The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1881-04-07
CONGRESSIONAL,
SENATE,

president had not, in compliance with the
rules called for presentation of petitions and
memorials.
The vice president replied that this being
and executive session of the senate, there was
no morning hour.
Mr.. Ferry sustained the position
OF the chair, declaring the rule to which the
senator referred was applicable only to leris-
latlve sessions ofthe senate.
Mr.. Mcpherson then offered, as his right
under the rules, spe,ition from citizens of the
state OF New Jersey respecting the case Of
one Michael Boyton, who was alleged to be
confined in an English dungeon arbitrarily
and unjustly, and asked that ii be re ferred to
the committee on foreign relations.
There being no objections, the petition was
received, read and referred as indicated.
Mr.. Mahone's desk ir the senate chamber
was decorated to-day with yery hands ome
floral anchor, to which was attached card
bearing the following:
10 VIM. Malone; The colored Virpinians
solourning In Washington tender this AS A
token OF their appreciation of the manly
stand taken by you in defense of free speech.
free schools, fair vote and an honest count
A motion made by Mr.. Pendleton 10 90
into executive session having been reiectedS
yeas So, nays 81, Mr.. Bsysrd took
tne Ioor. he believed. he said, that there
was' Justification for the tnirty-eight demo-
Srauc senators in maintaining the attitude
before the country which they had main
tanned tor the past ten days. He insisted to
Try the justice Of their position by the liph,
OF law and reason, so that when they were
called into that court of last appeal
the bar of public opinion-they should be
willing to submit TO it. the course thew were
making now. When the senate had met at
the beginning of the session il had found
hself under control, numerically, Of the dem.
oocrats. They had claimed that it was their
duty to reorgsnizs the committees. Their
efforts had been met bv dilalorv
motions on the other side. and
hey had submitted TO those motions. When
at length the senate had filled up there were
Nlll on this floor 80 avowed friends and sun
porlers OF tho democratic standard-bearer,
and OF tho principles ard party
which that standard.besrer represented.
The status of their vote
did not disclose itself until thirty.seyen
svowed republican senators had brought ia
resolutions assuming that they held the ma
lorliy. An exaggerated amount of mystery
ilad been allowed to envelope the vote of one
senator,and that mystery had remained till the
senator has come forward and thrown the
organization OF the committees suddenly
lnto Inc hands Of the vice president, who
was not member of the senate. The
democrsts had yielded without a
dllatory motion the control of
the committees to tho republicans,
out The question now was whether II was
Their duty in the face OF all tho facts, as
p pemptly to submit TO the vice president the
motion to DO something for which the only
Jus sihcation was found in the doctrine
that Is the will of the majority. He
dwelt at some length on the rights conferred
on minorities by the constitution and the rules
made in accordance with it, Instances had
occurred, he said,when he had felt it lis duty
where he thought question
was fatal to the welfare of the
country to interpose everything that he was
allowed to interpose, in order tha, the auvs-
ton might stand :over for the sober second
thought and action Of the people, but there
must be justification for that action.
he asserted that there WAS no pre-
oedent for the present election of
senate officers, contending that the action of
Tue democrats two years ago was in no
respect as presented u parallel case TO the
present one. He referred to the important
measures awaiting the action of tho senate in
order that four subordinates from
the senate might be turned
out and four others put in. II was as difficult
as to sscedd Mount Olympus as to wait and
to talk of passing by these great objects of
puoiic interest and stoop down to displace
four acce peable officials. Referring to the
recent statement of Senator Cameron, that
this question had in view the coming
TALL election in Virginia, he characterized it
AZ a dangerous step: an indication of central.
izalion. 1t was an assumption; 1t was, In the
strongest sense of the word, revolutionary
attempt by unlawful and illegitimate meth.
ods to control the free elections of that
state. Usurpation was added to
the civil danger of corruption;
because If this man Riddlebarger was to be
chosen an officer of the senate in order fo
influence the election in Virginia, how could
he do 1t in the line of his public duty
There was another feature 10 this
trar saclion, which was contest
in Virginia which tho republicans expected
to decide by usurping the policy of the re-
adjusters tho issue was reputation, and II
was the repudisting side of that issue that
the republican party in the senate proposed
to ally itself, by choosing him as one Of its
officers. II was TO him, to bis doctrines,
that the republicans stood committed. A
Grecan fable told OF q man who slew drag.
on and sowed his seed, and whose crop WAS
armed men who flooded tho land with blood II
seemed TO him that II the republican par,y
assisted in sowing the seed of reputation Of
an admitted and honorable obligation, II
wa. was sowing crop worse than
mat OF Cadmus, one which
would bear. dangerous fruit to pos,eriiy. The
republicans had no right TO stregthen the
bands OF those who were
actual II no svowed repudistionists
In order 70 dlsentegrate tho democratic party
OF Virginia. He believed he was justified In |
preventing contamination of this sct. |
ibis was q serious question, and might |
become moro serious; but by the light he had |
received, he stood for the present where he |
had been when the contest opened.
Mr.. Sherman said the senator from Della.
ware and he agreed on principle |
That the majority must rule when tho dc
tates Of the minority went beyond reason.
able delay. II became worse than
revolution, 1t was doctrine |
nf the right Of the msjority must prevail.
He declined 70 discuss ut this timc the DOS |
tion Of Mr.. Mahone on the question of state