The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1888-09-28
NO BLOOD WAS DRAWN
But the Senate Debate was Red
Hot While it Continued.
TWO ,DlGNIFIED STATESMEN
Call Each Other Names and Give
n Grand Exhibition of Temper
Sectional aud Personal Cross.
fire by Coke and spooner.

WASHINGTON, D. c., Sept. 27.-Tht
resolution offered by Mr.. Chandler iol
an inquiry into the last Louisiana elec
tion Involving the choice Of United
States senators) was taken up in the
Senate to-day, Mr.. Gibson said that he
was under the impression that the
American people were weary of such
unconstitutional and revolutionary
modes to revise the relations between
the people Of the States and the Federal
Government. This resolution ar.
raigned, he would not say a "sover-
eign State" because that term was
offensive in these modern times, but an
indestructible State, because the States
had been so characterized by the Su-
preme Court Of the United States.
Criticizing the course OF Mr.. Chandler,
in reading before the Senate private let
tiers and newspaper extracts assailing the
people OF Louisiana, Mr.. Gibson said he
"would rather be a dog and bay the
moon" than make himself the scaven-
ger, or medium by which base impulses
and neighborllood ieuds and difficulties
of his countrymen in any State could be
brought into such an august body. He
presumed that the resolution was part
OF political programme.
Mr.. Chandler replied that the Senator
had said that the conservative people OF
the country were weary OF inquiries into
the affairs Of the Southern States. He
(Mr. Chandlcr) did no so understand
the temper 1.-THE American people. He
believed what they were weary of was
the frauds, the false countings, the mur-
ders OF legal voters that were going on
in the South in order to make that sec
ton solid aud to enable it to govern the
North and the country.
The charge was that the outrages and
murders OF colOred people in Louisiana
and other Southern States were commit
ted for political reasons. They were
not sporadic in their nature. They were
part OF n widespread, deliberate system
of political action OH the part OF the
Democratic party in order that the con-
troll OF Congress and OF the Presidency
might be wronefully and criminally trans
ferred from the party to which an hon
est and fair and free election could give
ii to another party, which could only OBJ
tain it by such frauds and violence rs
were now patent TO the whole nation.
In the course OF the discussion which
ensued, Mr.. Butler asked Mr.. Edmunds
il he would hold that either house OF
Congress had the tight to make an in.
vestigation OF It's own motion in the alb.
sence of some protest or memorial or
complaint from somebody in the State
Mr.. Edmunds-I most decidedly do.
The discussion then drifted. from out
RACES In the State Of Louisiana to out
RACES in the State OF Texas, aud in this
prominent parts were taken
by Senators Chandler, Blair, Spooner,
Reagan and Coke.
The most notable incident In it was
the fact OF Mr.. Coke he:"g called TO
order for unparliamentary language di.
rected against Mr. Chandler.
Mr., Coke's violation OF the rules OF
order consisted in his denouncing the
statement that the Republican party OF
Texas had failed to put State ticket in
the field because it was afraid OF person.
al consequences rs absolutely and un.
qualidedly false; without a particle Of
foundation; made for political effect;
with dishonest and unfair purpose"
and he added; at Is statement not be-
lieyed by the Senator himself who
On being called to orderly Mr.. Chand-
Ter, Mr.. Coke promptly said: "Mr
President, il have said anything de.
rogatory to the dignity OF the Senate
take it back and apologize for it."
Mr.. Coke then proceeded to argue and
support his argument by newspaper
publication, that the failure OF the Re-
publican party OF Texas to nominate a
State ticket was not the result OF the
apprehension Of personal consequence,
but OF the sure conviction that such n
ticket could not succeed.
Mr.. Spooner replied TO Mr.. Coke that
the Senator had informed him that a
suppression OF the truth was as bad as a
falsehood. He was not to be taunted by
the Senator from Texas by half telling
the truth. The day when "the manner
OF the nigger-driver" frightened men in
the United States had gone by, and gone
by forever. Applause in the gallaries,
which was rebuked by the chair.
"AlI that we want" said Mr.. Spooner
with much vehemence Of manner, "is
that which we are entitled to have and
that is that every man in the United
States who is entitled under the Com
stitution OF the United States to exercise
the right OF American citizenship,
whether he lives in Texas, in Louisiana
or in Wisconsin, shall do so undisturbed
and undismayed."
The discussion took another turn to-
wards personalities, when Mr.. Coke In
timated that he had letters in his posses
sion, which he would not use, connect
ing the Senator from Wisconsin with
evictions in the State OF Iowa that would
parallel in atroCity the worst ejectments
that had ever taken place in Ireland.
The explanation Of the matter given
by Mr.. Spooner was that he had argued
in the Supreme Court OF the United
States case Of overlapping lands be-
tween two railroad companies, and had
never had anything to do with the mat
ter afterwards. He knew nothing OF
the evictions alluded TO, but he would
say and would endeavor to keep within
parliamentary bounds in saying it, that
1.-THE man outside OF this chamber who
states that as counsel, or owner, direct
" or indirectly, in any way whatever,
was ever instrumental in turning any
man, woman or child from his land OF
from his cabin, whether a quarter Sec
ton or quarter acre, is liar. ] say
that Of any man who makes that charge
outside OF this Senate chamber"
Coming back to the same question
again, Mr.. SpoOner said; "While | re,
gard the Senator's MIR, Coke'sl attempt
to bring me personally into disrepute as
OF a character, which, outside OF the
Senate, / would denominato differently
from what / do here, want to say tc
him that he is part, as l have been in
formed-[after a pausel will not say