Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1881-04-07

FIRE his conscience. and there it stood
before the country

LClOlC thC
Mr.. Sherman Said
the Senator from Delaware Bsysrd
and he agreed upon the principle that
the majority must rule. When the die
tatas of the minority went beyond rea-
sonable delay it became worse than rev.
olution, if any word was worse than
revolution. 1t was treason. Fifteen
Senator's could prevent the United States
Senate from doinga single act and could
break up the government. Under the
rues of the Senate and in conformity
with them, this government might be
as absolutely destroyed as the Southern
Cmiederates would have destroyed it
il they had succeeded. The rules were
intended to be construed with reason
and Judgment. The doctrine OF the
right of the majority to rule must pre-
val. Minorities had certain rights TO
interpose dilatory motions in order to
delay and
Wear out the Will Of the Majority,
bu, when they passed those rights they
entered on dangerous ground. What
weRhty reason had the Senator from
Delaware given to justify the action
which he himself denounced as danger
Gus and revolutionary Lo, it was be-
cause the Senate desired to change some
OF the officers. Another reason assigned
had been because Malone had been a
Democrat and had voted with the Repub-
licans. That would not be sufficient.
Senator Malone came here with plat
form which, if the young men OF the
South rallied around it, would ensure
peaceful and prosperous country.
Reverting to the Question of the Virginia
Debt
he said his own advice to the people OF
that State and to the State OF West Nlr-
ginia would be to pay the whole OF 1t
between them; that Congress itself had
been in the fault in not providing when
il severed West Virginia from Virginia.
what share OF the State debt should be
assumed and paid by West Virginia;
that he had, perhaps. himself voted for
the measure dividing the State OF Nir.
ginia without thinking OF that point, but
he had always regretted that 1t had not
been provided for; that the State gov
ernment OF West Virginia had, however,
matters with the State of Virginia, and
those commissioners had gone to Rich-
mond for that purpose, but that there
had been disagreement and finally the
Democrats had come into power IN
West Virginia and the debt was repu-
dated.
Mr.. Davis, of West Virginia, Challenged
the Correctness
Of this statement, and declared that in
the revised constitution the Democrats
had inserted a provision not exactly
similar TO that in the constitution OF 1865
iOr the payment OF the debt whenever
settlement as TO the amount took place
He said that the Democratic party OF
West Virginia was the only party that
had moved straight in the question. 1t
was on his Davis own motion that
commissioners had been sent to Rlch-
mond. These commissioners had not
agreed with the commissioners from Nir-
einia. and their report had been
made by Mr.. Campbell, a leading
Republican. West Virginia was ready
all the time to take its fair, just and
equitable proportion OF that debt, and
he hoped the time for doing so would
soon come. 1t was the Democrats and
not the Republicans who had sent the
commissioners to Richmond.
Mr.. Burnsides asked what would be
the action OF the Democrats in case the
Vice President should notify the Senate
that he was going 10 New York for ~
hours-what would they do?
Several DemoCrats-Let him go.
Mr.. Burnslde-Suppose we bring in a
resolution for the re election OF the pre-
siding officer.
Mr.. Cockrcll We will meet that
question when it comes.
Mr.. Hoar, in answering the ques-
ton,
Challenged any Senator
on the other side to say he would refuse
tosupport for political office, or to have
a political alliance with anybody in the
South for the reason that he entertained
the opinions attributed 10 Malone and
Rildleberger.
Mr.. Bayard arose and Mr.. Hoar re-
peated the challenge.
Mr.. Bayard-The Senator wants an
answer, and | will try to give it to him.
Ii man Il do not care whether he is a
Democrat or Republican,, advocates the
siGe of reputation, and reputation is
made the issue, l would never support
him.
Mr.. Hoar-"If reputation is made
the issue"-but suppose it is not the
issue?
Mr.. Bayard-But reputation, by the
action of the Senator's party, is made
the issue.
Mr.. Hoar-I deny it.
Mr.. Bayard-And | affirm it.
After some further debate, the Senate
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