Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-03-24
WHAT WAS AAIp IN 1881.
Memories of the Famous Controversy Over
the Senate Reorganization.

HOW THE DEMOCRATS THEN DEFEATED THE Er-
PORTS OF The REPUBLICANS TO ELEcT OFF,
cERs-sPEEcEEs BY DEMOCRATIC LEADERS
THAT ARE LIKELY TO BE QUOTED THIS TIME.
The republicans Of the Senate make M
secret Of the fact that they intend to resist all
efforts a; reorganization Of that body a, the
extra session. claiming that it will be in viola
ton Of the established precedents Of the
Senate The only time. according to the
records. when = reorganization was made at
suck session was in 1853. and at that tine all
the old officers were reelected save the SER
geant-at-srns. and the reorganization was had
for the purpose OF getting rid of this particular
official. charges having been preferred against
him In 1851 the republicans began 20 re-
organize. but gave it up. and the only other
time IT was attempted at an extra session was m
March. 1881, when the republicans undertook it
and failed
At that time Mr.. Dawes was the leader Of the
republicans and on the 23d OF March intro
d1ced resolution which declared it to be the
will of the Senate to elect its officers. The
cauCus nominees were Mr.. Riidleberger for
sergeant-at-arms and Mr.. Gorham for secre-
tarv- The resolution came up for action on
the following day and fight was at once pre-
elpi'sted that lasted for more than six weeks.
during which no other business transacted.
In this debate. which engendered much bad
feeling. the democrats asserted that they OPP
posed the reorganization for the reason that
the Whole thing was scheme on the part of
the Republicans TO repay Gen Mahone of VIZ
gina for voting and acting with them, and they
asserted boldly on the too- tina, deal had
been made with that Senator whereby the re-
pub.lcsns were 10 control the Senate. The demo-
ma 1rarss -1ad
and all efforts of the republicans to elect their
ofhce-s and were successful. After SIX weeks
o! sparTIng, in which q vast amount OF extran-
eous debate was I'M ected into the proceeding,
and bearing particularly upon the course OF tie
read lasters OF Virginia. the republicans capltu-
lated. and MAY Mr. Dawes made the motion
upon which the Senate went into execu-
tive session. there being At the time upward OF
three hundred nominations before IT, his
matter came up again two days later. but with
oct avail. and the only remaining reference TO
reorganization appearing in the Congressional
Record on Nav L.. two days before the
Senate adjourned without day. The republi-
cans have carefully searched the record OF that
controversy.
line democrats then in the Senate who are
members q. the body today were as follows,
each Of them voting soldly all the time 10 pre-
vent the republicans from carrying out their
design: Senators Call, Camden. Coke. German.
Harris, NcPherson. Pugh. Ransom. Vance
IL.
Morgan. In view of the fact that the contest
may be renewed this time By the democrats the
arguments they then used make very interest,"
ing reading. much OF the argument being made.
however. Dy men distinguished in the party,
but not row mt mbers. and many of them dead.
The republicans have been terrifying them
selves FOR what they deem to be an inevitable
struggle, and il IS not unlikely that many of
these quotations from the Record here made
NAV be found in speeches that will be made on
the Eoor Of the Senate before many days have
elapsed
SOME SCRAPS FROM THE RECORD.
Said Mr.. Pendle.on Of Ohio: '.why should
We enter upon this business? The Senate is
organized, tine clerks are at their desks, the
sergeant-st arms is a. the door, the messengers
and pages and subordinates are all performing
faithfully. justly, to The satisfaction of every
body. on the floor at least. tho various duties.
Now since the committees have been appointed
the Senate IL perfectly equipped for the rega-
La and orderly transaction OF business. We
need no change in order to accomplish that.
IO1r table, Mr.. President. is piled with bust
rsss. Why not 20 on in the regular way and
discharge that business and if af;erward it be
either our Pleasure or our convenience to dis
cuss this resolution, then brlrg it up.
Toe prece6ents are all against 1t, even from the
ve-y beginning OF the government and during
the troubious times OF 1851
present steering committee" then moved the
POs:ponement OF the consideration of the reso-
luton until the first Monday in December. and
upon that motion the long debate began.
&r. Garland. af:erward Hr. Cleveland's At
torrey General. was among the first to take the
floor. and among other things said: AS to the
election of the oiicers of the Senate, il is my
impression-l do rot state 1t with the utmost
Confidence. hOxever-;hat it has not been the
custom OF the Senate at what is called an execu-
tive session 10 change its otfice-s. 1t has been
done at extra sessions Of Congress a matter
OF course. and for good reason: but so far as
my knowledge goes the existing officers 81 the
close os a Congress nave always continued
through an executive session following it as
they existed ct the session preceding that ex-
ecutiye session. There is the fact before us tina.
u large number Of gentlemen, officers of the
senate. who are acceptable against whom not
one. IS believe. ca, one single charge be made
upon a sudden. not even a respectable justice of
the peace notice. are called upon to take up
cir beds and walk without a days prepara-
ton, without a moments notice compared with
that which should be assigned to them when
they are called upon 20 leave their places. =" .
Do not infiict an IN Jury on some Of them and
probably an irreparabie injury for life. 1t Is a
matter Of few days at best. and If an extra
session IL called (which God, hope, in His
wisdom will avert one of calamities to the
country you NAV then have full leave and
power to go ahead and elect your officers. but
you are now 20 strike down some of the best
officials the country has ever had for the little
gain OF possibly week or two or a few months
at best"
Mr.. Brown Of Georgia in the same strain said
81 ara told the prece6ents, with probably not
more than a single exception, If there be one
are that there las never been a reorganization
of this sort pressed at an executive session
where IL discharged the officers OF one party
and put in those OF another, and l understand
In the instance where it was DONE probably in
1858. ii did not change the political complexion
of the officers"
Mr.. Saulsb bury Of Delsware-It Is an unusual
proceeding. i have been now for ten years a
member OF the senate. and never before since
i have been in the Senate has there been any
attempt at an executive session to go into an
election of the officers OF that body. The pro-
ceeding ID therefore unprecedented and IN
usual The resolution proposes. in my opinion,
TO do an act OF great Injustice to the employees
of the Senate. They L.! no reason to suppose
there would be any attempt at the present ex-
ecutiye session TO displace them from the posi-
lions they occupy. They have their families to
take care of. They had no reason TO suppose
there would be any attempt to GUST them from
the positions they occupy at the present session.
aad without homes provided for their familes
they are nov 10 be dismissed, turned out Of
their positions without, perhaps. the means to
accommodate their families for the mex: six
eight months. Heretofore they have always
had notice.
On the 26tn Of the month Mr. Call the pres