The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1881-05-05

The Senate having under consideration the
It solutions submi itted by Mr.. Dawes in relation to
the election Of officers Of the Senate, Mr. Pendle-
ton said
Mr.. PREsIDENT-My acknow Judgments are first
due this mOrnirg to the two Senators from Msssas
chusetls; first and largely to the junior Senator
[Mr. Hoarl whose polite impotence to hear me
yesterday suggested that l should make last eve
ming the few remarks that intend to submit 10
the Senate; and more largely to the senior Sena.
tor from Massachusetts Mr. Dawes who curbeo
his impaLienCe and moved that the Senate ad-
iOurn. l shall take care while am in he Senate
to repay such obligations in kind and with full
measure. They add to the pleasure Of our inter.
course upon the floor.
This extraordinary course Of n sistng upon a
change Of the officers Of the Senate at an eXeCu-
tive session; this course which Is without a single
precedent in all our history OF insisting that the
business OF the Senate and the business OF tho
country and the business Of the President, which
so considerably and patiently in obedience 10
the provisions OF the Constitution he submits to
us from day to day, shall be delayed and mott
poped until the Senate shall be dsoTganlzed In
order that 1t may be organized again. has been
defended on various grounds by Its various
apolOgists upon the door.
In the very outset Of The discussion the Senator
from Pennsylvania Mr. CAmerCnl told us that
the inCumbents Of these offices are worthy and
excellt mt men; that they are faithful industrious
lntelllgeuL puDllC OulCeTbt tlAt the SER
vice OF the Senate cannot be found fault WIths
aud yet he said 'our Republican candidates for
these same fices are worthy men also, and mas
much as we have the power we intend to elect
them" The Senator from Massachusetts told US
that the possession Of the offices Of the Senate
naturally follows upon the possession Of the com.
mittee OF the Senate, and that iHasmuch as We
had submitted to have the committees appointed
by the vote Of the Vice President, proceeding
which we found necessary to enable the Senate
fairly to discharge the duties for which 1t WSs
convened, we ought with equal alacrity submit
that the officers Of the Senate should be changed
by the same vote proceeding which we humbly
conceive will retaId rather than expedite the
fair and proper discharge OF our duties.
The Senator from Illinois, Mr. Logan think,
stated that the full power Of the Senate in the Or
ganization Of Its committees and the appoint
ment Of It's officers belongs to the shifting polit
cal majority which happens to be found here
and that we ought meekly and kindly Ito use the
words Of one Senator II not the Senator from Ilis
nois) TO submit to the inevitable Many Senators
have told us, notably my G. League, Mr., Sher-
man, that the rule OF a majority is Il law Of
legislative bodies, and resistance to that rule be-
vol d the point which the conscience Of the ma
jOriy AN justify is irregular, improper, and even
revolutionary. think we were tod by Senator
from Massachusetts, that 1t contained in itself the
very essence Of treason l do not care to quote
that remsr upon the Senator from Massachusetts,,
because when he was pressed by the argument Of
the Senator from Georgia Mr.. Brown, with q
good deal Of UNIV, llingnetR, and / cannot say
with entire grace, he backed out OF a proposition
into which he had rather ostentatiously entered.
Mr.. HOar-Will the Senator allow me to say o
word to him?
Mr.. Pendleton-C Certainly.
Mr.. Hoar-The Senator will find on looking aE
the Record that the qualification Of tie remark
which made, that he now speaks Of as backing
out accompanied the original remark and that
when the honorable Senator from Georgia ad-
vered 10 1t, before he had entered upon his argu-
I na1 IaA of IN hn nj hat
companied the remark which had made with q
distinct statement that Oh lv referred to the con-
sequence Of his doctrine, and that did not inn
pute to him or to his associates In practice de-
termination TO carry out the doctrine tO that con-
sequence. 1t was an original qualfC alton,
HOwey r, II the Senator will permitme, wish to
say tn the statements which have been made
upon this floor and the conduct Of the gentlemen
on that side warrant me now In imputing what
then decliI ed to impute, and l do now so impute
1t. l prOPsse to take coming time to state the
reasons OF that tmputatiOn,
Mr., PendletCn-I am:sorry to see that the sena-
tor from Massachusetts, haVinV, as think, made
the statement from which he was compelled to
recede, though he says, and l accept the fact,
that he made 1t with qualification, now comes up
TO the position which 1 said he occupied and
makes 1t without any qualification whatever.
