Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1891-01-30
The Vice President Commended
his FAIR AND HONORABLE COURSE AS PRE-
: SIDING OFFICER OF THE SENATE.

his FAIR AND HONORABLE COURSE AS PRE-
: SIDING OFFICER OF THE SENATE.
NaC Orleans Times Democrat. Dem. y
There has been nothing which has been
more striking during the three or four
weeks that the United States Senate has
been discussing the cloture resolution aud
the force bill during the present session
than the pertinacity with which Vice
President Morton has stuck to his parlia-
mentary dates. There has scarcely been
day in the course of that time that be
has not been on hand TO perform his Vice
Presidential functions, and he has not
surrendered the gavel for more than ten
minutes at a time, hardly long enough to
admit Of his swallowing dyspeptc lun-
cheOn.
And the rulings which be has rendered
at the time on questions of parliamentary
procedure have been eminently fair and
IMPARTIAL. He has held the balance be-
tween the two parties even when party
spirit has run very high. and when there
must have been wonderfully strong temp
tation for party man, even as the result
of an unconscious bias, to incline in his
decisions TO his own side OF the chamber.
with an exactness and an evenness of JUS
tice which have been eminently In keeping
with his high reputation for integrity, aud
which will always be chronicled to his
GOOD credit. otis commendable," says
the dra matist, "to have giants strength,
but not to use itllikea giant" MI Morton
has been possessed of a giants strength
for a number of weeks past, when at al
most any moment be might, with his SIM
ple fat, have allowed the crushing of
that unshackled freedom of debate which
has been one Of the proud traditions of
the United States Senate for a hundred
years. and permitted the launching of
measure OF oppression against the South
ern half of the Union whose baleful con.
sequences it were impossible for the clear.
est vision to foresee. Mr.. Morton has
not used that strength with which he
Tas armed "like giant" but has main
tanned himself in the attitude of fear
less arbiter to control the reckless pas
sions of both parties and to secure an IN.
biased hearing tor both sides of the cham
Der in the discussion of the mOmentous
issues pending before them. The reputa-
ton that Mr.. Morton has won for fairness
with the Democratic as we'll as tie Re-
publican Senators, and the peacefulness
of the proceedings in the Senate during
the past month, when the atmosphere
has been charged with explosives, espe-
cially when taken in comparison with
the character" that Speaker Reed has
achieved in another place with his brutal
one-sidedness, and the turbulent scenes
which have dsgraced and are still dis
grazing the sittings of the House Of Rep
resentatives-are an eloquent tribute to
the Vice Presidents sense of Justice, to
his clear Medicines and self-restraint,
and IN fact to his singular fitness for the
elevated position which he hclds. 1t has
been said, with how much truth we do
not profess to know, that a week or ten
days ago Mr.. Morton gave an assurance
to Senator German that be was determin-
ed to allow no violation of the traditions
of the Senate during his occupancy of the
chair, that he would be no party to the
sitting of debate, and that if a victory
were won by either side it would certain
ly not be through any "snap Judgment"
from the chair.
Now, whether Mr.. Morton did utter
these sentiments or not, it is certain that
he is acting as if the sentiments were his
inspiration. His constant presence in the
Senate even-which, by the way, is not
always agreeable to the Republicans
looks as if he intended that no substitute
pro ten. either should have an oppor.
tunity of rendering that "snap Judgment"
which be will not render himself II Mr.,
Morton stands fast IN his present practice,
Mr.. Aldrich'S clOturc resolution will GER
tainly not pass the Senate before high
noon of the 4th of March, and, the cloture
resolution falling, the force bill collapses
with it. The country, and particularly
the Southern States, have much to be
thankful for that the Vice President is
built just as he is.