Louisiana capitolian. (Baton Rouge, La.) 1879-1881, 1881-10-13
Hence it was high duty, and great
duty, which preceded all others in i'm


pro tenn. 1t ranked the question Of
swearing Senators and all other ques-
tions. The Democratic side proposed
decently and in order and according to
law to fill a possible gap at the earliest
possible moment. Ofcourse, he did not
deny that, by unanimous consent, the
law of 1889, to which the Senator from
Vermont had referred, could be set aside,
but he asserted that the Democrat, side
preferred to stand on the statue in per-
forming that important dnty..
After some further debate Mr. Ed
mund's amendment was lost--yeas 80,
nays "a.
Mr.. Edmunds then moved an amend
ment that Mr.. Bayard be elected Presi-
dent pro TEN. for this day only.
Mr.. Beck confessed his inability to I'M
derstand why the President pro TEN.
should be elected for this day and an
other election held tomorrow. If the
recent Vice President had followed the
presidents and allowed q President pro
TEN. to be elected at the last session Of
the Senate, there would have been now
no necessity for converting this special
session. The Democratic side was now
tainted with seeking to do an indecent
thing, because itdid notglv unanimous
consent to the proposition made in con-
travention of the law of the land
Mr.. Edmunds said: The point which
the Democratic party might gain by
their present course would turn to ashes
of the bitterest description. But that
was for the future for the present it was
his mission to appeal to the Democrats,
by the precedents of their party, by the
spirit and letter Of the constitution, to
give New York and Rhode Island the
right to raise their voices with their sis
ter States in the choice of presiding
officer. There used to tee a saying" Oh,
shame, whereas thy blushg" but he be-
lieved that modern shame had lost it's
blush, and it had come to be the. fixed
purpose of any temporary or accidental
power in this body to exclude their fell
lows and their equals until they could
grasp something, which if their equals
were admitted they could not grasp.
Mr.. Morgan congratulated the Senate
on the exhibition this morning of the
fact that the Senator from Vermont, at
ter having by his vote frequently par
ticipated in excluding sovereign States
from voice in the Senate, had at last
come to the conclusion that Senator'S
must be admitted whenever their Gre
dentials were read, without an opportu-
nifty being given for investigation OF
inquiry. He argued in favor Of the
right of the Democrats to elect presid.
ing officer, and said that it seemed to
him an intrusion on freedom of will fol
Senators on the other side to demand
that the Democrats should yield the
power which has been placed in theil
hands. Besides, constitutional questions
had been urged in regard to the Lawful
election of Senators elect to this body
Were Democrats to be blamed if they
lent an ear to the complaints Of the Re
publican party against the Legislature
of New York. The credentials of thu
three Senators-elect had only been reat
this morning. 1t had been intimatet
that frauds prevailed in the Legislature
of New York, and it had also been urget
that that Legislature had not had th'
power under the constitution to cleo
Senators at the time they were elected.
Mr.. Vest criticised the language uset
by Mr.. Edmunds in intimatlng that thu
Democrats were attempting to grasp tn
prize made possible to them by an assas
sination. The foul lips Of the ASSASSIN
who had struck down the President ha'
brought upon them no invocation TO
: Democratic success, but an invocation
had been made for faction Of the Re
, publican party.
Mr.. Beck denied that the majorit
r which the Democrats had to-day wa
t accidental. 1t had been brought abou
0 by wrongful conduct Of the Vice Pres
4 dent, and the foolish conduct Of tw
1 Senators from New York in throwing u
: their credentials. Laughter, prompt
T checked by the presiding officer.l
q there was responsibility for crime, d
r rectly or indirectly, it rested upon hi
! political opponents and not with tn
Democratic party. He charged none
= but the insinuation that the Democrat
j. of the country had anything but a tel
t for the dead President, sorrow for h