Middletown transcript., 1896-03-07

THE Washington correspondent of
the Evening Journal said this week, in
discussing the claims of Col. DUPONT
| to seat in the Uni ed States Senate
| which is now under consideration in
that body, that be will not be seated
because the Senators will vote on the
measure strictly on party lines, the A
Republicans being for seating him, the
80 Democrats being against seating
him, without regard to the merits of
the case, and the six Populjsts having
decided against him because he is a
sshard money man." This is condi-
tion that we are not ready to accept.
We know that there are Republican
Senators who would not vote to seat
any man merely for partisan purposes,
and we are just as ready to believe that
there a.e Democratic Senators who
would not vote against the seating OF
man merely because he is a Republic
can. The only reasonable solution is
that there are arguments for and
against the seating of Col. dupont, and
the members give their party the bene-
fit of any doubt arising in their minds.
We had hoped the case would be SO
plain that the Senate would not divide
on party lines. To our mind Col. du-
Pont is clearly entitled to his seat and
for one simple reason as the arguments
of his counsel in their briefs clearly
show. In every case that has ever
gone before the Supreme Court of the
United States in which one person has
attempted to exercise the duties of two
offices in the different departments of
this government, whether executive,
legislative, or judicial, the Court has
decided against the party. This stands
against Mr.. Watson's claim that he is
both Governor and Senator, and is the
law of the nation. And further, of
the nine speakers who have become
governor or "acting governor in this
State under the constitution never has
one of them attempted to exercise the
Office of senator while he was "act-
ing governor That is against Mr..
Watson's claim. The Democrats
claim that "there is no going behind
the returns" that the Safe Senate of
Delaware constructively passed upon
Mr.. Watson's claim when he and some
others say that he took part in the
proceedings of the Senate, and that
whether right or wrong in so doing
there is ''no going behind thu returns"
and there is no correction of the wrong
done the people of Delaware inthe eyes
of great part of her citi zensand under |
the Interpretation Of the United States
Courts, the highest law of. the land.
But even that ground is hot we'll
taken. True it is supported by affida-
Wits, including Gov. Watson's which |
was given at last and evidently with |
reluctance. The JOu, nal of the State |
Senate does not bear out these claims,
though the Erery Evening has said SO
and has never corrected its misstate-
ment. But the Journal is substanti-
ated by the thIee Republican Senators
and what is stronger proof by the lack
of affidavits from Senator'S Fennimore
Pyle and Harrington. These men
are the close plriy friends of Gov
Watson and they knew what he pro-
posed to do on the 8 h day of May,
that he proposed t. go into the joint
meeting of the two houses and vote for
Senator, and yet they have, no know
ledge that he took part in the Senate
proceedings. This is negative proof
but conclusive to many minds that
Governor Watson to,k no recognized
or acknowledged part in the Senate
proceedings, his having seat by the
side of the speaker pro tenn. during
conversation not being proof of his
participation in the business of the
Senate. Taus is the ground of the
Democratic objections t., Col. DUPONT
swept away, to our mind, and he
should be given the seat in the Senate
without an opposing vote. We have
seen no denial of the facts we recite
and no argument against their just