Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-03-25
The Senate.

officers OF the senate.
Senator Davis. of nlinois-On recent oc-
casion I stated the reason that determined my
vote on the organization OF the Senate, not ex-
pecting to satisfy that class Of politicians ac'
customed 10 party discipline andlunable. to ap'
nreciate free thought or independent action;
fair criticism is always entitled to respect, anu
public man who shrinks from 1t, even when
harsh. does not deserve forbearance. An at
tempt has been made to have it appear that the
Legislature which elected me to the senate con
tanned Republican majority, and that the
State of Illinois was also largely hepuoheraIo. rI !.
Both these assumptions are unfounded. Inc
legislature at that time stood as follows: Ne
publicans, Senate 81, House 70; Democrats,
Senate Is, House 67; independents, Senate .,
House 6. It is thus to be seen that the Demo
Gratis and the Republicans are almost equally
divided and that few Independents
turned oa tbs saa 5ra Tden si and cooper
1928 votes Hayes clear majority was S,59e
ina poll of over half million. These hgures
proye how closely balanced the two parties
were in 1876 and 1877. More than 20 per
cent. of the votes voluntarily cast for me as
Senator were from Democrats without pledges,
conditions or correspondence OF any klnd
whatever; they knew my political antecedents,
and tl6V also KNEW luuG ei10
which was freely conferred on me, or any dis
tinction that could be offered, would alter any
conviction l had formed or defect. me from
the course of duty as it appeared TO my best
Judgment Having accepted this generous
trust under these circumstances good falth re-
auired me to sustain the organization Oh the
Senate as it had existed in the last congress.
No principle was involved, but merely the
control of committees and officers. l nave
voted steadily against any change, and shall
continue in that way until the end is reached,
being apswerable only to my conscience ana 10
mvconstituents for this act. What my friend, the
distinguished Senator from New York, prop
erly calls constitutional majority, was as
closed when the Vice President, not member
of this body, gave casting vote lot tne couit .t
mittees. However feeting or fractional that
majority NAV be we are commanded to aceptit
and to obey if. The majority that chose the
committees is fairly entitled to the choice OF
officers of the Senate. One naturally goes
with the other in order TO perfect the organl-
zation. This conclusion will neither DC de,
layed nor obstructed by any vote OF mine, ana
it cannot be reached too soon for the puoilc
interest. l do not regret at all that the new
administration, which has to confront the
country with its policy, should have control
of both branches of Congress. The responsl,
bility for the measures to be proposed cannot
be avoided with the powers to Initiate all leg
islation. The majority Is not large enough 10
indulge in rash experiments and the minority
is sufficiently strong to check any tendency 10
excess between these two elements, and the.
great voice of independent opinion can always
be heard with effect, and the country has every
prospect of peace and prosperity:
Senator Dawes having refused to let his res
olution 90 over for the present, though re-
quested to do so bv Senator Pendleton, the
Democrats proceeded to offer dilatory motions
and call the yeas and nays thereon, now ana
then taking occasion to twit the Republicans
upon taking into the party fold Democratic
confederate brigadiers.
Senator Garland opposed the present cleo.
ton of officers on the ground that II would
work great injustice to the present incum-
bents.
Senator Cameron, of Pennsylvania, assented
to the determination on the hepuDllcan slde 10
sit the question out.
Senator Brown asserted the issue and stated
his intention to sit here until December before
he would consent to change officers:
Senator Brown said the recent action of the
Republican party and the Senator from Vir.
ginia had shown q period had been reached
where no more would be said about confeder.
ate brigadiers. That period had been reached
that was spoken of by very old book, When
it said the "Wolf, also, shall dwell with the
lamb, and the leopard shall Lie down with the
kid and the calf and young lion dwell together,
and a little child shall lead them"
That period had been reached when
the lion of the debtpaying repudiationists
and the lamb of readiustment and partial re-
pudiation had laid down in loving embrace to-
cether in green pastures Of luXurlant richness.
He wouldn't say child should lead them, but
that gallant Confederate general would lead
Them dauehter). He hoped the day would
come when the bloody ehasm had been bridged
and when that old bloody shirt, of which so
much had been heard, would be folded up and
buried beyond hope of resurrection.
Senator Hoar said he regarded the declara
ton from the Senator from Georgia that 1t
was his purpose TO occupy the time of the
Senate from now till the first Of December in
preventing an expro sion of the will of con-
stitutional majority of this body in regard to
the election of its officers, as containing the
very essence of revolution and treason towards
the institutions of this country.
Senator Brown was sorry he would have TO
prove the Senator traitor Does the Senator
deny he sat here and refused to vote in the
Forty-sixth Congress?
Senator Hoar-I do.
Senator Brown-You deny you sat in your
seat just before the termination of the Forty
sixth Congress and refused TO vote?
Senator Hoar-On the occasion to which
the Senator refers I refused to vote once or
twice and then proceeded to do so.
Senator Brown-That, suppose, we ought
to term petty treason, because the Senator
only did it once or twice. But his party did 1t
good many times.
Senator Beck said he had found among the
caucus candidates the name of 81. ID. Rddle..
berger, for sergeant-at-arms, and be had heard
it whispered that some man Of that name-oi
course ironically it couldn't be this man
had introduced in the Virginia legislature
what was generally considered a repudiating
bill and from the infiction of which the peo.
pie only had been saved by the veto of the
Democratic governor. He, Beck, would like
to wait little while to see If the Republican
party had become so much attached to the
Confederate brigadiers, and Hancock elector
as well, aud he therefore would move TO ad-
journ. Rejected, yeas 81; nays 49,
Several other dilatory motions having been
voted down, many amusing passages occurred
between Logan and Brown as to their previous
political records. Logan contended the con
stitution gave the majority right to elect Its
officers 1t didn't fix the time when they
should be elected and therefore the majority
should fix it.
Senator Brown-If 1t can.
Senator Logan-Those who prevent 1t pre-
vent it in the face of the constitution which
they are under oath to obey.
Senator Brown here interrupted, and he ant
Logan had controversy upon the constltu
tional question whether the Senate had {
Fight to elect officers at this ses
sion. Senator Logan said, he ha'
lo.,a &c Gtarffu1 dodgers - but q