The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-04-24
QUAY'S CASE IN THE BALANCE
HIS CHANCES SEEM TO BE AN UN-
KNOWN QUANTITY.

senate-iNenney ana PcnrOSe Also
support Him, While Platt of Con-
necticut and QuarIes Made Strong
Arguments Against the Admission
of the Pennsylvania Appointee.
Washington, April pa two days de-
bate on the right Of the Hon. M S. Quay
to a seat as a senator from Pennsylvania
was begun almost Immediately after the
Senate convened to-day.
For months the case has been pending in
the Senate and from time to time, SEN
ators have discussed IT, but until to-day
the debate has been desultory in charac-
ter.
Tomorrow at o'clock p. M, under a
special order the case is to be disposed Of
Under the special order all subsidiary
motions will be in order at and after ths
time of expiration Of the debate.
A direct vote upon the proposition to
seat Mr.. Quay. may not be taken imme-
diately after the close of the debate MIR.
Chandler has a motion pending which is,
In effect, motion TO seat Mr. Quay, but
it is held by the Senate parliamentarians
that every subsidiary motion will take
precedence over Mr.. Chandler's motion.
These include motions indefinitely to
postpone, to postpone to a definite date,
to recommit to the committee and to
amend. That one or more of these mo-
tions will be made is quite likely. How
the Senate will vote on any of them is
matter of speculation.
In support of Mr.. Quays right to a
seat speeches were delivered to-day by
Mr.. Chandler of New Hampshire, Mr.
Kenney, Democrat of Delaware. and Mr.
Penrose of Pennsylvania. Mr.. Platt Of
Connecticut and Mr.. Quarles of Wisconsin
delivered speeches in opposition to Mr..
Quay.
At the opening Mr.. Chandler, chairman
of the Committee on Privileges and Elec-
tions, submitted to the Senate the report
and testimony in the case Of Senator Will
liam A. Clark of Montana
Mr. Pettus of Alabama announced that
some of the committee, without in any
way dissenting to the resolution offered
by the chairman, would speak later re-
garding the conduct Of the case. The
resolution was placed on the salendar.
Chandler supports Quay.
The resolution relating to the seating OF
the Hon. NJ. S. Quay as senator from
Pennsylvania was then called up and Mr..
Chandler supporting Mr.. Quay's right,
! urged senators to consider the question
merely as one OF constitutional construc-
tion.
Suggestions have been floating about"
said he, :'as to some bargain between the
friends OF Senator Quay and the friends
| of another senator whose right 20 a seat
also has been called in question (refer-
| ring to Senator Clark Of Montana).
He had been, he said, requested 20 deny
~ a ~ a Nf n
mere fragment OF a diseased imag agination.
He held that the Governor of Pennsyl-
vania was not bound In this case by the
| provision Of the constitution of Pennsyl-
vania requiring that the Governor should
| call the Legislature together TO fill va
| cancies In the senatorial representation
because this vacancy had not occurred
| during a recess Of the Legislature, as in
dicated by the Pennsylvania constitution,
but during a session Of the Legislature.
Averting to the Mantle case in 1893 and
| the Corbett case In the last Congress. Mr..
| Chandler said they were not fair prece-
| dents upon which to base action.
II know senator's" said he, II am not
| going 90 mention names, who voted
| against Mantle because he was what was
| called a silver senator; and I know that
some senators, perhaps In a spirit Of re-
| taliation, voted against Corbett because
he was what was called a gold senator"
Should Observe PrecedentE.
Mr. Plat of Connecticut, In reply, main
tained on purely constitutional grounds,
| that Mr.. Quay was not entitled to a seat
| in the Senate. He said the question that
| lies In the forefront of the discussion was
| whether anything can ever be considered
| as settled In the Senate of the United
| States. Is the Senate, now in the ono
hundred and twelfth year of its existence.
to observe the utmost unbroken line OF
precedents; or is it to be governed by po-
lltical and personal friepdships?"
II am sorry" continued Mr.. Patt,
that any senator should make charge
against sixteen senators that they voted
against senator because of personal or
political reasons and not on constitutional
grounds. That charge is one which re-
fleets greater dshonor upon the Senate
than any that has ever been made"
Mr.. Chandler asked IL these statements
ought to be made. "in secret, yet not on
this floor"
ChandIer's Charges Serious.
1.-THE Senator from New Hampshire" !"
responded Mr.. Platt, in making this
charge makes one which. If true, dis
graces sixteen se1ators who voted against
Mr.. Corbett and brings dishonor upon this
Senate. do not believe 1t. No enemy Of
the Senate, no newspaper which likes to
cast aspersions no outsider who IL con-
lie men. could say. II seems TO me, that
the votes Of the sixteen senators were cast
against Mr.. Corbett because he was a sup
porter of the gold standard. Such a charge
will only afford opportunity for criticism
OF the Senate which will be unjust and
unwarranted.
Mr.. Plat maintained there was prac-
ticaily no difference between the Quay
case and the Corbett case. and the latter
decision ought 10 be regarded as sacred.
once the precedents are overturned, Mr.
Platt concluded, seats in this body will
become the sport Of political exgency.
The Senate agreed TO a conference on
the District of Columbia appropriation bill
and Senators Allison, Sewall and Cock
rell we're named as conferees.
Kenney EavOrs Quay.
Mr.. Kenney of Delaware then addressed
the Senate in support Of Mr. Quay's right
TO a seat. He voted against the seating
OF Mr. Corbett two years ago. He ad-
mitted frankly that certain charges made
against Corbett had Influenced his vote
more than the constitutional arguments
against him. He said the Governor OF
Delaware was waiting for the decision IN
the QUAY case before acting with respecf