New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-02-17
SENATOR EXON VINDICATFD.

the Senate. He, solitary and alone or his
marty. voted against the Electoral bill. lie
| knew how 1t was going to be. He warned his
| fellow Democrats against the trap; he told
them it was unconstitutional, and what was
worse. that it would not elect Tilden. They
| disregarded his warning, gave no heed TO MS
eypositions of constitutional law, and left him
alone of his party in opposition. Consequently,
| when it turns out that partlsanslIp mas swa-
lowed up the Tribunal and hasn LETT MT.
| Tilden so much IA living show" he over
| looks the scene with calm serenity and revcis
| in the blissful exaltatiOn of 4" | told yOu So"
| Mr.. Thurman may be sullen, MIR. Bayard de-
| snondent Mr.. Stevenson indignant, and Mi.
| Randolph disguised amidst it all Mr.. Eaton
| of Connecticut, with light heart and Num-
| Der - mems cOnscid recti, skips hilarious. lie,
| the solitary Democrat in the Senate VINO OPP
| posed the BILL can contemplate with an equai
| mind the coming and the going OF MS COZ
| leagues to and from the meetings or the
| Tribunal, and say, with graceful wave OF
| the hand, 9" Go on with the procession It's
none of my funeral" His is the satisfaction
| of meeting his fellow Democrats Mt every step
of the proceedings with the soothing cOnun-
| drum. "Well, what did tell you |"
Senator Eaton was not only opposed to the
Electoral bill but had n plan of his own for the
settlement of the question, on non-partisan
basis of course. 1t was not supported by any
one else, but that made no difference with him;
| it was his invention and he supported 1t alone,
though he never had an opportunity to pre-
| sent it formally to the Senate. According TO
| his theory, which he says is consistent WIN
| Anglo-Saxon parliamentary usage from tlmc
| immemOrial, with nothing against 1t except
| the precedents of our own Congress, 1t Is the
privilege and duty of the JOINT Convention
| of the Senate and House 10 choose Its own
| presiding officer His plan was for some
| Democrat to rise Immediately upon the as
| sembling of tho two houses In convention,
nominate presiding officer, aud put the qaes-
| ton to vote 1t is an open secret.
| We believe, that Senator Eaton himself
was enthely willing to be placed in that posi-
| ton. and that he would not shrink from the
responsibility it involved Upon taking the
chair he would inform Senator Ferry that the
Constitution had explicitly defined his duty as
President of the Senate to open the certlh-
Gates, and would direct him to do it as they
were handed to him. If the President of the
|
sponsibility of opening them himself. Any
| question arising as to the legality OF any OF
the certificates would be referred to the Con-
vention and decided at once. There being u
majority of Democrats in the Convention.
| there could be no doubt of perfectly judicial
| and uon-partsan action, and the consequent
election of Tildcn This was Mr.. EatOn's
plan. Though not discouraged, he was very
much disglsted to find upon consultation with
| Mr.. Tilden that that statesman didn't I'M
| dcrstand it sufficiently to give it his approval
| 1t seems also to have received the cold
| shoulder from his party in the Senate.
Notwithstanding the rejection of his plan,
which might easily have been carried out ii
| only the Republicans in the Senate had con-
| scnted. the Connecticut Senator seems to have
come out with hying colOrs. The plan which
| WAS adopted promises to be failure so far as
| it's purpose to elect Tilden is concerned, and
he is the only Democratic Senator who, fore
| seeing the result, voted against it. His party
will perhaps know better in future than to
| disregard his warnings and make light OF his
predictions He has, besides, little account
| to settle with his constituents mt home 1t Is
| said that when a telegram was read Ill the
| Connecticut House of Representatives an
| nouncing the passage of the Electoral bill,
| the Democrats cheered :, but that when 1t was
| announced that Mr.. Eaton was the only Demo-
| crat i'm the Senate who voted against 1t, they
expressed their disapprObation with Misses
| We venture to express the opinion that there's
trouble in store for these shOrt-sighted and
irreyerent persons. The venerable Connecticut
| statesman is not the man TO be Kissed
by his own party without making 1t
exceedingly lively for somebody. He has been
the supreme and absolute chief of the Con-
| necticut Democracy too long to tolerate any
such mutnous behavior We greatly mistake
if, some fine Spring morning, after the maugu-
ration of Hayes has indicated Mr.. EatOn's
sagacity, that statesman does not bound across
the line into Greenwich and upon his native
heath, with a war-whoop that will send q
| shiver through the State and make the hair OF
| every Democrat in the Legislature stand on
end. No wonder the Legislature is hurrying
up its business so as to adjourn and got out of
the way. They know him of old
Meantime the Senator bears himself calmly
vet proudly among his less sagaciOus asso-
| GATES az one who is conscious that he might
| have changed the whole current of history,
but who, his advice being unheedcd, washes
his hands of the whole business. His is the
distinction of being the only Democratic Sena-
tor who saw the end from the beginning and
| couldn't be fooled. AS such he is pointed out
from the galleries.
H4JTJNG on RUSSIA.