The Portland daily press., 1881-04-14

will again secede as he did. twenty years
ago? Does he mean that he will not perform
his constitutional functions here and that
there stands with him the whole OF that party
which the Senator from Ohio tried to lift up to
the sky this morning? They will abandon
their seats, they will refuse to perform their
functions, they will declare that this Senate
shall not proceed with its deliberations because
they do not like what the majority proposes to
do. Does he announce that we cannot accom-
plish anything without his aid? He announces
only in new form what heard tNenty years
ago when man got up here and announced
that he held an allegiance higher than that to
the constitution which he had sworn to sup
port and that he would turn his back on his
oath to his flag and go forth to make war upon
it, This is war in another form This is as
fatal if it succeeds to the existence of govern
ment of the majority as was the undertaking
of Jefferson Davis when he announced the
same doctrine in another form from where the
Senator now stands. Has it come to life
again? Has it been resurrected after twenty
years of war, disaster and surrender on the
field? Has it come up here jim this mild and
insidious form that the majority is helpless un-
less the minority prove true to its oath and its
duty If so this days debate is more imporss-
ant than any days debate which has been had
in this chamber since the foundation of the
government 1t is now said to the American
people that there is method of overthrowing
the will of constitutional majority besides
that which the Senator followed twenty years
ago. It is far more dangerous than that for
the American people can meet all their open
enemies without.
Mr.. Harris, who had been for some time en-.
deavoring to interrupt Mr.. Dawes, here man
aged to obtain the floor. "Now,' he said,
"that the frenzy of the Senator has slightly
abated, I beg to assure that Senator that SO 1ar
as nv constitutional duties are concerned they
will be performed as earnestly and as con-
stantly and, trust, with more frankness and
manliness than the Senator has performed his
on this occasion. meant simply this, that
you boosted constitutional majority was no ma
jority."
After some further remarks by Messrs.
Harris and Dawes, Mr.. Hill, of Georgia, re-
ferred to the remark made by Mr.. Dawes rela-
i've to attempts made BY the Democrats to
CAPTURE Mr. Mahones vote, and entered an
emphatic denial of that charge. The point in
the discussion was when, how and why the
Senator from Virginia became Republican.
That Senator sat with the Republicans, acted
with the Republicans in slandering his own
people. But why did not the Senator say he
was Republican. One word Of his would be
worth ten thousand such speeches as those OF
the Senator from Massachusetts,.
Mr. Malone rose to reply. He called the
Senate to witness that he had not in this dis
cussion transgressed the bounds OF propriety,
but that he had been courteous and respectful
He denied that any Senator on either side of
the chamber had ever approached him I'M
properly as to the organization OF the Senate
liz 0lQ uOG pr6Suulo any uOuOAduiO AoA WOuiu
expect him to violate the amenities of life and
to state what had taken place between
himself and Senators on the subject oil Or
ganization. 1t was true that he had been
asked by Democratic Senators as to what his
action would be in regard to the organization,
but whether those Senators who came to him
| from the other side came as representatives OF
| a caucus he had never thought of inquiring.
| His response to both had been alike in effect
| that he had no wish to prefer. but that he in
Id all ions RI uof q nInQGad
| He had come here with obligations to neither
| party, and in the discharge of his duty he
| would follow his own Judgment as to how he
| voted. His action was not to be controlled Dy
| a caucus. He repealed the suggestion that he
! could be approached by any person with a plan
| or scheme to reach ends in the Senate cham
| Der that were not legitimate. While the ques-
| ton was one between himself and those who
sent him to the Senate, he could not become a
| partizan of either party. What debt did he
! owe to either? He certainly owed nothing to
| the National Democracy as represented by
| Barnum and his committee. He now came to
| the question of privilege on which he had in
| tended to seek the floor today. He had not
| been in the Senate chamber when a discussion
took place between Senators Rollins and
| Hill, aud he had only noticed it in the Record
| last Monday. He had an extract from the dis
| cussion read at the clerks desk. AT the point
| that the Democrats had been seeking to make
| an arrangement to secure Mahone's vote, HI!
