The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1893-10-21
The Napoleon Of the Senate.

/
There was a remarkable scene il
the Senate Thursday, October 18th
when the repealers undertook t,
compel Senator Dubois to vote.
Senator Allen of Nebraska hat
just finished speech of fifteel
hours, the longest one ever mad,
in the halls of the Senate, wher
Mr.. VOORHEES, jumped to his fee
with motion to lay on this tabl,
the pending amendment offered by
Mr.. PETER of Kansas. The vot,
was taken and less than quorum
responded. A call of the Hous,
was ordered and another attemp
to get vote ensued.
During all these roll-calls it wa.
noticed that the Senator from Ida
no, Mr.. Dubois, remained in hi
seat but did not vote. This die
not escape the attention of the re
pealers, and Mr.. Villas arose to cal
the attention of the chair to thu
fact that the Senator from Idaho
refrained from voting, and that there
was a provision in the rules which
required Senators to vote, and asked
for the rule to be read.
Vice-President Stevenson ordered
the clerk to call the Senator from
Idaho. "Mr. Dubois" rang out in
stentorian tones. But Mr.. Dubois
maintained the greatest composure
and remained silent. The Chair
called upon the Senator from Idaho
to give his reasons for declining to
vote. Then Mr.. Dubois arose and
in a clear, firm voice said: 1.-THE
principal one is that here in the
consideration of one of the most
important matters of legislation for
the country an attempt is being
made to lay on the table an amend
ment by unfair and arbitrary means.
The gentleman from Kansas, the
author Of the amendment, has re-
quested to be allowed to state his
reasons for it, but his request has
been refused" and with this Mr..
Dubois took his seat.
"Shall the Senator from Idaho
for the reasons be has assigned be
excused from voting?" asked the
Vice-President. MIR. Butler, the
Senator from South Carolina, de-
manded a roll-call of the vote.
Amid the most impressive silence
the roll was called, and the clerk
annouced the vote, the noes being
in the majority.
Mr.. Villas sprung to his feet and
said: "Mr. President the chair has
announced the vote, by which the
Senate has refused to excuse the
Senator from Idaho from voting.
'Let his name be called" urged
several of the Senators at once.
Call him again" "Mr. Dubois"
rang through the chamber once
more. In silence sat Mr.. Dubois,
while a smile was visible upon his
sountenance. This open defiance
Of the rules of the most august leg
slative body in the world, caused
4 loud murmur among the baf1ied
'epealers. Mr.. Villas then suggest
I'd in angry tones that Mr.. Dubois
should be forced to obey the rules
IF the Senate. The chair pointed
bat that there was nothing in the
rules to suggest any further action.
Then Mr.. Villas said, II require that
he Senator's name be called. ""The
Senator's name has been called,"I
'eplied the Vice-President, and he
has declined to respond.
The fact will be entered" replied
he chair, calmly, and thus the
iramatic incident closed. It was
he most remarkable coup d'etat in
he history of the Senate. He had I,
defeated majority of the whole
senate, without bearing from the
combat single wound. The silver
champion received the congratu-
atoms of his colleagues as he re-
ired from the field with victory
'erched upon his banner.