The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1881-03-25
Democratic senators Threaten 60 op-
pose a Change. tothe Bitter END
BesInuins OF FIIiibu.teriaE.
only . Question or Physical anaur.
rre..os Uttered ON the Floor of the
senate.
The Nomination or Robertson.
ConkIinx Confident. and SO Is Rob-
erts0n.
SENATE.

SENATE.
Dawes called up the resolution for
the election Of officers of the senate.
Davis, of Illinois, said: On a recent
occasion stated the reasons that deter
mined my vote on the organization of
the senate. not expecting to satisfy the
close politicians, accustomed to party
discipline and unable to appreciate free
thought and action. Fair criticism is
always entitled to respect, and the
public man who shrinks from IL, even
when harsh, does not deserve forbear-
ance. An attempt has been made to
have it appear that the legislature
which elected me to the senate con-
tained republican majority, and that
the state Of Illinois in population is
largely republican. Both these as
sumptions are .unfounded. The legis-
lature at that time stood as follows:1
Republicans in the senate, 21; in the
house, 70. Democrats in the senate,
%; in the house, 67. Independents in
the senate, 8; house, 6. 1t is thus seen
that the republicans and democrats
were about even, and that the few indie
pendents turned the scale. For presi-
dent, Hayes received 279, ,232, Tilden
8,60l, and Cooper 1926 votes.
Hayes clear majority was 1898, in a
poll of over half million.
These figures proved how closely the
two parties were balanced in 1S76-77.
More than 80 per cent. of the votes
cast for me as senator were from DEM
ocrats, without pledges. conditions, or
correspondence of any kind whatever.
They knew my political antecedents,
and they also know that neither the
honor which was fairly conferred upon
me, nor any other distinction that
could be offered would alter any convic-'
tion had formed or defect me from
the course Of duty as it appeared to my
best Judgment. Having reposed in me
this generous trust. and under the cir
cumstances, good faith required me to
sustain an organization Of the senate
as it existed, as it had existed in the
last congress. No principle was in
volved, but merely the control of the
committees and OF the offices. l have
voted steadily against a change, and
shall continue in that way until the end
is reached, being answerable only to my
conscience and to my constituents for
this act.
What my friend, the distinguished
senator from New York, properly calls
"a constitutional majority" was dis
closed when the vice president, not a
member Of this body, gives the casting
voice for the committees. However
fieeting or fractional that majority may
be, we are commanded to accept 1t and
to obey 1t. 1t is the majority that
chooses the officers Of the senate; one
naturally goes with the other in order
to perfect the organization. This con-
clusion will neither be delayed nor OBJ
structed by any vote of mine, and it
cannot be reached too soon for the
public interest. 1 do not regret at all
that the new administration, which has
to confront the country with its policy,
should have control of both branches of
congress. The responsibility of the
measures to be proposed cannot be
avoided with the power to initiate all
legislation. The majority is not large
enough to indulge in rash experiment,
and the minority is sufficiently strong
to check any tendency to excess. Be-
tween these two elements, the great
voice Of independent opinion can always
be heard with effect, and the country
has every prospect of peace and pros
perity.
On Dawes refusing to let the resolu-
tion 60 over, the democrats fillibustered,
occasionally taunting the republicans
with taking into the party fold the
democratic brigadiers.
Garland opposed the charge as an
injustice to the employees.
Cameron said that the republicans
would sit the question out, and Brown
said that the democrats will stay till
December.
Brown continued that the recent
action of the republican party and the
senator from Virginia had shown that
a period had been reached when no
more would be said about confederate
brigadiers. That period has been
reached that was spoken of by a very
old book when it said, "The wolf also
shall dwell with the lamb, and the
leopard shall lie down with the kid, and
the. calf and the young lion be walking
together, and little child shall lead
them" That period had been reached
when the lion Of debt-paying republi-
canism and the lamb of readjustment
and partial reputation had lain down
In loving embrace together in green
pastures Of luxuriant richness. He
would not say that child or little
general should lead them, but that
gallant confederate general would lead