Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1890-04-29

Stolen I5go Senatorial SeatS- The
West Virginia Senator Closes the
Debate for the Democrats IN a
Magnificent -1ddrsss-7he Outrage
Exposed IN the Clear Light Of Day.
Especial telegram to the Wheeling Registerl
WASHINGTON, d. C.. April Ex-senator
Kenna closed the discussion in the Montana
case to-day. He is not n member of the COM
mittee reporting upon it. but has been re-
peatedly solicited by his colleagues to speak
AT the end of the long debate he took the
floor at three o'clock, aud made what his col
leagues are please call an appropriate close
OF the Democratic case. The speech was
short. vigorous and scathing in its terms and
expressed in apt language the intense feeling
of Democrats on the subject of this outrageous
proceeding. The full text of Mr.. Kenna's
speech is as follows:
MIR. KENNAs ADDRESS.
Mr.. President: 1 have no purpose to detain
the Senate by discussion of the pending
proposition or to devote further time to the
discussion of the Montana case than may be
necessary to present my own conception. as
We'll as may be able to do it. upon q single
issue which seems to me to lie at the founda-
tion of this whole controversy. There is one
proposition on which, it seems to me, this
whole.qucstion depends, the action of the ma
JoritY of the Committee on Privileges aud
Elections OF this Senate, and say it respect
fully, having in my Judgment entirely eVaded
it. and that is the fact that there ia not now
and that there was not ut the time of the pre-
tended election OF United States Senators in
o--Tiiii2s l1,IsI ID =4 IN has been an
IUtn DAY OF ms mont'l, While ibis matter was
under discussion the Senator from Massa-
chusetts (Mr. Hoar) used the language which
shall tn!le the liberty 10 read:
Interrupting the Senator from Colorado (AIr
Tellcr) Mr.. Hoar said This question which
the Senator on the other side raised has been
determined ny the Senate on as grave an
occasion and after as full deliberation
as any Constitutional question that was ever
discussed in this country. and the answer to
it is found in the rules of the Senate itself
The third rule is this 4 quorum shall con-
sist OF majority of the Senators duly chosen
and sworn" Mr.. President, submit respect
fully that that quptati0n from the rules of the
Senate is in Itself an entire evasion of the
question raised on this floor ut that time and
of the question " hich is under discussion now
THE rule of the Senate. as every man must
cOncede, relates to the Senate as an organized
body and that rule is invoked aud quoted in
support of the right of
AN USoKGANIzED MINORITY
of the State Legislature Of Montana or one
part OF 1t TO proceed to exercise the functions
of an organized majority, but the Senator from
Massachusetts proceeded
when the House of Representatives of
Montana were to organize, the only provision
in regard to its organization was thutit should
meet AZ The Capital not building known by
that name. but at the town which WAS the
seat OF Government. under the direction of the
Amditor- ihe Auditor presented himself at
the place hc liked, 1Hd tLE twenty-five men
presented theHIselvgs and were sworn. being
men who we're duly chosen In tho sentence
which followed. II the senator and those who
are in accord with him upon This subject. had
adhered to it and maintained it we would have
found a direct issue at least in the determine
tion of the question vital to this CONTEXT
In the next sentence the Senator said: ''Now,
"a =if inf Nlta
the power of determining whom they should
recognize as their associates in that body and
the power of sending for absent members com
pletlug the organization rested in those men,"
Not by law. Not by the terms of the Consti-
tuition, nor upon the basis of any precedent
known to parliamentTy or constitutional gov
eminent, but upon the necessity of the case,
aye, aye, sir, the Senator might as well have
said upon the political and partisan necessity
of the case. In these twenty-five men consti-
tuting an acknowledged minority of the House
of Representatives OF that State rested the
power to determine the titles of the remaining
ma jority TO their seats | did not believe al
the moment of tho utterance of that express
sion that the Senator would stand by it. ! do
not believe so now. listened with patience
to the following part Of the debate. 1t oc-
CURED to me that that was the vital question
at issue in this controversy. 1t occurred to
me that the Republican majority in this fight
had been driven to the necessity Of maintain
ing that % mcmbers out of 50 might meet and
determine the titles of the other 80 70 their
seats So. at q subsequent period in the dis
cussion. / asked the Senator from Massachii-
setts question, recurring to the former ques-
tion and answer. and WitG the permission of
the Senate / will read tie inquiry last pro-
pounded and the response which emanates
from that Distinguished Senator:
HoAE's PRETElssB HIDDLED.
After having prcpoundsd the interrogatory
under the confusion and noise going on re-
peat it az fOllows To make myself plain If
am capable of doing so. / should like to ask
the Senator this question: Here we have q
Senate of The United States composed of
eighty-two members. We may suppose anv
the probabilities 20 illustrate a suggestion--
Suppose that on thc first Monday of next De-
cember. il the Senator from Massachusetts will
kindly hear my suggestion, we should meet
here with controversy as to tire gentlemen
who constitute this Senate Suppose that of
the eighty-tWo members who. under the Com
stitutiou compose it, there should be forty the
one way of thinking no matter from what
source they procure their certificates OF cleo
ton or their title, but forty whose title fs
absolutely undisputed. and those forty shouId
assemble in this ball at the time appointed
BY law constituting forty undisputed mem
bers of the United States Senate, VINO at the
same time compose minority. I ask the
Senator from Massachusetts, whether those
forty would have the right OF not to inquire
into the election Of the other foTty-tVFO. IA
certain their right to their seats, determine
that right aud seat them accordingly"
WheTeuDOn the Senator iHuuired tsDofs
the Seuator mean Ia Ffilly elected Inembers?''
Mr.. Keuna-.'OHiy fer forty assembled and
every one OF the forty beng conceded TO be
elected with no iEsue whatever about it. but
with the forty-two absent Assuming that
the whole foTty-two had contested cases.
what will the forty who meet here without