Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-01-24
Special to the Register.

Charleston, W. Va, January %
Never in the history of the State has
any more revolutionary proceeding
been enacted than the ~unseating of
Senator Kidd, this afternoon by the
Senate.
There was not the slightest reason
for his removal.
The Senate committee on elections
had been examining a contest by M. B.
Morris for Senator Kids seat and
worked a part of Saturday night in
counting the ballots from Wood
county.
Early this morning the recount was
again begun and two more precincts
were completed in a short time, but in
all the votes counted the committee
found that Kidd was holding his own
and that Morris did not gain a single
vote in excess of the number gained by
Kidd.
When this was ascertained, in con-
nection with the opinion given to the
committee by County Clerk Stewart,
of Wood county, that the recount, even
under their rulings, would show no
material change in the result, a halt
was called.
Senator Elkins sent word to the
committee that they must stop the re-
count, and the committee at once adj
journed.
Then a conference was had in the Of
flee of the governor lat which were
present Senator Elkins, Hon. N. B.
Scott, Congressman Dovener and Day
ton, the Governor, the Secretary OF
State, the collector of Internal Rev.
emu the United States marshall and
many Republican leaders from var
ious sections of the State.
At this conference the orders were
given by Mr.. Elkins and approved by
his coterie of federal officers that the
recount should not be continued since
the result was likely to be
AGAINST THE REPUBLICANS.
and that Kidd should be at once I'M
seated without waiting for the result
of the investigation being conducted
by the committee.
Immediately upon the assembling of
the Senate after the noon recess, the
resolution offered some days ago, by
Senator White, of Logan, was called
up. This resolution declared Senator
Kidd was not elected but that Morris
was; that Kidd's seat should be vacat-
ed and Morris sworn in.
For this resolution Senator Smith,
of Tyler, offered a substitute, provid-
ing that Senator Kidd should be sus-
pended and Mr.. Morris sworn in and
seated pending the determination of
the contest.
Upon this resolution Mr.. Kidd adj
dressed the Senate in a very vigorous
manner, entering an emphatic protest
against such absurd proceedings, pro-
testing that there was no precedent or
legal excuse for his removal pending
the decision of the committee and
stating pointedly to the Senators on
the Republican side that no n in the
chamber could vote for the resolution
without stultifying himself and violat-
ing the oath he took when he became
a senator.
He referred to the sacrifice which
was offered by Abraham in the wild
erness and said that the Kidd stood
here to-day ready to be offered up as
a sacrifice, but that the order came not
from Jehovah but by way of Washing
ton, from the viceroy of the ruler of
the dark and damnable regions below,
Stephen B. Elkins. He charged
THE FEDERAL OFFICE HOLDERS
and particularly the collector of inter-
nal revenue and his deputies with the
greatest activity in trying to have him
unseated.
I1S 4CN4CWC0 AA0 SOoNs WINS Nha@
he had a legal and unquestioned ma
jority of 141 votes that the recounts,
even in Republican counties, had made
no material change in his vote, except
that he had gained a few votes in
Wood county. He protested vigorous
ly against this summary action pend
- IT
said if the Republicans thought that
they could not elect a Senator without
such tactics that they might LAY on,
McDuf and damned be he who first
cries hold-enough."
I'VE will be witaEou," he added.
He said that t had been cruci-
fed between twd yes. but that here.