New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-06-21

The United States Senate spent nearly the
whole day yesterday. and all the evening, IN
the discussion of the Army bill. Speeches
were made against the political section by
Mr.. Carpenter, Mr.. KlrkwO0d, Mr. Blaine
Mr.. Conklng, and others, and by Mr..
HIn Mr.. Thurman, and Mr.. Beck In favor
of it. Mr.. KirkwOOd was cOmplmented by
Mr. Hill. All the amendments offered by the
Republicans we're voted down without excep-
ton, and the Democrats then rejected all the
amendments they had themselves previously
made. The object was to avoid sending the
bill back to the House. The bill being re-
ported from Committee of the Whole the bat
tie began anew, and at 2 a. m. the Senate
had only just passed the bill.
NO BITTERNESS IN THE DEBATE.
MR. BAYARD A LITTLE IMPATIENT AT MR.. BLAINEs
PFRrINACGTY BUT NO OTHER BREACH OF GOOD
ORDER OCCURS - THURMAN's REMARKABLE
ePEFCH-A COMPLETE CHANGE OF THE DEMO-
CRATIC FRONT.
lBY TELEGRAPH TRIBUNE.I
WASHINGTON. June 20.-As q result of the tactics
Of the Republicans of the Senate night before last
the whole afternoon to-day was devoted to formal
speech-makng, almost entirely by Republican Sena-
tors The tone of the debate to-day exception
ally fair and devoid of bitterness. The galleries
and the floor Of the Senate were crowded during the
entire afternoon with an audience ofintelligent and
deeply interested spectators.
Senator Carpenter, who opened the debate, made
several fine legal points against the measure, the
conclusion of which that in accordance with
the wel-known principles of legal Interpretation.
the measure was only covert method of accom-
plshing the overturn of the election laws winch
the Democrats had failed to repeal
Senotor InraIlss Oneninp remarks contained 4
eulogy upon the wisdom and discretion and firm
ness exhibited by President Hayes in his dealing
with the south such as has seldom been paid TO any
President by his most ardent admirer IN Congress.
General Logan reviewed the course of the two
parties in the present contest, and made the point
that il the use of the Army could be made illegal
for day its could be prohibited for the whole
year. He said that such principle should never be
recognized for a moment
Mr.. Kirk wood, of Iowa. followed, and made
speech which by universal consent is pronounced
gem of legal and political oratory. 1t is rarely
the case that Senatorial compliments mean any,
thing at all but when at the end of Governor Kirk
woods speech today Senator Hill rose and in I'M
stnted terms of praise commended the manner and
matter of the speech, every listener mentally said,
"That is true" Governor KirkwOOd is an old
Scotchnan with all the characteristic pecuaTities
of his in appearance and accent. He is one OF
the most amiable men in Congress. and is univer-
sally respected for his answering rectitude Of
character. He does not often take up the time of
the Senate in debate and, especially on great Occa-
sioDs, he generally leaves the talking for the
younger and more ambitious members to do. He Is
worker however, and his opinion goes great way
with his colleagues. Is it becoming In this
body he asked I" is 1t Just to the country. that
should vote upon this measure without knowing
at mo IN acQOmUliSn Docs 1t
become us as intelligent men, does it not become us
as Senator'S to say whether it means that troops
shall not go to the polls election day to exercise
the ordinary duties commonly performed by police
men, or that the troops of the United States shall
not go to the polls at all ~
THE DEMOCRATS ROUSE Up.
Senator Hill, of Georgia, set himself the task Of
spreading something on the record in reply to this
question which should be wholly unintelligible to
anybody, and would therefore not commit the
Democratic party or the Senate or himself to any
thing at ali. The effort reminded listeners OF the
willy Senator's argument in the of the admission
of Senator Bell, on which occasion he maint aimed
in several speeches that that the word otherwise"
MEANS in a legal sense. in the same way" He
made his argument to-day literally clear mud.
Senator Thurman then took the floor, and exercised
his function as Gar of the caucus to admonish bis
followers not to give themselves away and not to be
provoked either into making any explanation of their
motives, OF voting in favor of any proposed amed-
ment, whatever might be its merits. Turning his
back upOn the Republicans and facing the
Democrats, he said: Il don't think you
want your words quoted in any future
veto message" lie admonished them, as
he is evidently wont to do in caucus, be discreet.
Turning again to the Republicans he said Put
any construction you please upon the words Study
the language for yourselves. Let those who are OPP
posed TO this bill interpret it for themselves will
vote against any amendment without the slight
est regard TO the merits of the amendment"
One very significant feature of his remarks
was the concluding observation embodyiug his re-
Vret that the had been amended at all, and
expressing the hope that the amendments would be
stricken out that the bill might not be sent back
10 the House for concurrence. The object of this
was easily seen. All the Republican speakers had
referred 10 a series of amendments de-
signed to put the Democrats on record
by their votes, since they would not explain their
caucus BILL in some manner which should betray
their intentions The only pretext which occurred
q Senator Thurman To justify blind opposition 10
q amendments was TO do SO upon the ground that
Il would necessarily send the bill back to the House
and thus consume tIme SO the Democrats AT the die
tum of their Car deliberately concluded to destroy
their own work in the way of amendments per-
fected in the Senate Appropriations Committee and
already adopted by the Senate in Committee of the
Whole
TIE NIGHT SESSION BEGINS.
Wien Senator Thurman took the floor 1t was
about o'clock. Up 10 that hour everyone ex-
pected that a vote would be reached early in the
evening, but during his remarks those who observed
Senator Conklmg, the leader of the Republicans.
made up their minds that the session would last
into the night and fortified for a siege.
One OF Mr. Thurman's points was that no Congress