The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-04-27
FORTY-NINTH CONGRESS-.
DISCUSSION OVER SENATOR
WHITTHORNE'S CREDENTIALS.
Debate on the Prohibition and Inter-
state Commerce Bllls-In
the House.

by the Governor OF Tennessee to be
United States Senator from that State
to fill the vacancy caused bytharesig-
nation OF Senator jackson.
The credentials having been read,
Senator Whitthorne was conducted to
the desk by Senator HarriP, and the
oath OF office was administered in due
foIm by the President pro tempoIe Of
the Senate. Senator Wbitthorne then
took q seat on the Democratic side OF
the chamber on the extreme right OF
the Chair, and received the congrAtu-
lations OF many Senators.
When the new Senator had taken
his seat, Senator Hoar called attention
10 the form Of the credentials, not
having desired, he said, to say any,
thing which might seem like an OBJ
lection to the swt airing in OF Senator
Whitthorne. The form OF the Gre
dentials Senator Hosr thought de-
fective inasmuch Al the certificate
stated that the appointment was for
Senator Jackson's unexpired term. 1t
should read until the next meeting
of the Legislature" The point was
Of no great consequence at present,
but in case OF q close party division in
the Senate the question, Senator Hosr
thought, might become one OF great
importance, and public attention
ought 20 be directed TO 1t in order that
the difficulty might, as far as possible,
be averted.
Senator Harris remarked that Sena-
tor Whitthorne's credentials, in using
the word term" made reference to
the term IS fixed by law. He thought
this qualifying phrase covered the
point. The credentials were filed.
Senator Hoar reported from the Com
mittee on the Judiciery a bill extend
ing the time for the completion of the
records Of the clerk Of the Commits
sioners Of the Alabama Claims. 1t was
passed.
Senator Morrill,, from the Committee
on Finance, reported, with an amend
, ment, the House bill relating to the
bonds Of brewers. The bill az II came
from the House modifies section 1886
Of the Revised Statutes so as 10 require
new bonds TO be filed by brewers, not
or the 1st Of May, as heretofore, but
whenever the Collector Of Internal
Revenue shall require them to do 30.
The Senate committee amend the bill
so as to require, in addition, that at
least once in four years the bonds shall
in any event be renewed, whether the
Collector requests il or not.
After debate the Senate amendment
was agreed TO, and the bill as amended
was passed.
A bill was reported by Senator Har-
Tis, making an appropriation to com
plete the public building at Jackson,
Tenn. 1t was passed.
Senator Van WyCk desired TO take
up the bill taxing railroad lands, but
yielded 10 Senator Blair, who accord
ing to previous notice, then addressed
the Senate on his proposed constitu-
tional amendment prohibiting the
manufacture or sale OF alcoholic
liquors as beverage. He announced
his well known views upon the sub
ject at considerable length, and then
entered upon the political aspect Of
the measure, and said that the move
ment for local option ard amendments
to State constitutions was OF great inn
portance as a means of creating an
enlightened publ C opinion in the
States, but nothing ehort Of a move
ment based on the national idea pre-.
sented a clear prospect of complies
success. IL was time for the prohibit
ton idea to assume control OF national
parties-at least Of the Republican
party. That party could not permanent
ly remain three-fourths for prohibit
ton and one-fouTth against 10. That
was lees possible than it once was for
the nation TO remain permanently one
half slave and one-half free. Ideas
never compromised. We were now
at the dividing of the ways. For
himself Senator Blair, he had been
down in this hole long enough.
Sooner or later, and he hoped not
much later, I'VE might come to our
selves like the pIodigel, and proceed
to climb up and out. / will remain
here" said he, $50 long as / think |
can persuade others TO climb with me,
in order that we may stand On each
others shoulders and that those first
out may, with proper tackle. lift the
remainder, for the hole is very deep.
Only for this will | remain longer In
the hole; and for this will l remain,
II need be, a great while. Others
may, II they will, and they will, stay
here permanently, but, sir, they will
find that the masses Of the Republic
can party and the messes Of the
American people Of all parties prefer
to be on top OF the ground. Senator
Blair had en- this occasion spoken
partly rs a Republican but he did
this only because he believed that
thus did he speak most as an Amer
lean and most al q man. That party,
with all its iaults-With all its failures
10 reach its ideals-wAs the great
agency which under God had saved
the Republic. That party would yet,
from the law OF it's superior being aud
unfinished mission, concentrate its
tremendous energies and perfected
equipment upon this gigantic national
evil until the evil was destroyed.
The interstate commerce bill was
then taken up and Senator Van Wyck
addressed the Senate on it. We were,
he ssid, in the midst Of general de-
preston, yet all pursuits must be laid
under contribution 80 that full diyi.
dends shall be declared by railroad
companies on watered stock and
fraudulent bonds. Grain, beef and
pork might be reduced one-half in
price, yet there could be no abate-
msnt in freight charges. Railroad and
telegraph rates west Of the Missouri
river vera about four times greater
than rates east Of that river. For
years capital bad been organized, I'M
scrupulous and rapacious, moving %
Gould had moved, according to his
sworn testimony, and as Huntington,
according 10 his own written history,
had moved, IN State Legislatures, the
courts and Congress, unbluthingly
purchasing judges and legislators.
But the crisis was coming. There was
an irrepressible conflict between right
and wrong. Could the nation be
made to believe thatthe 1900 600, COO
OF watered stocks and bords were
honest property deserving protection
from courts or Legislatures, or that
the 1900, 100000 claimed by Wander
bilt and the 100000, 600 claimed by
Hanal1 1910 Eaa-AN- 49, ~ .