The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1891-01-30
WHAT COULD HAVE INFLUENCED THEM,
A discussion on the Recreant Repub-
Iican Senators.
Nobody Knows Why Cameron Voted
with the Democrats.
Stewart and Jones are Nlonarchs Of
All They Survey.
Especial to the Press.l

Especial TO the Press.l
WASHINGTON. January 20. - The layino
aside of the closure rule In the Senate. and
the consequent defeat Of the elections bill. Il
regarded almost universally by Republican,
in Washington as public and party calam
ity. In the House Of Representatives the
sentiment Of the people finds expression far
more accurately than in the Senate and in
the House there is but one opinion among
Republicans, and that opinion is that the
party has been betrayed in the Senate. The
eight Republicans who have deserted TO the
Democrats openly come in for the largest
share of condemnation, and upon them rests
the principal burden of blame. One or two
others who have been equally blameworthy
but more adroit are escaping with less cen.
sure.
"What is the Republican party to do in its
next national convention when the hour ar
rives to make the platform ?" is the. question
heard often from the lips of Republicans
kere. The issue OF free ballot and fair
count" as tersely expressed by General
Grant, amid the conflict Of great and sue
cessfnl campaign of The part, 'the primal
by Mr.. Blaine in the shadows Of the great
humiliation of 1884. has been vital princi-
pie In the party since the days of OF the war
and one which the party was bound to stand
by so long as 1t should stand by the record,
and the deeds of the men who added the Fiji
teenth Amendment to the constitution. Ma
tional and state conventions have recognized
this obligations In their platforms for years
aud In no platform has the recognition been
more definite and hearty than in the platform
i0h fhax tnE
the present House of Representatives was
elected. The action of traitors In the Sem
ate has put the party In the position OF repu-
dating this old and oft repeated pledge that
every citizen shall have his rights under the
laws. Hence the query as to what the franz
ers OF the next platform can say when they
confront the great fact that their party has
abandoned the effort to enforce that clause
OF the constitution which the fathers Of the
Republican party expected would guarantee
the right OF citizenship to all citizens, ire
spectve Of race, color or previous condition
Of servitude.
There is no possibility of mistaking the
issue. The Southern Senators, in OPEN de-
bate, have denounced the Fifteenth Amend
ment as Infamous, and asserted that is should
not be enforced Defiant in the possession
OF representation, enlarged by this Fiji
teenth Amendment, the representatives of
Southern States, where all political power is
anu Wu6I6 local SelI-gOVerlmenL
as understood In New England is absolutely
unknown, have, in effect, declared:
I'VE intend neither to let the negro vote in
congressional elections. nor to give up the
additional representation which we enjoy in
the House of Representatives on his ac-
count"
I'VE deny his right to vote because he is
black. and we justify an educational test
which shuts out the ignorant black man and
lets in the ignorant white man."
The Fifteenth Amendment shall not be
e1forced. Nov what do you narrow-minded
radicals in New England propose to do about
it?'
"We shall use our added political power
obtained by counting the negro as an inhab-
liant and suppressing him as a voter, to give
you free trade and free silver coinage. And
what do you propose to do about that?"
".
In the insolence of victorious contest
the South has gone further than she has
dared to go before. Hitherto it has been
local and sporadic. Now 1t Is bOasted that il
is part of new dispensation under law
higher than the Constitution. And eight
Republicans, hearing this doctrine reiterated
day after day, have deserted their party and
received the congratulations OF its foes In
the hour of its humiliation.
1t would be difficult to determine who Is
the chiefest sinner Of these eight; but j.
Donald Cameron, of Pennsylvania, is un-
doubtedly the most mysterious sinner. The
sentiment of the Republicans of his state is
In favor OF the elections bill. The state
legislature has resolved In favor of it. Wnen
Cameron was reelected about a week ago
his managers announced publicly that he
would vote for the bill, and votes were cas-
Tor him on that express understanding, at
least one Republican state senator annOunc.
ing the understanding at the time he an
nounced his vote. And yet, the moment his
election was sure. Cameron turned about
and gave the bill its death blow, and then
walked over to receive congratulations on
the Democratic side. Strong personal
friendship with one or two leading Dem
ocratic Senators" Is the explanation given
by some. Others, who do not believe in
upon the remark made by old Simon Cam
eTon years ago, 1T is the misfortune of my
son Donald that he was born rich mans
son" Like Teller and Walcott he has
profound dislike for President Harrison, a
circumstances which may have made 1t
advocated by the President
Inc next unhappy sinner Is undoubtedly
Jonn j. ingalls,, of Kansas. Few Republl-
cans were sorry when the news came to the
capitol that ingalls, was defeated. A brill
liant man he certainly is; but In his desire
to be reelected to the Senate he sacrificed
MS own principles and his paIty's principles
with ruthessness that lost him many
friends. Although not voting directly he
was paired against the closure and thus
counted as much as he would had he voted.
bis course Is ascrlbed to his desire to gain
the appreciation of Democrats and Alliance
members In the Kansas legislature. In
snatchlng The shadow he has lost the bone.
Ihe case OF Senator William ID. WashburD.
OF minnesota, Is rather different from that
har l.0 Ia 10
political accident nor schemer for re,
e,ection, since his term does not expire until
1875. He was born 10 Maine, educated at
bowd0in, and is one Of the famous Wash
Durn family. But he has, until recently de-
voted himself to business rather than
poiitics. AT one time he was very wealthy;
but about the time of his election to the SEN
ate was said to be financially embarrassed.
he Is generally believed, however. to have
passed tnat crisis and to be on his feet again.
IL Is SAID that he was elected to the Senate
largely through the influence of the st. Paul
Pioneer-Press, a leading paper of Minneso-
ta That paper has opposed the elections
Dill from the first. Some say that the paper
Influences Washburn and others the Wash
ourn influences the paper. While MS col
league. Senator Davis, has supported the
bill. Mr.; Wa ,hburn has opposed it from the
first. He has made no speech 1ustifying his
course; and his reasons for taking a course
more decided than expected OF him in po-
uLlcal matter, Is uneXpldlneQ. But Oh the
eight deserters he is probably criticised the
least. This, however, may be because he APP
pears to have show of support in his state;
aud has not flaunted any political trade in
the face of his associates.
The remaining five allies of the Democrats
belong to the coterie known as the s'silyer
Senator'S" For earnestness and reputation
as advocates of the unlimited coinage of sill
yer Stew ait and Jones Of Nevada, are first
of the five. Each Is immensely wealthy:
but neither has the lack of brains which
some hastily infer TO be a characteristic of
bonapZa kings. Stewart was student in
Yale College when the excitement broke ont
over the discovery of gold in California in
l849 He left Congress at once and az one
of the "Forty-niners" delved with pfck and
shovel, accommodating In this way his first
money. He soon studied law, and In 1860 he
was in Virginia City engaged In mining liti-
CATION and in the development of the lannon's
Comstock lode. He is immensely waaithv.
having made his money largely out of sil.
yer.
Senator Jones was born In England. but
came to this country In early life. He too
went to California In the days of '49, and
later drifted TO Nevada to become Croesns
He owns at the present time very valuable
silver mine in Alaska, for Which, If rumor
be true, he draws an income of half a million
dollars yearly. He ha, studied the silv.r
question deeply, aud his speech delivered in