The Indianapolis journal., 1889-01-26
NOTHING FOR SCOTT RAY.
Senator Carpenter Removed by the Dem
ocrats. but His Seat Is Vacant

Senator Carpenter Removed by the DEM
ocrats but His Seat Is Vacant.
The people of the joint senatorial district,
composed of the counties of Shelby and De-
ea4ur. are now without a Senator That
body. after considering the Carpenter-Ray
contested election case for fifteen hours, de-
eided last evening that neither the con-
testor nor the eontestee should have a seat.
The minority made a long, honest and we'll
directed tight against the unwarranted and
unlawful unseating of Carpenter. but they
fought against odds they could not over
come and as was to have been expected
when the vote was taken, every Democratic
Senator answered TO the crack of
the party lash. and voted to
oust the sitting member. The original
purpose, to seat Scott Ray, failed however
After the seat had been vacated, few of
the majority refused to longer serve as
slaves to party masters, and voted with the
Republican to keep out the contestor
who, the evidence submitted to the CON-
mittee had proven, was not entitled TO the
position.
the proceedings leading to this termina-
ton of the case abounded IN exciting and
startling incidents. There were not less
ahan one thousand spectators in the lobby
and galleries from 10 o'clock in the morning
until z o'clock in the evening, and their
demonstration of approval whenever their
favorite political party gained an advant-
age frequently impressed one with the belief
that q political convention was in session.
As soon as the Senate was called to order
in the morning Senator Dresser called for
the reading of the evidence submitted to
no elections
been charged IN the majority report that
Senator Carpenter had procured more than
y ahundred votes by bribery. The minority
report had denied the statement. He, for
one, would vote to unseat the sitting mem
ber if the evidence showed that he had
purchased a single vote. So the Senators
might know the facts IN the case, he moved
and insisted on the testimony beng read.
Two hours were consumed in read
ing it, and nothing was brought out show
ing that Carpenter had purchased a
vote Senator Cox, chairman of the COM
mittee, was asked where the evidence was
convcting Senator Carpenter of bribery,
and he admitted that the committee, in
msking its report, had simply inferred"
that the sitting member had bought votes.
Senator HAYS, of Putnam and Hendricks,
then took the floor and spoke for an hour
and half, principally upon the legal
phase of the case. He followed the same
line of argument taken up by. Senator
Thompson on Thursday. The majority, he
said had never claimed that Senator Car
penter had been found guilty of bribery.
They proposed. TO usurp the func-
ton of the courts; to turn the
Senate into a grand and petit
Jury to try and convict him. Leaving the
legal phase of the question, he said there
was something more IN the case than the
evidence against Carpenter. 1t was shown
before the committee that Ray was un-
Guestionably guilty of bribery, and several
witnesses had testified that he had at
temptedsto intimidate voters. How, IN the
face Of such evidence, could any honest
man vote to seat Ray, a confessed briber
and intimidatori Senator Hays reviewed
the testimony and then stated that the
majority report was slanderOus, because it
was asserted therein that Carpenter was
guilty of bribery, when. In fact, not q sin
gle witness testified that he had purchased
vote. In concluding, he said that if it
was true that the sitting member had been
guilty OF bribery, there was not a single
line upon the statute books which would
authorize the Senate TO unseat him.. There
was not word of evidence showing that
there had been single illegal vote cast for
carpenter. If the majority We're going .to
unseat Carpenter, he wanted to know by
what legal authority they would seat Ray.
Senator Mullinix then moved that Sena-
tor Thompson, of Jasper, be allowed
liiteen minutes in which to close
should speak. The Republican Senators
protested against the motion, Senator John
son saying that the question was one OF
Tue voters or the state wanted a.
the night they could get, and he deemed II
unfair 10 prevent any member from speak
ing Notwithstanding the protest the mo-
lion lion prevailed by a party vote. Senator
thompson, in closingthe argument, pointed
out out the inability of the Senate, under the
constitution, to unseat a member for
crime crime OF which he had not been convicted
me me majority pleaded that the courts were
NOT speedy enough; that was the argumen
OF the White Caps, the mobs, and tn,
AnarcnlstS. The Senate could not take holt
OF man until his conviction had been en-
'eTed up by the judicial powers.
~ was few minutes before 3 O'cloci
when Senator Thompson closed, and no cor
sect story OF all that occurred from tha
TINE until z O'Clock will ever be given t.
10 the public. For three hours the Senat
was IN an uproar, and there was perhap
poi time during any five minutes when
LII dozen members were not on the foo
~ lhe same time attempting to speak. Sen
s!or Johnson was the first to secure recog
HliIlon from the Chair, and he moves
H aae the report of the commltte
~ indefinitely postponed. Upon tha
motion Senator Boyd arose and made
personal explanation. He said it had bee
asreed that he should speak against til
suoptlon OF the majority report, and he Gle
siIeu ms constituents to know that the ma
Eorlty had deprived him of that right
cenator UrmStOn gave warning that If tn
minority continued to speak on the ques
no ION ne would move the previous question
Ihe motion To indefinitely postpone the rC
POIt was lost by party vote. and then tn
question came up on the adoption of th
majority report. Senator Urmston sul
gested that 1t be sepaTated-that the vot
HHrst be taken upon the unseating c
carpenter, and then upon the seating c
hay-and the Senate agreed to tn
!. suggestion. The unseating resolution wa
read, and the Republican members observe
mat IT closed by saying, Carpenter
therefore unseated and expelled from tll
senate" There was perfect stiffness Will
.he roll was called. good many expectin
~ 70 near one or two Democratic votes agains
me resolution, but they were disappointe,
pVery Democrat supported il. and ever
republican voted in the negative.
Ihen CAME a turn in affairs the maiorit
i were not expecting. As the result of I'll
vote was announced, but before the presit
ing oiilcer had declared the report adopte,
a senator Afford raised the point Of order tn:
j the resolution was lost. The resolution is
s1pel Senator Carpenter saiC he. .'and
cannot be passed except by - two-thirt
,sote. i ask that the Chair declar the res
.ation lost" Democratic Senators were
lhelr feet in an instant but nole of the
seemed 70 know what TO say. Senator Ba
Ielt half-heartedly protested against I'll
point OF order. but neither ne nor any
ms colleagues could say that the Republi
sns had taken "A tenable ground After te
minutes of uproar, during which time the
were score or more of motions that we