Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1881-04-01
THE BARGAIN DISCUSSED,

WHAT DEMOCRATIC SENATORS THINK OF
IT-sKETCHEs OF THEIR SPEECHES
SENATOR MAHoNE's REPLY-HOw IT
WAS RECEIVED.
&C., &C.. sc.
The Democratic Senators at Washing
ton have gotten he head of the Republi-
can party under their arms and are punch
ing it Il their h.. rts content. To under
stand the situ.i on the reader must re-
member that the Republican Senatorial
caucus to carry out its part of the arrange
ment with Gen. Malone, has nominated
Harrison H. Riddeberger of Shenandoah,
author of the Rlddleberger Bill, for Ser
geant at Arms of the Senate. 1t is not
the custom in the Senate to change is off,
GERS at an executive session. such thing
having been done only once IN the history
of that body and that was in 1858. The
custom is to elect them at the beginning
of the regular session in December The
Democrats who comprise just one-half of
the body determined that the change
shonld not be made until the regular ses
sion and in view of the fact that there are
eighty-seven nominations by President
Garfield, including as high officers as
Judges of the Supreme curt. awaiting the
action of the Senate, an action which is
prevented by the obstruction of the Repub.
licans. they refuse to go into the election
of Clerk g and Sergeant-at Arms. They
have the power and by dilatory motions
can prevent it. Their resistance Senator
Hoar of Massachusetts characterized as
the VERY spirit of revolution and trea-
son." For this foolish speech Senator
Brown, of Ga, fairly squelched him. Here
is some of the debate:
MIR Brown-Does the Senator deny that
he did sit in his seat here before the end of
the F0rty-Sixth Congress and refuse to
vote OIL questions that were brought up
where there was party end in view?
Mr.. HOar-I do not wish to be under
stood as admitting that any action of that
kind was like what the Senator has avOwed
his purpose to do.
Mr.. Brown understand that the gen.
tleman denies that that is treason. or that
he is traitor who does it, yet he says we
are traitors if we do it.
Mr.. HOar-1.he Senator will be good
enough to hear my answer.
Mr.. Brown-Certainly.
Mr.. HOar-The Senator asked whether
l denied that Old it. do.
Mr.. Brown-Dues the Senator deny that
he sat in his seat when the yeas and nays
We're called on party questions here one
night, night or two before the termina-
tion of the Forty -sixth Congress. and re-
fused to vote when it was necessary to
make quorum?
Mr. HOar-On the occasion to which the
Senator refers declined to vote / think
once, possibly twice.
Mr.. Brown-Ihat was one little act of
treason then.
Mr.. Hoar-I then proceeded and voted
the Chamber.
Mr.. Brown-That suppose We would
term petty treason. it being a very small
thing, only one little act of treason; there
fore IN that particular my friend would
bt only a petty traitor. But his party did
it good deal oftener than once. [ am
glad the Senator from Massachusetts did
not. 1t seems he only did it once or did it
d little, but the party sat here with whom
be associates and did it a great many
lines. He is guilty Of less treason thar
they are, according to his admission. Now
acquit the Senator by saying that l do
MT agree with him that he is a traitor, or
l do not agree with him that it is treason.
Mr.. Hoar-Will the honorable Senator
permit me? l stated in the speech which
made in reply to him that more than
once, whether justifable or not, all parties
in this country, | believe. certainly the
party to which belong. bad accomplished
refusal to vote or by motions to adjourn.
Mr.. Brown-It was only for brief pc
Rod. aud therefore not treason.
Mr.. HOar-Exactly.
Mr.. Brown-Will the Senator tell me
how long it should have been before it
commenced to be treason?
Mr.. HOar-Certainly will tell the Sen
ator exactly how long it would have to be.
| believe it to be true, although | did not
myself concur in the prOpriety of that pal :
LicUlar proceeding, that some gentleman
On this side of the Chamber accom- lished
a nights or days delay very recently;
but the Senator from Georgia says, not
I'VE will accomplish SUCH delay as is ne
cessary to have this question properly dealt
with, but he says I'VE will sit here for
ever, so far as -
Mr.. Brown-No. did not say that.
Mrs Hoar-SO tar as the term :'fOrever''
can be properly applicable to the Senate;
alternating these motions,'' The dislinc-
ton between filibusterlng and treason is
exactly this; filibusterlng is getting lit
tie time at the demand of a minority;
treason is saying the act shall never be
done by constitutional majority of the
Senate if the minority refuse to do it,
That is the diff renee, and il came in when
the statement OF the honorable senator
from Georgia fell from his lips, that this
thing they would resist until the 1st of
December. think the Senate and the
country understand the broad distin ction
between the two propositions.
Mr. Brown do not think my friend,
the Senator from Massachusetts under
stands it, for he has been able to draw no
distit ctlon. have asked him to draw
the line of demarkatiOn where obstruction
to legislation by the minority on a pOliti-
cal question ceases to be jus:ifable and
commences to be reasonable How many
days, how many weeks must it be contin-
uedp ] want to know where Is the line of
demarkatiOp.
Mr.. Hoar-The line of demarkation is
between the pup pose to prevent ACTION al
together and the mere purpose to delay it.
Mr.. Brown-Then the Senator aid his
whole party were guilty of treason, for
they sat up that night aid flibustered and
refused TO vote, with view to preventing
action altogether until the Congress end
ed, and they did 91yese1t d. Therefore l
have proved my friend is traitor on his
theory. l say he is not traitor, though;
but if his theory is right, then have prov
ed that be is a traitor, because he did it to
prevent in toto the action Of the Senate on
a question Iegitimately before it where it
was its duty to act. IT was just before
the end of a Congress, and by hlibQstering
and sitting in their seats and refusing to
vote they had it in their power to prevent
the party action that we wanted to take,
and they did prevent it, and it fell at the
end Of the Congress by the action of the
Senator and his party, and meyer went in