The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1879-01-23
The Contest for Senator Butler,s Seat.

WASHlSGTON, January y,
Senator Sharon, Of Nevada, arrived
here tonight, his first appearance in
Washington for nearly two. years. He
will be on hand in the Senate chamber
to-morfow. 1t is understood that the
purpose of the Republican Senators is
now, at the first auspicious opportunity,
to reopen the Butler Corbin case. The
report of the majority of the committee
on privileges and elections, declaring
Cor5in entitled TO the seat. has been
ready for some time, and action viii be
called for omit When Mr.. Butler was
admitted as Senator from South Carolina,
with Senators Conover and Patterson
both voting for him, he had but one ma.
jority. If the case is brought up now,
Mr.. Sharon's vote against Mr.. Butler will
make it q tie, and the casting vote of
Vice President Wheeler will give the
seat to Mr.. Corhin. This is the Repub-
lican calculation, but it is possible that
the calculation may be at fault. I.s IL
On the occasion of5Mr. Buffers admis-
sion to the Senate, Judge Davis, of Illi-
nois, did not vote at all, for the reason
that he had doubts as to the legality of
Mr.. Buffers election, although some of
the friends Of the latter asserted that
Judge Dav,s's vote in his favor ~o1ld be
forthcoming If necessary. If this state
ment was correct perhaps the vote of
Judge Davis can be counted on BY AIr.
Butler at this time, which would still
give him one majority. 1t is true that
there were quite q number Of Democratic
Senator'S who entertained the same doubts
as Judge Davis, and who thought the
South Carolina Legislature ought to go
into new election for Senator, but aa
they walked manfully p to the scratch
then, of course they will do so second
time. This doubt as to- the legality of
Mr.. Buffers election was shared also by
members of the South Carolina Legisla-
ture, In Columbia, in April, 1877, after
PRESIDENT Hayes had recognized the
Hampton Government: Members of the
Legislature were then debating the pro-
priety of having new election for Sena-,
tor, and 1t was said that one Of the main
causes which dissuaded them was q dis
tinct intimation from Governor Hamp-
ton that he would give the certificate of
election to Mr.. Rntler, and to no one else.
However, Mr.. Butler is in the seat and
the probability is that he will stay there
if Patterson and Conover both stick.
The casting vote of the Vice President
would, it is extremely probable, be dis
regarded by the Senate after it becomes
Democratic on the 4th of March. as the
| ground was taken that the Vice Presi-
dents constitutional eseroSs.:-a gave
him no right to vote on the question of
the admission of q Senator.
Mr.. Eaton gave formal mott that on
tho fiii Vi hiafvi, 1878, no would would iiiIio7e
to declare any seat vacant the occupant
OF which had been admitted by the vote
OF the Vice-President. The only hone.
therefore, it would seem, that the Repdb-
iicans can entertain of getting Cofbin in
ia to seduce either Con0yer or Patterson
from the Butler side. If they can do
this, the victory will 70 theirs. There
are rurnors that Mr.. Conoyer Is dissatis-
fed and mad withthe )emocrats because
they would not il. him come 10 tho tho
House Of Representa- es from Florida.
but, as his support of Butler has always
been understood to be due solely to per
sonal reasons, this may make no differ
ence. AS to Mr.. Patterson's course, there
are curious stories anoat in Democratic
circles tonight to the effect that Patter-
son, at the time Butler was admitted.
would have succumbed to the pressure
and obliquy heaped upon him. and de-
serted Butler, had he not been held up
by the hand of Don Cameron; that Don
| Cameron, on account of personal friend
ship and other reasons, wanted Butler
admitted, but of course, for reasons q Z
/ policy, could not give his 4n vote to
him. Strange IS this may seem, il ia be-
| lieyed to be true, and it is really not 20
wonderful IS many things which con-
sianiiy occur here's. Z q sslEsgTah, Is Tie IBdi-
| fiEl0re sSi.n. 'sT