After we shall have heard his reasons shall ask
my honorable friend rom Georgia Mr.. Brownl
to repeat with emphasis the argument that he
made upon the point, and feel very certain that
the Senator from Massachusetts will reEract
again.
that all these various statements made by Sena'
tors on the other side Of the Chamber so far as
they are true are utterly inapplicable TO the pres
ent condition Of this discussion as 80 far as they
are apL liCable to the condition Of affairs before
the Senate they lose all their truttfulness and
pertinenCy.
Ny honorable colleague, In o speech which he
made the latter part of last week and OF which
can say in his absence that II was extremely di-
rect and fOrcible, touched upon ell these various
considerations, but he touched them so lightly
and so cRrelessly as to show that he did not con-
slider them as safe or even respectable stepping
stones for him; for he brushed past them IN
moment and hastened to put this struggle In the
Senate upon higher ground. At one bound he
leaped to the hight OF this Argument and told us
that this apparently unimpOrtRnt struggle which
Is going on here is In fact struggle for IiticaL
power in Virginia; that Il involves In tts conse'
quenCes possibly the installation Of the Repubt-
can party in that State and the destruction OF the
Democratic party there,
My colleague we knows for what he is con.
tending. He well knows the prize which Is put
before the eyes Of his party In this contest which
| is going on here and, with a courage which Will
always be found equal to his desires, he hastens
to avow It, It is, he says, struggle for political
power In Virginia. and 1t is this, he says, which
| lends interest to this contest in his eyes
Sir, am glad to have at least the simple truth
| stripped Of all its disguises II ts no longer
question Of the election Of officers Of the Senate;
II is no longer question tOrequipping the Senate
| for the discharge Of its public duties; It is no
| longer q question OF our convenience and COM
fort in the Transaction Of the public business
which is committed 10 uR II Is no longer ques.
tlon OF reWardng political favortesor or reinstRting
faithful public servants lt Is struggle for pOlit'
iCal power In the State Of Virginia at the coming
State election; and the fundamentally TO be used
in that struggle Is 10 clOthe Captain Riddleberger
with all the dignity, and all the importance, and
| all the moral influence which an election to q
high office In the Senate, which close affiliations
with the Republican members Of the Senate,
which this unanimous vote OF confidence by
every Republican Senator can give him; and
also to strengthen niB hand for that contest In
Virginia BY giving him the power Of the spPoint-
ment Of the sixty or eighty or hundred en-
pl0yes OF the Senate, and the power OF disper anG
| the patronage Of hundred OF more thouBr nd
| dollars which will accrue In the shape OF sala'
| rles before the next meeting OF Congress II M
struggle for political power In Virginia, and the
fundamentally to be used TO give this gentleman
| brigade OF the employees Of the Senate, paid At
| the public expense to perAmbulate that State
and to watch and win legislative elections In
doubtful districts by gifts and promises Of ofioeR
| and salaries, and everywhere to aid In swelling
the aggregate Of votes for the Governor and other
State Offices. We are told that ct the next cleo
| ton In Virginia Legislature will be chosen
| the Supreme Court Of that State, who will hold
their offices for twelve years, and all the fiscal
State officers, and perhaps the magistrates and
Judges Of the county courts.
This Democratic Senators, is the struggle 70
which you are invited. 1t has been Proclaimed
by the leaders Of the Republican party; 1t has
been defined so that II cannot be misunderstood
by my colleague. This is the gage Of battle that
is thrown down to us and l venture In your
presence to take 1t ups
Iffor the purpose Of acquiring political power
by this means half Of this newly-elected
Senate can neglect the business Of the country ia
confirming nominations; II for this purpose the
newly installed administration can sit supinely
by and see its friends refuse to consider Its nomi.
nations and equip It for the discharge OF public
duties, to which task we Of the opposition con-
stanty invite you: II for this purpose grave Sena.
powers Of the vote Of the Vice. President to
exc out a majority which the States and the
people have denied to you on this floor, then