Omaha daily bee., 1896-03-21
VOTES TO CENSURE BAYARD
Nine Democrats Break Away from Their
Party Colleagues,
B0ATNeRS SEAT DECLARED VACANT
only Debate or the Question Was
Ten Minutes Allowed the Com
testhnt and Contcstce to
Present Their Views.

EtNth Y
WASHINGTON, March 2O.-The house to-
day. after three days of debate, adopted a
resolution censuring Thomas L. Bayard, ex-
secretary of state and now ambassador to
the court OF st. James, for utterances deliv-
cred in an address to the Boston, England,
Grammar school, and in an address before
the Edinburgh Philosophical society last fall.
The vote stood $50 10 II in favor Of the first
resolution and 1871 to SO in favor of the Sec
ond. Five republicans broke away from
party lines and voted against the resolution
of censure and six democrats voted for 1t.
All the republicans and nine democrats voted
for the second resolution. Mr.. Willis, a re-
publican from Mr.. Bayard's state, made a
speech IN opposition to the first resolution.
and Mr.. Bailey, democrat, Ct Texas, not only
endorsed the resolution, but declared that n
man who delivered such utterances as Mr..
Bayard had at Boston was 'uiworthy to
represent the United States anywhere or at
any time" There was a report about the
house after the resolution had been adopted
that Ambassador Bayard would resign. but
close friends Of the administrators asserted
positively that there was absolutely no foun-
dalton for the rumors, which they did not
hesitate to ridicule. The resolutions adopted.
after reciting the Objectionable features of
Mr.. Bayard's speech, are as follows:
TEXT OF THE RESOLUTIONS.
resolved, That it is the sense of the house
of representatives that Thomas f. Bayard,
ambassador of the United States to Great
Britain. in publicly using the ianeuage
against Diplomatic propriety and. an abuse
of the privileges of his exalted position,
which should make him the representative
pF thn tN.HNln tnt and mot nf any nnDtl-
cal party. Such ~utterances were wholly IN.
consistent with that prudent, delicate and
secretary of state; enioined upon al! dipio-
matte agents of the United States. In one
speech he %affronts the great body of his
countrymen,- who believe n the policy of
protection. In the other speech he offends
all his countrymen, who believe that Ameri-
cans are capable of self government. There
fore, as the immediate representatives of
the American people, and in their name,
we condemn and censure the said utterances
Resolved. Further, that In the opinion of
the house of representatives public speeches
which display craftsmanship, or which con-
organization in the United States, are. in
derellction of the duty of such officers, i'm
pair their usefulness as public servants and
diminish the confidence which they. should
always command at home and abroad.
The house later considered the contested
election case of Benoit against Boatner from
the Fifth Louisiana district, and the report
Of the majority declaring the seat vacant
on account of fraud and intimidation at the
election was adopted, 1871 to 90. Three repub-
leans voted for Boatner.
WASHINGTON, March 20.-The debate on
the resolution to censure Mr.. Bayard was
resumed today under an agreement entered
into yesterday to take a vote at 2 o'clock
this afternoon.
QUOTED AGAINST HIMSELF.
Mr.. Adams, who was minister to Brazil
under the Harrison administration, favored
the resolutions, and said Mr.. Bayard's long
service and commanding position as an
American made his offense more fragrant
and reprehensible. To show that Mr.. Bay
ard fully recognized his position as the rep
resentative of the whole people, he read
from a speech delivered a year ago by Mr..
Bayard at Wilmington, Del, in which the
ambassador said; az represent no party as
ambassador to Great Britain, but my coun-
try and my people,"
Mr.. Fairchild took issue with the majority
CT the foreign affairs committe as to the
character of Mr.. Bayard's offense, express
ing regret that the committee had not brought
in articles of impeachment instead of cen
sure. Mr.. Bayard's utterance, he argued,
constituted a criminal libel within the def
milton of the law. and In view OF his eX-
allied position a high crime against his coun-
try.
Mr.. Wheeler, in opposition to the resolution,
maue tne HTSt TeltTeICB " lit tuli tuudy.
He said this attack on Ambassador Bayard
came from Massachusetts, a state that be-
lieved in protection for projections sake.
Major Mckinley had, en- this floor argued
in favor of high protection for iron, cotton
ties as absolutely necessary for the produc-
ticn in this country. Cotton ties had been
placed on the free list by the Wilson bill,
yet he read a telegram from Youngstown,
O., chrcnicling the first shipment OF cotton
ties to Bombay, India.
Mr.. Hutchinson said he would vote for the
second of the resolutions, laying down the
well established general principal that our
representatives in foreign countries should
abstain from partisan speeches, but he could
not vote for the resolution that censured
Mr.. Bayard by name.
ESSENTIALLY AN ARISTOCRAT.
Mr.. Willis was the first republican to an
nounce that he opposed censuring Mr.. Bay
ard. Like Mr.. Hutchinson, he said he would
be willing to vote for the second resolution.
but he could not vote for the first resolution.
His state pride would lead him to oppose it.
He knew Mr.. Bayard as a man of force and
distinction. He did not think that he be-
trayed a confidence when he said Mr.. Bay
ard was a born aristocrat as a democrat. His
instincts were feudal in nature. Preceding.
Mr.. Willis drew the members around him in
~thrOngs. and aroused great enthusiasm both
on the floor and in the galleries by his eulogy
of the value Of the birthright of liberty, aud
his outspoken contempt for American snobs.
Sycophants and s!mpletons who discredited
their own country and worshipped at the
foot of the aristocracy and royalty of the
old world.
Mr.. Turner closed the debate for the OBJ
position in a strong ten-minute spesch. His
theme, like that of Mr.. Bayard's at Edin-
burgh, would, he said, be individual free
dom, the germ of national prosperity and
progress" A theme worthy of that noble
cheyalier. With contempt he described the
triumphant republican party turning away
from It's duty to visit its wrath and lndiP-