The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1886-03-25
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From Our Regular Correspondent.
WAsHrseros, D C., |
MARCH %. 1885.

hoped to obtain through it a safe
reelection to the Senate next fall.
This he has probably accomplished,
but all his adroit little schemes for
managing the controversy have
failed ANONYMOUSLY, through the
presidents adhesion to sound
policy, good precedents andhis con-
stitutional right and duty in the
premises.
+. Everybody was getting tired of
the useless debate, when suddenly
in the midst of Republican Sena-
tors speech, Senator Beck infused
some new interest into it. He as
serted that Duskin was unfit to hold
that the Vermont Senator
knew it, and that the. papers were
called for in his case because it was
thought the President would COM
ply, and a precedent be thus estab-
lished.
1t was shrewdly believed that as
Duskin furnished a bad example of
an official appointment under a Re-
publican President, this Democrat
ic Administration would fall into
the trap laid for it by the resolu-
ton, which would make Mr.. Ed
munds master of the situation and
thus enable him to roam at will
through the antecedents of all other
The Kentucky Senator said that
everybody knew that Duskin was
nominated in March 1881, and the
Senate didnot see fit to confirm him.
He was again appointed after the
adjournment of the session, and
nominated at the October term of
the same year, and MI. Edmunds
had not felt justified in reporting
him to the Senate for confirmation.
When he had finished this state
ment a profound silence fell for a
few minutes upon the surprised
Senators.
Then Mr.. Edmunds arose with an
expression almost of pain upon his
face, and turned upon the Senator
who had dared, as he said, to be-
tray the Senate's secrets by speak
ing of this matter in open session
Mr.. Beck instantly denied having
violated his duty. "The records
and the public papers," said he
"show three nominations of Dus.
kin, and it is because the Senator
from Vermont knows that he is un.
worthy that the papers were asked
for, because he expected to entraI
the Department.
Mr.. Edmunds again insisted thai
the Senator was out of order ant
appealed to the chair to enforce the
rules. The Chair mildly hoped tina.
the Senator from Kentucky would
see the distinction between public
and private sessions. He had al
undoubted right to public facts
but-Mr. Beck, (interposing,) re
marked that he had, and that h.
would prove next day by the pres.
of the country, and by the record
of the House of Representatives al
that he had asserted. He also hopec
in Executive session to get a vot
of the Senate to compelthe Senate
from Vermont to produce evidenc,
which was before his own commit
tee to show Duskin's unftness.. III,
hoped to prove that this effort t.
make an issue in regard to Duskir
was because Duskin's case was 81
bad that it was believed the Ad
ministration would be glad to prov,
how bad he was, and then it coulc
be claimed as a precedent in gooc
cases. "And | hope to PROVE" con
tinued Mr.. Beck, "that this move
made with such a flourish of trum
pets-well, l will not say what
expect to prove, for I could not d.
it perhaps in parliamentary Ian
guage."
Mr. Edmunds claimed to be great
ly shocked by what he claimed tt
be a violation of rules on the par
of Mr.. Beck. He said he would hav,
to leave what the Senator from
Kentucky had said in utter silence
Whatever other gentlemen Nigh
choose to do, he could not violate
his "oath" or his "honor".by allud
ing to what the Judiciary Commit
tee had or had not done until h,
should have permission.
Senator Beck was not to be i'm
posed upon by tame conventional
tiles, and when a question of homo:
was hurled at him, he grew warmer
more gesticulatory, and stepping
forward a little raised his powerful
voice higher.
"The Senator from Vermont,
said he, "speaks of my honor ant
oath and integrity, and compares
them with his own. I am willing t.
stand by the comparison. Whatev
er | say, l say boldly and openly
I do not believe in secret ways. ]
do not believe in hypocracy, or il
circumventing anybody" Mr.. Becl
had more respect for the man who
meets his enemy in the open fielt
and either knocks him down O
takes a fair knock-down .himsel
than he had for the man.who stab:
his brother under the fifth rib while
shaking hands with him and askin!
him, How is it with thee, my
brother?"
He proposed to have all the pro
ceedings in March 81, Oct, 81, anC
Dec. 81, and all the papers flee
with the Judiciary Committee, o
which Mr.. Edmunds is chairman
and all the proceedings had before
that committee bearing on the Dus
kin case made public, SO that tn