Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1890-04-17
MONTANA.


THE CRACK OF TIE PATTY LASH.
Mr.. President personally never re-
fleet upon anyone, but politically there
is something behind this report. Polit-
ically. this proposition means more than
the ordinary routine discussion and prei
scntation of a question Of credentials.
recall the fact that in ISL In special
session. an extra session Of the Senate,
involving the contest growing out of
the elections I'm Virginia, when the in
famous and notorious Malone deal was
enacted. matters became very warm in
this body and things We're called, as
thov ought TO have been called, by their
right names. In the course of the dis
cusSion a distinguished Republican Sena-
tor. the honorable Mr.. sherman. OF Ohio,
arose I'm his place and used the language
which I shall read literally from the
record: Anything that will beat down
that party and build up our own is JUS
tifable in morals and in law. If from
one of the great leaders of that political
organization this Committee ON Prlyi-
lcges and Elections is TO draw its inSpi-
ration. then we are not driven very far
I'm the ramifcations of the records TO
find the literal text, When we begin to
talk about minoritieS and their func-
tions we turn 10 the other House of this
Congress and behold the gentleman who
preSides with autOcratic power over II.
In the history of contested eases pre-
scented I'm the sight and for the treat
ment of this very session of Con-
gresS. behold "a Speaker occupy
ing his stand with pencil and
paper. proceeding 10 manufacture
"a quorum that is shown by the record TO
be absent. and you will find the inaug-
uration for this Congress at least Of the
policy and principle announced in the
declaration that anything that will
beat down that party and build up our
own is justifable In morals and I'm law.
When We revert TO this Montana case
we find it entirely capable for certain
gentlemen 20 look at the twenty-four
Democrats with undiSputed titles Strug-
Cling with the complications that con-
frOnted them. conscious of an organized
raid upon the ballot and its freedom and
its honesty among their constituents.
and we are not surprised in the light of
the daily transactions which confront
us here that these gentlemen find that
those twenty-fOur men, constituting a
minority, had mo- power. because from
party standpoint. anything that will
BEAT down THAT PARTY
and build up our own is juStiiiable i'm
morals and in law But behold the
transaction with the same eyes turned
upon the other minority, embracing p
Republicans IN that state struggling
alike with the conflicts presented by
this peculiar condition OF affairs, with
no more power than the n men eXer-
cised and for the same reason; they had
no difficulty whatever i'm finding that
the - could proceed To investigate the
credentials OF the remaining OutStand-
ing members, take mp the disputed
eases. decide them and admit TO
membership and TO the exercise
of legislative functions a sufficient
number 20 enable them 10 proceed and
elect two Republican asplrantS 10 the
United States senate. because anything
that will beat down that party and build
up our own is justiiiable In morals and
i'm law
Mr.. President, this report evadeS the
issue that there was no Legislature IN
that state. Coming occasionally across
a precedent established by the United
states senate with its strong Republi-
can majority in thu Oldeu time here, it
brushes out of the way, rs ! have said
any such precedcntS. l quote the re-
mort. If So we diSSented from it and
proceeded upon the idea that there
was an organized Legislature, and the
question being open rs To- whether or
not the senate could exercise the func-
tions OF inQuiring into the election OF
its majority, decided that proposition
i'm the affirmative, and then proceeded
I'm turn 90 take up Precinct "a, I'm
silver Bow county, and I'm order
10 accomplish the results at which
IL seems TO have aimed, arbitrarily dis
cardcd every single vote east in that
precinct. thereby securing the election
of the five Republican contestants in
that county. because YOU know that
anything that will beat down that
party and build up our own is iuStii-