National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1881-03-25
Bourbon obstructionists in the Senate.


The debate in the Senate yesterday on
the subject of a proposed change of the
officers Of that body was instructive, sug-
gestive, and entertaining. The speech of
Mr.. Dawes, who has charge of the resolu-
ton, was vigorous, pithy, and pointed.
He made it especially plain thattwo years
ago yesterday the Democrats came into
the Senate with their resolutions for a
change of officers, and that on the same
day, without dilatory motions or any
other delay than a short debate, the
minority yielded to the will of the ma
jority, and the resolutions were adopted.
There was no complaining. Now the Dem
ocratic party, having lost its majority often,
gives notice that it will obstruct the ma
iority in the exercise of its constitutional
power to select the officers of the body.
The Senator dwelt upon the fact that the
action of the several State Legislatures
having Senators to choose had made the
opposition fully aware that it had gone
into the minority. There was no lack of
notice, as had been claimed.
Mr.. Pendleton's notice that the ma
iority would not soon pass the resolution
was, of course, a menace of filibustering,
and drew from Mr.. Cameron a declara-
ton that the question would be one of
endurance. Mr.. Brown, of Georgia,
loomed up then in all the grandeur of a
reformed Republican and gave every
na,,norof occr,roDoo Of bic ,,raCo,,4 ,,o1i4;
cal position. He would filibuster until
December. The majority should not rule
unless it was a Bourbon majority. His
party would endure, and stick out and
filibuSter till the end of time, or at least
until December next. Why it was then
to stop he did not explain. Indeed, he
failed to say that it ever would stop. He
had on his war paint His bloody-shirt
speech in the National Radical Conven-
ton of 1868, of which he was an hunored
member, and from the platform of which
he and James Harris Ccolored), of North
Carolina, and r. K. Elliott (also colored),
of South Carolina, spoke so well, was
not more imprisoned than was his effort
ofyesterday. Whether Joseph E. Brown
spcakson the Radical or the Bourbon side,
his hearers always feel convinced that he
is trying to convince them that he is
convinced.
Mr.. Hoar remarked that it was rcvo-
lutionary for one-ffth of the Senate
to permanently block its wheels. He
said that the threat by Mr.. Brown
that the minority would, by flibustering,
prevent the majority from choosing it's
officers at all during an entire session,
prolonged as it might be till December,
was treason as pronounced as sny that
had ever been proclaimed within the
Senate Chamber. This was call for a
halt, and a nights reflection will proba-
bly, convince the wiser and cooler heads
of the opposition that their brakemen
can DO them more good just now than all
their other hands.
A noticeable fact in the debate was that
the threats of breaking things and forcing
minority rule came from the representa-
tiyes of the Solid South. Johnston,
Brown, Jones, Garland, and Harris. re-
spectively from Virginia, Georgia, Florida,
Arkansas, and Tennessee, were ali that
the most cxacting Bourbon could ask.
The country will not fail to see that, il
these gentlemen and enough more to or
der the ayes and noes are to say what
shall and what shall not be considered
and finally acted upon in the Senate; then
We must not only submit to be dictated
to by a minority, but four-fifths can be
dominated by the other fifth. This will
not do. The remedy viii be found
General Logan made Mr. Brown very
uncomfortable by his allusion to that
gentIeman's political tergiversations. He
also dwelt with power upon the constitu-
tional prerogative of the Senate to choose
its officers.
Mr.. Maxey, of Texas, was in a facetious
mood. He talked of confederates and
mustangs. His humor was slightly
vicious, but one Of those who was so for
tunate as to have been the cause of so
much of his wit excused the ill-humor of
the usual genial Texan by remarking that
whoever steps on a dogs tail ought to be
generous enough to hear with patience
the injured animals expressions of pain
The debate will be renewed to-day, and
can harm none but the obstructionists.