Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1881-05-11
THE DEMOCRATIC POSITION
THIRTEEN SUFFICIENT REASONS FOR
THEIR STAND IN THE SENATE.


! in tho United States Senate. Th
gentleman lays down the followin
thirteen propositions as, in his jud,
ment, governing the case. He studie
the grounds of the dispute CAREFUL
and intelligently, and the thrice
points which he presents deserve Al
tention, not only for the strength wit
which they are presented, but also be
cause they represent, in a iorcible way
the grounds upon which the Demo
cratic Senators justify their course
The following are the thirteen propo
sitions:
FirSt-A party cannot be considere,
to have a majority in the Legislative
body when it is unable to take a singh
step or adopt single motion unles
some one of the alleged minority viii
aid it by voting and thus making thu
desired and necessary quorum.
iSecond-rhe Republicans in the Sen
ate, without Malone added, have jusl
one.halfthe Senate. Unless some mem
Der of the Democratic halt lends hi.
aid the Republican Senators, plus Ma
hone, cannot command a quorum, and
can do no business of any name or ma.
ture except adjourn.
Third-The vote of the Vice Presi.
dent cannot be made available until
the Democrats shall be obliging enough
to create the tie, which ho will then be
able to unloosc. OF original power the
Vice President has not one particle, and
the Republicans are enragcd because
the Democrats will not 80 vote as to
give the Vice President the opportu.
nifty to turn out Democratic Office
holders who arc faithfully discharging
their duty.
Fourth-The Vice President has
never in the history of the Govern.
ment, save in single instance, voted
in the election of Senate officers, and
that was IN a case where vacancy
was to be filed. Ifa vacancy wero to
be filed today every Democratic Sen.
ator would be perfectly willing to have
the Vice President vote if tic should
occur, but the Democrats affirm, and
will to the end maintain, that the Vice
Presidents vote shall not be used to
create q vacancy where no accusation
is made against the incumbent and
where tho change is to be made for po.
litical purposes only.
FJth-Tho "rule of the majority"
about which the Republican Senators
talk so loudly, is the "rulo" which they
will enforce il one or more Democratic
Senators will help them do It.
,Si.rih-Tho Republicans are irritated
because the Democrats will not lend
their aid TO the consummation of the
Malone bargain by the election of
Gorhsm and Riddleberger
Screnh-At the opening of this ses.
sion and for seventeen days after. the
Democrats had clear and absolute
majority in the Senate, but the Repub
licans interposed dilatory motions
every time the appointment OF com.
mittees was proposed, and they held
the Senate in a totally unorganized III
not disorganlzed condition until the
vacant seats were filled and the trade
with Malone completed.
Eighth-When the Republicans got
ready to appoint committees the Dem.
ocratic Senators interposed no objec-
tions, because committees were essen.
tial to q proper organization of the
body, and they submitted quietly to |
having all the chairmanships taken
from them and transferred 10 the Re.
publicans, although they never ought
TO have done this, and they set an evil
precedent in allowing it, which must
be corrected at the very first opportu.
nifty,
Nlnth-But when it is proposed to
.ake another and needless aggressive
'tep, one entirely needless, except to
give Malone bis pay and turn out two
excellent and acceptable officers simply
because they arc Democrats, the Dem.
lcratic Senator'S say: "No, you shall
not do it, and we will stop you by pre-.
'isely the same means which you EN-.
'loyed for seventeen days to stop us
rom organizing the committees"
Tenh-Whenever tho Republicans
hall have a majority, even of one, in
he Senate, no Democrat will interpose
single dilatory motion against the
election of now officers; but so long as
he Republican Senators united with
dahono have only one.balf the Senate
md the Democrats the other half, the
Democrats will not aid, directly or in
Iirectly, in turning out Democratic
Iflicers.
Herenth-The Republican Senators
nay make up their minds that neither
1 this session nor at tho next session
will they be able TO turn Messrs.
'urch and Bright out of Office unless
y some means they first acquire
majority Of the Senate.
T'ceDh-0ne word more. When
ommittees are to be appointed next
December, II the Senate continues
venly divided as now, fair warning is I
iven to the Republican Senators that
he Democratic Senators will insist on
fair and equitable division of the
ommittees and chairmanships. There {
rc thirty.cight Senators on each side
f the Chamber, and common fairness Z
emands and equal partition of the /
ommittees. q