Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1886-03-04
R1DDLEBERGER on THE RAMPAGE.


than usual. But as the morning wore on
he became so, and when, about 2 o'clock, he
rose to offer resolution, his condition was
not to be mistaken. The resolution was one
directing each Senator to report to the Sen
ate BY Monday next the name of his private
secretary. -.
IL ask for its immediate consideration,
he said. II have reasons for asking it,"
"As good many Senators have not pri-
yate secretaries, it seems to me that resolu-
ton. if it is to be considered, ought to be
modified to say the least" said Mr.. Platt.
sDoes the Senator otject.to it's considera-
ton do not hear him." asked Mr.. Rid
dleberger.
II think it had better lie over" reoined
Mr.. Platt.
II wanted simply to remark" said Mr..
Riddleberger, "if the Senator will allow
me-"
Il have no privatesecretary, interrupted
Mr.. Platt, land do not want to be obliged
to report"
Neither have l." continued Mr.. Riddle.
berger, II want simply to remark"
ii withdraw the objection" said Mr..
Platt.
81 wish to remark" resumed Mr.. Riddle
berger, las reason for Offering the resoIu
ton that the last Congress voted to pay pri-
yate secretaries to Senators, and am &C:
ouainted with the fact that tickets are issued
TO men to come upon the floor who would
not be admitted into the parlors of gentle
men acquainted with them as am, and
they have tickets as private secretaries.
That is one of the subjects that want dis
cussed before the Senate, and possibly to
state some of the things with which some CT
the gentlemen on the Dcor are not acqualnt-
ed.n
II will not object 10 the resolution" said
Mr.. Platt. 1.-THE only objection that l
wished to make was that it required every
Senator to report the name of his private
secretary, and / think it implied that all
Senators had private secretaries"
"No, sir: do not understand that"
answered Mr.. Riddleberger. "a Senator
has the right to employ as many private
secretaries SIS he shall please TO pay for.
We know also that there are private secre-
taries under the pay Of the Government.
We know also that Senators on this floor
have their private secretaries and issue their
cards to those who receive no pay, except
that of admission to this floor, 10 blackmal
gentlemen, TO libel them in their news
papers. That is what want to have dig
closed and discussed here. want to know
whether man who is capable of li6eling Il
Senator shall have ticket of admission to
this floor, and that is the reason l have for
the introduction of this resolution. | do
know Of such case, and / know Of its ex-
stence here. Only this morning we read in
tho Record Of what occurred in the House OF
Representatives because Eads was on the
floor. Would it DO permissible for me to
., Ii Nd, ,ak 10
floor he has three henchmen here, two Of
them representing Republican journals and
one Democratic journal, coming to get in
formation 10 libel Senators on this floor
whenever they can get the type and presses
to work, sud coming here as the private
secretaries of Senators, receiving no pay for
it, getting tickets of admission as private
secretary for a Senator, who, for instance,
has his own son for his private secretary
who draws his pay and the creature-l will
not say the other-but the creature coming
here with ticket of admission az private
secretary? That is the reason have offered
the resolution and l will press it till it shall
be known where this thing was evolved
from and who has done it."
Mr. Riddleberger at this point sat down
and Mr.. Hoar rosa. He moved to amend
the resolution 80 as to require the names Of
private secretaries to Senators to be printed
in the Rccord and, the amendment being
adopted, tho resolution in that form was
agreed to.
Later in the day, when the Blair Education
al bill was under discussion, and while Mr..
Plumb was speaking, Mr.. Riddleberger rose
10 point of order, saying he had called for
a division on the vote, and called for it IN a
tone that the President of the Senate could
not fail 10 hear.
The chair said the Senator from Kansas
had the floor.
Mr.. Riddleberger said he knew that, but
that Senator had no right to it. He insist
ell on division, and said he would call for
the yeas and nays. He was not prepared
TO be ruled out Of order. He knew We had
book of rules, but they ruled nobody.
Mr.. Harris said the question was not de-
batable.
Mr.. Riddleberger appealed from the de-
cision Of the chair, and asked, is that de-
batable?'
The chair said the Senator had right to
appeal from the decision.
Mr. Riddleberger- If it is not debatable
won't make it,
The chair was Of opinion that the Senator
was out of order, but the chair would hear
him on the question of the appeal.
Mr.. Riddleberger did not want that, and
yielded under protest.
After Mr.. Plumb had resumed his remarks
Mr.. Riddeberger again rose and renewed
his point of order. He said if the bill was
to be delayed in this way there would be no
end to the debate. The President of the
Senate was not observing the rules, Mr..
Riddleberger said. The Senator from Kan
sas (Mr. Plumb) was trying to defeat the
bill and was allowed to make another speech
when division had been called for. The
responsibility was between the Senator from
Kansas and The President Of the Senate. He
(Mr. Riddleberger) had heard it said that
whatever he said in the Senate was general
ly sat upon" He did not care for that,
however, since he knew he was right. Il
am struggling for the passage of this bill, -
he said, land am going to continue that
struggle under the rules of the Senate, and
you can't take from that desk the book that
ought to control you, and find within it
rule that justifes your railing awhile ago"
He claimed it to be every Senator's right
to call for a division, and, if one fifth Of
AZ tol ha nd