The Portland daily press., 1881-03-25
SENATE.
Democrats Filibustering to Pre-
vent Change of Officers.
DAVID DAVIS VOTES WITH THE RE-
PUBLICANS.


After the journal was read, Mr.. Dawes res
olution for the election of new officers came
up.
Senator Davis of ILL.,, spoke as follows:
On a recent occasion 1 stated the reasons
that determined my vote on the organization
of the Senate, not expecting to satisfy class
of politicians accustomed to party discipline
and unable to appreciate free thought and in
dependent action. Fair criticism is always
entitled to respect, and the public man who
shr inks from it, even when harsh, does not de-
serve forbearance. An attempt hes been made
which elected me to the Senate contained a
Republican majority, and that the State of
Illinois on the popular vote was also largely
Republican. Both of these assumptions are
unfounded. The legislature at that time stood
as follows, according to the official compilation
OF the Secretary of State. Republicans-Sen-
ate, 81; House, 70. Democrats-Senate, %;
House, CT. Observation-Disclosures, 5; House,
6. 1t is thus seen that the Republicans and
the Democrats were almost equally divided,
and that few Independents turned the
scale. For President, Hayes received 27S, 232,
Tilden 258,601, and Cooper II ,233 votes. Hayes
clear majority was 1898 in poll of over half a
million. These figures prove how closely bal
anced the two parties were in 1867. More
than 80 per cent of the votes cast for me as
Senator were from Democrats without pledges,
conditions or correspondence OF any kind what
ever. They knew my politicnl antecedents.
and they also knew that neither the honor
which was freely conferred upon me or any 9TH
or distinction that could be offered would alter
any conviction had formed, or defect me
from the course of duty, as it appeared to my
best judgment. Having accepted this gener-
GUS trust under these circumstances, good
faith required me to sustain the organization
of the Senate as it had existed in
the last Congress. No principle was involved
but merely the control of committees and of
To- slxx IL
and 1 shall continue in that way until the end
is reached, being answerable only to my con-
science and to my constituents for this act.
What my friend, the distinguished Senator
from New York, properly calls ga constitution
al majority" was disclosed when the Vice
President, not a member of this body, gave the
casting voice for the committees. However
feeting or fractional that majority may be, we
are commanded to accept it and to obey it.
The majority that then chose the committees
is fairly entitled to choose the officers of the
Senate. One naturally goes with the other in
order to perfect the organization. This con-
clusion will neither be delayed nor INSTRUCTED
by any vote of mine. and it cannot be reached
too soon for the public interest. do not re-
greet at all that the new administration which
had to confront the country with its policy
should have control of both branches OF Con-
gress. The responsibility for measures to be
proposed cannot be avoided, with the power to
initiate all legislation. The majority is not
large enough to indulge in rash experiments,
and the minority is sufficiently strong to
check any tendency to excess. Between these
two elements the great voice of independent
opinion can always be heard with effect, and
the country has every prospect of peace and
prosperity.
Mr.. Pendleton spoke at some length. He
said that he thought the resolution was
simply warning that the Democrats no longer
ruled the Senate; that the caucus no longer
ruled the Democrats, and that Confederate
Brigadiers Rno longer ruled the caucus. The
gentlemen of the other side had now Con-
federate Brigadier as an associate, and they
wanted another as an officer of the Senate
He urged that the resolution lie on the table
to avoid long discussion.
Senator Harris moved that the Senate pro-
coed to consideration of executive business.
A number OF Senators were paired and the
vote stood 81 ayes against 80 nays, David Davis
having voted with the Republicans.
Senator Beck said that he desired to ascer-
tain whether the Mr.. Riddleberger nominated
for Sergeant-at-Arms was the person of that
name identified with reputation. He moved
that the Senate adjourn.
Senate having voted down the motion to ad-
journ, Jones Of Florida moved to 90 into ex-
ecutive session.
The vote on Senator Jones' motion to go in
to executive session having been tie, was de-
cided in the negative by the Vice President.
Mr.. Harris then moved an adjournment, on
WHICH Inc ayes anu nays were Called
The Senate having again refused to adjourn,
Mr.. Pendleton moved to lay the election reso-
luton on the table. This was lost, and then
Senator Maxey spoke about the Republican
clamor about Confederate brigadiers on the
Democratic side now, followed by the admis.
sion into their ranks of Confederate briga-
der and by the nomination of Democratic
Confederate colonel as a Sergeant-at-Arms.
Mr.. Maxey concluded his humorous remarks
by motion to 60 into executive session, on
which the ayes and nays were deliberately call
ed as if the Clerk was prolonging his official
existence.
The motion was lost by one vote, and Sena-
tor Harris again took the floor. He desired to
have an opportunity of learning more about
the nominations for new officers, and in order
to obtain it he moved to postpone the election
until next December
Gen. Logan replied, showing that when the
Democrats elected new offices two years ago no
notice was given to the Republicans. He de-
Tended Mr.. Gorham, who had been character
lied as pitching mustang" If the Repub-
licans make mistake they would have to as.
sumo the responsibility.
Senator Brown defended the action of the
Democrats, and was answered by Senators
Dawes and Hoar.
After considerable further debate princi-
pally between Brown of Ca, and Hoar, on the
subject of the constitutional rights of the ma
jority in the Senate, the senate adjourned
without action on the organization