The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1891-01-19
TWO NOTABLE SPEECHES,

IL may be Predetermined by a resolution
without a ~rehearing. Aud L submit.
Mr.. President, without being a LAWYER.
that there is not a legal tribunal in the
United States under the Constitution Of
any State tina by its own motion pro
ceeds TO q redetermiuation OF a case, or
without a reargument upon a statement
of the facts aud Of the testimony.
SEVEN NEW JUDGES.
"Well, here is q court to which there
has been an accession of seven new mem
bers since that judicial determination,
who, not being members did not hear the
case. who have never read the testimony,
and who know absolutely nothing about
it save the opinions gathered on one side
or the other from a partisan press. And
they are to judicially vote today to re-
determine this question. The mere state
ment il seems to me Exposes the fallacy
OF the %pretense to such an extent that II
there be anything else in the world as
ridiculous as the claim it is to seriously
argue for or in opposition 70 it. If IL is
within the power of a body constitution
ally created to act j%udicially as the SEN
ate is, and to determine q matter 9en-
pitely and finally, then this Senate did 1t
in the case to which this resolution refers.
ARGUMENT USELESS.
But il Is in vain / know, Mr.. President,
70 cite authorities. 1t Is in vain to lay
down principles or to attempt argument.
The case is now TO be determined, not ju-
dicially, but as the Senator from Norris
has honestly SAID 1t is to be parliament
tarily determined, without testimony,
without a hearing, without anything but
a simple resolution referring TO an Act
that look place in the past, and to be
voted upon, / repeat, by new Members OF
the court, If indeed it be not true that
the Senate of 1891 is entirely a new court.
L have said, Mr.. President, that In the in
~yestigation preceding that judicial deter
mination by the Senate. there was one
thing al least about which all men agree
so far as / know, and hat was an expos
ure of crime so universal, so systematic,
so oft repeated u in the same detail as
to be happily without precedent in this
country, or in so far as l know IN IN
other.
Now, l have no word. Mr.. President. to
say personally against the Senator from
Hudson, who was removed by the resolu-
ton. which 1t is today sought to rescind.
/ am not here TO do that, because. in the
first place, it would not be in order In this
discussion, and, IL it were in order. L
would not do tito charge upon him any
political crime. Indeed, it were super
fous to the investigation. For l know
nothing In the laws or morals, or the
Constitution which requires, that II an
office be stolen, the man who accepts the
stolen office must himself be a party to
the crime. Therei is, | believe. Mr.. Presi-
dent, on most subjects a law relating to
the receipt of stolen goods, but that Law
does not apply in this case.
DANGEROUS GROUND.
Now in the passage OF this resolu-
tion Won are doing what, Mr.. President?
1t IS a serious matter, SRI You are CIV
ing rein to those passions and those de-
sires Of restraint for which Senates and
Governments were constituted. Ii there
be a reason in so far as l know, or as /
think the learned President knows, for es-
tabllshing governments more sacred or
more important than any other, it is that
a man shall not be deprived of that which
is his by nature, or by law, without a
hearing, and simply because he may take
il. You can pass that resolution, and,
controlling the sergeant-at-arns, you can
put it into effect, because it IS said, and
with great truth we must admit, that the
might, the power, exists in ID votes. 1t is
the argument of the highwayman who
says, q will take your pockstbook be-
l v the power to do So" lap
~plause,
The President Qnterrupting):-The gen.
tleman from Atlantic should be very
familiar with that argument. More APP
planse.l
DELIGHTED BALLOT BOX SUFFERS.
Senator Gardner:-The President never
tackled me yet. Laughter. 1 sha not
deny that in the different constitution OF
mems minds, sometimes from different
views of the facts, sometimes by letting
our preJndices lead us on, there Will
doubtless be a good many citizens OF New
Jersey who will conclude that a meritori-
Gus conclusion has been reached. Such
citizens there will be. l know them not
BY name or occupation. nor of their past,
but l know, Mr.. President. of the eighty,
Il viii not be certain OF the number, L
know OF the eighty stuffed ballot boxes
in the county Of Hudson, meaning eighty
polls with their election officers. l know
that every man who helped TO stuff those
boxes aud falsely count those ballots and
manipulate the returns, Will shout here
as we have heard them shout just now.
| know that every man who planned
those infamous frauds and who directed
their execution and most Immediately
profited by them, will lifs his voice up in
delight.
know, Mr.. President. that whatever
other classes and other individuals may
think that a righteous act has been done,
there will be no exception to the delight
among the living political criminals of
that county. Now, sir, for such a vim
location and TO delight such elements
Won. the creatures OF the Constitution,
rise above it, and trample upon il. and
say thai you are not iudicialiy determin-
ing the facts, but that you are filling a
DihCc III Jul NOaob4tNStOhoA COAI ~ - C"h
liamentary proceeding. You defy q mass
of authorities from which, in so far as
know or have heard, there is not a dis
senting opinion by any able mind Ia this
country that has dealt with ike questions
and determine them, and with which
authority and which line OF opinions
United States Senators of all shades OF
political opinion have agreed in Wash
ington. 1t Is a very great sacrifice, Mr..
President, TO make for the triumph which
you achieve by ii. But there Will be one
consolation, the election of a Senate, Mr..
President, to accomplish such a result as
the immediate passage OF this resolution
will be everywhere construed as q public
fOTgiUeneSs of the political criminal.
THE PARTING SHOT.
Well, assuming as | must assume that
every Senator has a regard TOR his official
oath, that he is an honorable mau, That
he only acts with the strictest regard oil
propriety and justice and morals and law,
/ must conclude that the or jas
tice and law which II Senator from
Morris sets up here today is high and
rigid and there will be some com pensa-
ton in contemplating the reformatory OF
reforming powers OF forgiveness when ]
know that you. having acted mp 70 that
high standard in maintaining the law
and the moral. will be applauded by
every man in New Jersey who is guilty
Of grieyous political crimes and who
stands trembling in fear OF an outraged