Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1881-06-08

his position is truly humiliating. Free
Press.
The True Inwardness Of the Deadlock.
The true inwardness of the dead
lock in the Uuitcd States Senate, and
of the quarrel between President Gar
field and Roscoe Conkling, is, by Il
correspondent, fairly and truly por-
trayed in the following language:
The Senate of the Forty-seventh
Congress was born on the 9TH of March,
and was ushered into the world with Il
veil about organization. The vote
stood thirty-eight Democrats and thirty
seven Republicans and Malone. Which
side would get Malone was then a
mooted question and enc which had
been a source of speculation second to
no other question in the country
Malone had already become pol
itical issue on the mere strength OF
the possibilities. Both sides claimed
him, and so far a. Malone was person
ally concerned neither side got salts
faction. From all the evidences his
mysterious silence indicated that Ma
hone was in the market, and was will
ing to go with the highest bidder. The
Democrats so interpreted it, for Ma
hone had always been Democrat, was
elected as a Democrat, and claimed
still 10 be a Democrat, and his avoid
ance of them and consorting with Re
pubicans before the issue was fairly
made, suggested nothing but treachery.
When the question of organization was
under discussion, it was evident the
Republicans claimed Malone, since it
needed both his vote and that of the
Vice-President 70 give them even that
anomalous majority.
If there were any doubters among
the Democrats, their doubts were soon
destined to be put at rest. The Re
publicans prevented action upon the
organization by fllibustering two weeks,
by which time their seats were filled.
The next day after this had occurred,
they prepared their own list Of chair
manships in caucus and reported it to
the Senate. 1t was then that famous
debate between Ben Hill and Malone
came off, and the latter was fairly driv-
en- out of his cover for the first time.
In the vote which followed, Malone
cast his vote with the Republicans, and
the Senate was tie Of thirty-eight 20
thirty-eight. 1t was at this juncture
that the extraordinary use of the Vice
Presidential power was made, and Vice
President Arthur became the Republi-
can Constitutional majority, which has
been harped upon all through the ses-
sion. Whether the action Of the Vice
President in voting on the organization
Of the Senate was exactly in accordance
with the meaning of the Constitution
or not, it was certainly new in the his
tory Of the American Senate. With.
out this Vice-Presidential vote it is
plain that the deadlock in the Senate
would have been a necessity instead OF
an accident. With the Vice-Presiden-
tial vote on all questions before the
Senate, the State Of New York prac-
tically had three Senators on the floor
of that chamber, whereas it was en-
titled to but two. The Democrats made
a strong point here, claiming that the
Vice-President could only exercise his
privilege of a casting vote upon the
ordinary business of the Senate and
not in the Senate's selection of its own
officers Notwithstanding Democratic
objections the Republicans thus organ
lied the Senate committees Until
this was done not single nomination
was confirmed beyond the Cabinet and
n few select officers which by the cour-
tesy Of the Senate did not require re-
ference to committees.
No sooner had the Republicans sue
ceeded in the committee business than
they Immediately in caucus decided to
make the change of officers complete
by the election of the regular Senate
officials and the displacement of the
Democratic force.
When the nominations Of the Re-
publican caucus was made puSlic, the
effect was simply TO infuriate the Dem
ocrats. Whyl Because the Republi-
cans, having just given Malone, the
trader, two important committees and
had in the arrangement Of their official
slate transferred TO him two-thirds of
the patronage of the Senate. Mahone's
man, Gorham, who had coached him
on his road from the Democratic to the
Republican camp, was to be Secretary
Of the Senate; III. II. Riddleberger,
Mahone's Virginia right bower, the
boss repudistor and openly avowed un-