Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1895-03-07
TROUBLED HIN AFTERWARDS.


chapter in the life of Isaac Pusey
Gray relates to his career in the
Indiana Senate, TO which he was
elected as q Republican after the
war. Mr.. Gray became President
Of the Senate. and it was while act
ing in that capacity that he adopted,
for . special emergency, plan 81
Counting aquorsm." |" which raanf
astnte politicians have said prevent
I'D his n5saination fer tlslAsg giess
Presidency in 1885 and in 1892.
The question of the ratification
Of the fifteenth amendment to the
United States Constitution enfran-
chising the slaves, was before the
Senate. That body was so divided
between the two political parties
that the Republican majority could
not command quorum. The
Democrats we're filibustering against
the ratification, and, in order to
break quorum, resigned their seats
in body. Governor Baker, after
the adjournment of the Legisla.
ture, made necessary by this move,
ordered special elections to be held
to fill the vacancies. The Demo
Gratis who had resigned were all re-
turned. Then the Governor called
an extraordinary session of the
Legislature. Again the PROPOSE
tion to ratify the fifteenth amend.
ment was brought forward, and
again the Democrats Of the Senate
resigned. Three held on, however,
to constitute quorum to pass ap-
preparation bills and watch their
opponents, it being part of their
programme to absent themselves
the moment vote was called for
on the proposition to ratify the
amendment.
This plan was frustrated by the
President of the Senate, Isaac Z.
Gray. The employees of the Senate
were all Republicans. President
Gray secretly ordered the doors OF
the Senate chamber locked, and
then called for vote, which was
taken. The Democrats bolted for
the corridors, only to find all egress
cut off. They could get no further
than the cloakroom, and President
Gray counted them as present and
not voting, and certified that the
bill for ratification had passed.
The ratification by Indiana gave
the fifteenth amendment the votes
of the number of States required
to incorporate it in the Consiitu-
tion Of the United States.
This act of Mr.. Gray, which at
the time, was loudly applauded by
the Republican press of the coan-
try, came back to trouble him 20
years later. In 1872 Mr. Gray was
candidate for Lieutenant Govern
or of Indiana before the Republi-
can Convention, but was defeated.
Then he joined the Liberal Repub-
lican movement, a mugwump affair,
and was a delegate to the conven-
ton at Cincinnati which nominated
Horace Greeley for President. Two
years later that movement had pass
ed into history, and Mr. Gray
emerged from the mugwump chrys-
alis full-fledged Democrat. AL
though not on the most friendly
terms with Thomas A. Hendricks,
then the recognized and all-po3cy-
full leader OF the Democratic party
in Indiana, Mr.. Gray was nominal
ed for Lieutenant Governor by the
Democrats and was elected. On
the death of Governor blue Jeans
Williams, in 1880, he succeeded to
the Governorship aud served for
about six weeks. In 1884 he was
nominated and elected Governor
and served until 1889.
In 1888 there was practical una
nimity in the Democratic party in
favor of the denomination of Presi-
dent Cleveland, and for the first
time in many years Indiana failed
to present to the Democratic Ma
tlonal Convention "favorite sen"
for the presidential nomination.
But she had candidate for the
second place in the person of Gov
ernor Gray. Mr. Gray and the late
Senator Joseph E. Mcdonald had
been unfriendly since 1881. In
that year McDonald's term as Sen
ator expired. The Legislature was
Republican. Naturally enough Mr..
Mcdonald expected the compli.
mentary vote Of his party. His