Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-04-27


A re- solution introduced in tho Senate
by Perkins. Cal. calling on the secre
tary Of the treasury to send 10 the
Senate the imports by months and the
rates Of duty under the reciprocal
agreement that went into effect, in
1898. was adopted.
Pcttus. Ala. addressed the Senate in
opposition to the resolution. declaring
that Nathan Il. Scott is entitled to his
seat IS senator from West Virginia
Pettus presented the minority report
of the committee on privileges and
elections in the Scott case, being the
only member Of the committee who de-
clned to sign the majority report. He
referred to a statement of Chandler in
the Quay case to the effect that the
votes of some senators We're cast
against Mantle. in 1893. because he
was Il silver man. and the votes Of
others in retaliation, We're cast against
Corbctt. two years ago. because he was
| a gold standard advocate. He hoped
| the statement was not true, but if it
We're those senators We're unfit to act
as judges in such q case and unworthy
| to hold seats in the Senate. II desire. :
| said he ITO speak to senators who can
decide fairly, upon their own judgment
and not upon caprice and whim." He
begged senators, therefore, to lay aside
any personal considerations in this
case and decide it upon its merits as
a proposition of law.
PettuS then entered upon an argu-
ment in support of his prop asition that
! ., &c al
| lowing closely the lines of his report.
After having been interrupted by Nc
Comas to correct a statement of fact
Pettus refused with some heat to per
NIT an interruption by Spooner, Wis.
who desired to ask a question.
Il shall not yield for debate of this
question" said the Alabama senator
1T is not fair and it is not just for q
senator to interrupt an argument fo1
the purpose Of seeing whether he can
debate the question better than the
man on the floor"
Il think" said SpooHer. lit would
have been courteous in the senator to
have assumed that / desired simply to
ask n question"
"Oh, no" returned Pettus. 1T would
not be. | have heard the senator de-
bate positions after asking questions
| took n necessary precautiCn. | dc
not approve of this practice of inter
: rupting arguments. l believe that 6
senator has a right to interrupt anoth-
, or to obtain information or to correct
misstatemcnts as the senator from
Maryland interrupted me. but this way
| Of Just bulging into the middle of an
! argument is excessively bad manner:
even if it does 50 often occur in the
United States senator" Haughte).
Pettus analysed the work in the
Legislature and said: THE debauch
cry of such internal proceedings cannot
be too strongly characterized. 1t is a
, horrible state of affairs. And yet w,
are told that the United States Senate
cannot examine into fraud like that
I At one point of the proceedings
4 Scott needed just one more vote. There
are some very smart people in Yves
Virginia. he said. "and they Went i'm
4 media tcly to the bargain counter
Further along Pettus sharply crit
l icizcd the action of the Governor OF
4 West Virginia in entering into the cas-,
in the interest of Scott. 1T makes m,
sick" said he, that the governor of ;
u state should get down into the mud
q and dirt Of a vile case like this And
). from his actions. l should think the,
needed civil service in Charleston"
y How about Alabama?" inquired
Enkins. w. Va, facetitiously.
I'm not discussing Alabama, now,