replied 'sBut they would not have bought it,"
| 'sNow, Mr.. President" continued Malone,
''that language admits of one or more inter-
! pretations and come to ask the Senator from
| Georgia (as his language in one aspect implies
| that my vote had been or could be bought
! whether he intended to convey any such
| idea?''
| Mr. Hill lin his seat)-Go on and will ans
| wer.
| Mr.. Mahone-I am ready for you to answer
now.
Mr. Hill-I prefer to wait until you get
| through.
Mr.. Malone with emphasis)-I have moth
| ing now to say but to ask that simple question.
| Mr. Hill-Now shall make to the Senator
! an answer which feel he or any other Senator
| ought to make me under like circumstances
remark make by the Senator from New
4 Hampshire l(Rollins) that he was charging
| that we had sought to make an arrangement
| chat was his languagel by which we would
| control the vote of the Senator from Virginia
| to get the organization Of the Senate, and in
| response to that said that we would not have
bought it. meant simply to negative what
understood to be the charge of the Senator
from New Hampshire. That is what l in
tended to negative. The Senator from New
Hampshire seemed to be going on the as
| sumption that the other side was charged with
| having bought the vote of the Senator from
Virginia and he seemed to be implying that
we had wanted to buy it and could not do it.
l l.
| Mahone) that we did buy your vote. denied
/ that we wanted to buy your vote. denied
that we would have bought your vote. We
| would not have given you fig for your vote.
That is what I intended to deny. do not
charge that the Senator had sold his vote I do
not say now that the Senator has sold his vote
| I would not charge (unless l knew it to be
fact that any Senator had sold his vote. If
the Senator wants me to go farther and TO say
what 1 believe, that is different question, and
wish to say to the Senator now that If he
| proposes to call to account every body in this
country who has belief on that subject he
has heavy task on his hands. will make
no charge against any Senator, bnt let not any
opinion by seeking to make that charge which
is not one, because he may get that opinion
and &c tit very fully
Mr.. Maizena, have nothing to do with the
Senator's opinion. I have risen to ask the
Senator from Georgia plain, direct question.
He says will have everybody to call to &C
| count. That is not the question. The Senator
from Georgia has used language which has
convey the impression that I sold my vote or
that my vote had been bought. He knows
that with emphasis) and respectfully ask
whether he SO intended That is all.
Mr.. Hill (not rising)-I answered you fully.
It will be in the Record.
Mr.. Mahone-As the Senator fails here to
answer directly direct question, will give
him problem to solve. He shall have con-
undrum. l say to him that II he did mean to
imply that my vote had been or could be
bought he states or undertakes to convey that
which is foul, untruthful, false, and that no
man less than coward would make. Now
say to him that he can solve in his own mind
whether he so intended it or not addressing
himself directly to Hill in a menacing tone
You can solve that, sir, il you choose. That
is all I have to say to you now (resuming his
seat).
Mr.. Hill rose to reply but Mr.. Malone ICON
tinuing his remarks) said you can solve that
question for yourself whether you intended to
convey that meaning or not. Considerable ap.
plause in the galleries which the presiding of
fcer (Kellogg) endeavored to repress and most
of which, according to Mr.. Pendleton, came
from the front seat Of private gallery for SEN
ators followed.
Mr.. Hill (studiously emphasizing every
pointed expression)-Mr. President, have toe
much respect for the Senate, too much respect
for myself, too much respect for the people to
handy epithets with the Senator from Virgin
ia or any other Senator here. have never
sought to receive, or to give. or to resent an
insult in this chamber. I would not insult 9
Senator in this chamber. The Senator cannot
insult me. Gle is powerless to insult anybody
(The last two sentences were uttered with de-