsu1NaroN. March Z

lmm6Qlately dIleT JH6 Iehulnb Va VHS
journal of yesterdays proceedings, Mr.
Wallace (Dem,, Pa.) arose to question
of privilege, and said the Senator-elect
from Oregon, the Hon. Lafayette Grover,
was present, and he moved that he be
sworn.
The Vice President requested Mr. Gro
yer to present himself at the desk to take
the oath of Office.
Mr.. Grover was then escorted to the
desk by Mr.. Wallace, and as the Vice
President arose to administer the oath
Mr.. Hamlin of Maine said the Senator
from Oregon (Mr. MitchelD was not in
his seat, and he therefore objected to the
oath being administered to Mr., Grover
as he understood that that Senator had
some papers bearing on the case of Mr..
Grover.
Mr.. Wallace said as Senator of the
United States he presented the Senator
elect from Oregon, and hoped he would
be sworn in.
Mr. Hamlin said as Senator Of the
United States he objected to him being
sworn, and therefore the oath was not
administered,
KellOgg's Case.
The Senate then resumed consideration
of the unfinished business, being the res
olution of Mr.. Blaine, submitted yester-
day, to swear in William Pitt Kellogg as
United States Senator from the State of
Louisiana, and the substitute therefore
submitted by Mr.. Bayard to refer the cre-
dentials to the committee on priveges and
elections.
Mr.. Bayard (Del) who was entitled to
the floor, said his reason for moving to re.
fer the credentials of Mr., Kellogg to the
committee on privileges and elections
were those warranted by the unbroken
usages of this body, so far as he was in
formed, since its organization. The cre-
dentials of Mr.. Kellogg did not create a
prima facie case because they were signed
by Stephen B. Packard, who was not
Governor of Louisiana either de jure or
de facto. On the contrary the Senate
must take cognizance of the public fact
that Francis I. Nichols was the Cover
nor of the State, and had legal Legisla-
ture voting in accordance with him, that
they had control of every part of the
State of Louisiana except about one acre,
upon which stood hotel used by Pack
ard as State House. He argued that
Nichols was the only Governor of the
State to-day, and his certificate was the
only one that the Senate of the United
States could Justly respect This case was
not new, but it demanded the same con-
sideration now that it did in 1873, when
the discussion was continued at great
length. He argued that it was the duty
of the Senate to see that the State of
Louisiana was represented here by two
persons, but those persons must be chosen
by her lawful Legislature, He then re-
ferred to the use of military in the South
and said there was an admission OF the
outgoing administration, tacitly but hon
est, that the use of military to uphold
State governments had been tried, but
with no good results. He then quoted
from the telegram of the late President
to the effect that government which
could not maintain itself without the aid
Of military should be permitted to go
down. He (Mr. Bayard) viewed that
language paraphrase of the language of
the Declaration of Independence, under
which our people took up arms to make
them free. Ex- President Grant, who
came into the chamber soon after the
Senate met and took a seat at Senator
Conkling's side, was an attentive listener
to these remarks of Mr. Bayard. Con-
tinuing his argument Mr.. Bayard COM
mented on the legality of the Louisiana
Returning Board and spoke of the truth
in regard thereto offered before the elec-
toral commission. He said that majori-
ty of that eommis sion, claiming that they
were only imbued with the counting pow
er of the two houses of Congress, held !
that they could not look into the charges /
of fraud against that Returning Board. c
There was in that decision blow to his
fondest hopes and his belief in law. He 9
then referred to the remarks of Mr.. Ed
munds in the PinchbaCk case in 1875, and /
said the Senator based his objection to +
on the illegality of the Louisi-
ana Returning Board. He then replied I
to the argument of Mr.. Blaine, to the ef- |
feet that the decision of the Electoral o
was binding upon the Sem 2
ate, and contended that that decision had 5
no force in law to control the action of the Q
Senate.
Mr.. Blaine (Rep, Me- asked if the t.
Senator from Vermont (Mr. Edmudds)
did not satisfy himself as a member Of 9
the Electoral Commission of the legality 4
of the competency and constitutionality d
of the Returning Board. U
Mr.. Bsyard said the Senator from Ver- lt
mont gave as his reason for accepting the 1
Louisiana Returning Board his want of il
power to examine into the returns and 81
Continuing his argument n
be said that the Commission refused to u
lake testimony which the Senate was s
bound to take. The remarks of the Sem 81
ator from Maine yesterday, led him with O.
much abruptness to challenge the posi- @
ion of the President of the United States. "
The new President seemed to recognize, tt
IS at the last did his predecessor, the true g
condition of affairs in Louisiana. Mr.. l
Bayard then quoted from the inaugural Il
address of President Hayes in regard to 81
Southern affairs, and said they were wise a
words. He (Mr. Bayard) recognized in g
he distressed condition of the country it
,he need of that which the President had 81
proclaimed in regard to the Southern G.
States. The peace of Louisiana was peace ft
of all and her destruction was the des- O.
truction of all. n
He argued that the recognition of the n
Packard government and the forcible n
overthrow of the Nichols government
would not only shock the very souls of tt
the people of Louisiana, but would cause n
4 thrill in every bosom in this land. He
asked for Louisiana to-day thesam meas p
lre of law and Justice that he would ask a
for Massachusetts. Mr.. Bayard again re- "
rorrad m tho ramarka of Mr. Rlaina made n