Louisiana capitolian. (Baton Rouge, La.) 1879-1881, 1881-10-15

dent pro tenn. lot bnlS uay Only.
Mr.. Beck confessed his inability to UNI
derstand why the President pro TEN.
should be elected for this day and an
other election held tomorrow. II the
recent Vice President had followed the
precedents and allowed q President pro
tern. 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
haunted with seeking to do an indecent
thing, because itdid notglve unanimous
consent to the proposition made in con-
trayention Of the law Of the land.
Mr.. Edmunds said: The point which
tho 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 be u saying. ooh,
shame, where is thy blush" but he be-
lieyed that modern shame had lost its
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, af-
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 Senators
must be admitted whenever their ere.
dentials were read, without an opportu-
nifty being given for investigation or
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 for
Senators on the other side to demand
that the Democrats should yield the
power which has been placed in their
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 the
three Senators-elect had only been read
this morning. 1t had been intimated
that frauds prevailed in the Legislature
OF New York, and it had also been urged
that that Legislature had not had the
power under the constitution to elect
Senator'S at the time they were elected.
Mr. Vest criticised the language used
by Mr.. Edmunds in intimatlng that the
Democrats were attempting to grasp the
prize made possible to them by an assas.
sination, The foul lips of the assassin
| who had struck down the President had
brought upon them no invocation fol
Democratic success, but an invocation
had been made for a faction Of the Re
publican party.
! Mr.. Beck denied that the majority
which the Democrats had to-day was
accidental. It had been brought about
by wrongful conduct Of the Vice-presi
dent, and the foolish conduct of two
Senators from New York in throwing uI
their credentials. Laughter, promptly
checked by the presiding officer. i
there was responsibility for crime, d.
rectly or indirectly, it rested upon his
political opponents and not with the
Democratic party He charged none
but the in9inuation that the Democracy
of the country had anything but teal
for the dead President, sorrow for hi
family and oxecration for the miserable
assassin, he declared to be absolutely
false He contended in the course O
further remarks that it was the duty o
the Democratic Senators to elect u Pre-
sident pro tempore, and recalled thu
phrase 80 often quoted at the last session
Of the Senate, that the voice o
the constitutional majority vas Of God
The constitutional majority to-day hap
lpened to be on the Democratic side, and
OF course, ia the opinion Of his Republi
can friends, It's voice was scarcely ;
divine ntterauce.
Nj. Edmunds' amendment was thel
rejected-yeas 80, nays "a.
Mr.. Edmunds moved to strike out til,
name Of Thos. +. Bayard and insert tina
of Henry =. Anthony. Rejected--yea
80, nays 81. Messrs. Bayard and Antho
nv heinz nairad